If you need a windshield repair or some other, less common type of auto glass work, you may rightly be wondering if your insurance will pay up for the damage. After all, that's what insurance is for, right? But if you didn't carefully look into the glass damage parts of your policy when you got it, you may have much less glass repair coverage than you were hoping. Here are three things that will affect whether or not you'll be able to get your insurance to pay for the repairs.

1. Type of insurance policy

The type of insurance policy that's the most likely to include any type of glass damage repair is comprehensive insurance. Glass is so fragile that insurance policies prefer not to give out coverage with just any policy. And not every comprehensive policy has the same type of glass coverage, so you'll want to go back and read yours to find out what's what. If you have a really good policy, they may even agree to cover the costs in full rather than making you pay a deductible and to replace your auto glass without counting it as a claim so that your insurance premiums won't increase. Of course, if they don't waive the deductible and your deductible is high, you'll likely have to pay out-of-pocket even if the damage is theoretically covered under your policy. Whether or not the deductible is waived may depend on the state you live in, since some states require it as a matter of safety (to make it easier for drivers to get windshields replaced right away).

2. Type of glass damage

 Some comprehensive policies may agree to repair or replace any type of auto glass except the windshield (which, wouldn't you know it, is the most likely to be damaged or break altogether). This may seem odd, but the company's costs would be much higher if they agreed to pay for windshield damage. Naturally, you should always read the policy before choosing it. 

3. Type of repair used

You may be required to use a certain repair shop that's in your insurance company's network in order to get coverage. In addition, insurance companies don't cover DIY windshield repair kits. They're also going to be reluctant to cover a patch job that occurs if you do a DIY chip repair that fails and you then take your car to the repair shop to see if they can help. The repair shop may be able to do something to make the repair a bit stronger, but there's no way to remove the resin and start from scratch. Taking your repair to a professional repair shop the first time around is the only reliable way to get it covered.

These three issues can all make the difference between paying out-of-pocket and having insurance coverage for your auto glass damage. Remember, if you have a chip or crack in your windshield now, don't wait to get it repaired later; it could spread to a part of the windshield that's considered unrepairable (such as the edge or the driver's sightline). Check whether you have insurance coverage and then take your car to get the windshield fixed so you won't have to get it replaced. Contact a company like FB Glass to learn more.