Types of Windshield Chips and Cracks

A visual guide to identifying your windshield damage, understanding whether it can be repaired, and knowing how urgently you need to act.

Bullseye Chip

RepairableModerate Urgency

What it looks like: A dark circle with a clear cone-shaped impact point in the center, resembling a dartboard target.

Caused by a round object (like a rock) hitting the glass head-on. The impact creates a circular separation between the layers of glass. This is the most common type of chip from highway driving.

Typical Cost

$50 - $75

Often $0 with insurance

Repair Details

Bullseye chips are the easiest damage type to repair because of their uniform, contained shape. Resin fills the cone cleanly and bonds well. Best results when repaired within 48 hours before dirt and moisture infiltrate the damage point.

Star Break

Usually RepairableHigh Urgency

What it looks like: A central impact point with short cracks radiating outward like a starburst or asterisk pattern.

Formed when a sharp-edged object strikes the glass with force, creating fracture lines that extend in multiple directions from the impact. Common on I-25 and I-70 where gravel trucks operate.

Typical Cost

$60 - $85

Often $0 with insurance

Repair Details

Star breaks are repairable if the overall diameter is smaller than 3 inches and the radiating legs are not too long. The multiple fracture lines make these more prone to spreading -- each leg is a potential crack waiting to extend. Repair quickly.

Half-Moon (Partial Bullseye)

RepairableModerate Urgency

What it looks like: A semicircular chip that looks like half of a bullseye. The impact creates a D-shaped or crescent mark.

Similar to a bullseye but the object hit at an angle rather than head-on, creating an asymmetric cone. Very common when rocks kick up from the vehicle ahead at highway speeds.

Typical Cost

$50 - $75

Often $0 with insurance

Repair Details

Half-moon chips respond well to professional repair. The resin injection process fills the crescent shape effectively, and the structural result is comparable to a bullseye repair. These rarely spread on their own but Denver temperature swings can change that quickly.

Combination Break

Usually RepairableHigh Urgency

What it looks like: A complex pattern showing elements of both a star break and a bullseye, with a circular center and extending fracture legs.

The result of a particularly forceful impact that creates both a cone (like a bullseye) and radiating cracks (like a star break) simultaneously. Usually caused by larger rocks at high speed.

Typical Cost

$65 - $85

Often $0 with insurance

Repair Details

Combination breaks are repairable if the total damage diameter stays under 2 to 3 inches. These are more complex because the resin must fill both the cone and the fracture lines. Time is critical -- the multiple fracture points create more pathways for the damage to spread.

Stress Crack

Rarely RepairableCritical Urgency

What it looks like: A long, straight or gently curving crack with no visible impact point. Often starts near the edge and extends inward.

Unlike impact damage, stress cracks form from thermal expansion, structural flex, or pressure changes -- not from an object hitting the glass. Denver drivers see these frequently after extreme temperature swings or after driving to high-altitude passes.

Typical Cost

Replacement: $300 - $800+

Repair Details

Stress cracks generally cannot be repaired because they lack a contained impact point for the resin to anchor to. The crack tends to continue growing because the underlying cause (thermal stress, structural flex) persists. Most stress cracks require full windshield replacement. If yours is under 6 inches, call us -- a small percentage can be stabilized.

Edge Crack

Replacement NeededCritical Urgency

What it looks like: A crack that starts within 2 inches of the windshield edge and extends inward. Can be straight or curved.

Edge cracks originate at the windshield perimeter where the glass meets the frame seal. They are caused by impact damage near the edge, poor installation, or thermal stress at the mounting point. Even a small edge crack compromises the structural seal.

Typical Cost

Replacement: $300 - $800+

Repair Details

Edge cracks almost always require windshield replacement. The edge of the windshield is structurally bonded to the vehicle frame and provides up to 60 percent of the roof support in a rollover. Any compromise to this edge bond is a safety issue. Do not delay -- edge cracks grow rapidly.

Quick Reference

Bullseye Chip

RepairableModerate Urgency

Cost: $50 - $75

Star Break

Usually RepairableHigh Urgency

Cost: $60 - $85

Half-Moon (Partial Bullseye)

RepairableModerate Urgency

Cost: $50 - $75

Combination Break

Usually RepairableHigh Urgency

Cost: $65 - $85

Stress Crack

Rarely RepairableCritical Urgency

Cost: Replacement: $300 - $800+

Edge Crack

Replacement NeededCritical Urgency

Cost: Replacement: $300 - $800+

Related Guides

Denver windshield chip repair overviewChip repair cost breakdownInsurance coverage for chip repairMobile chip repair in Denver

Not Sure What Type of Damage You Have?

Call us or text a photo. We will identify the damage and tell you whether it can be repaired -- no charge.

(720) 918-7465Book Chip Repair