You can start a mobile windshield repair business for $1,500 to $5,000 — a professional resin injection kit, a UV-cure lamp, a vehicle you already own, and the licensing and insurance to operate. Chip repairs take 20–30 minutes, bill $60–$150, and are often fully covered by the driver's comprehensive insurance, which is why the model works. The hard part isn't the repair; it's a steady stream of cars.
This is a practical guide: licensing, real startup costs, the mobile setup, insurance billing, and how to get your first jobs. The website and marketing part is where we help — but we'll tell you honestly when you don't need us yet.
Register the business. Form an LLC, get an EIN, open a business bank account, and pull a city/county business license and a sales-tax permit.
Get insured. General liability and, if you replace glass, garage-keepers and commercial auto. Budget $500–$2,000/yr to start.
Buy the kit and train. A pro resin injection system, UV lamp, pit probes, and curing film. Practice on junkyard glass until your repairs disappear.
Set up insurance billing. Enroll with the major networks (Safelite Solutions / Lynx) so you can bill carriers directly — this is how most chip repairs get paid.
Line up first jobs — fleets, dealers, then inbound search.
Full glass replacement is a bigger build: more tooling, glass supplier accounts, and the ability to recalibrate ADAS cameras on newer cars. Many owners start with chip repair and add replacement once cash flow is steady.
Two channels, in this order:
If you haven't done your first 20 paid repairs, don't spend on marketing — spend on getting clean, fast, invisible repairs and a few dealer accounts. A free Google Business Profile and word of mouth will carry you early. Come back for a site and SEO once you're consistently busy and want inbound jobs to fill the slow days. That's when our $249/month site with AI lead capture and a free 48-hour demo earns its keep.
We don't post stock testimonials. On a 15-minute call we screen-share the real dashboards behind our own businesses — live leads, rankings, and the exact page that produced each one. See the proof →
More guides in how to start & grow a business. Related auto verticals: auto detailing website design. And when you're ready for inbound jobs: what local SEO costs, whether it's worth it, and the AI receptionist that catches calls while you're under a hood.
Usually a business license, registered entity, sales-tax permit, and liability insurance — most states don't require a specific auto-glass license for chip repair. Replacement and ADAS work may add requirements. Check your state and city.
Yes, with volume. A 20–30 minute repair bills $60–$150 with low material cost, often covered by insurance. The limit is keeping the calendar full — that's a fleet-accounts and search problem, not a margin problem.
Enroll with the major glass-claims networks so you can bill carriers directly. Many comprehensive policies cover chip repair with no deductible, which makes "yes" an easy answer for the customer.
Send your business name and metro — we'll confirm your market is open and build a working demo within 48 hours. Free, no card, no commitment.
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