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Which insurance pays for a stone chip in Germany?

In short

In Germany a stone chip in the glass is paid by partial cover (Teilkasko), which is also part of every comprehensive policy. A repair costs about EUR 50 to 150 and many insurers waive the deductible for it. For a replacement the deductible applies. Your no-claims class stays the same. With liability only, you pay yourself, often over EUR 1,000 for a modern windscreen.

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Which insurance pays for a stone chip in Germany?

What it costs

Published figures for glass damage in Germany, 2024 to 2026.

Example	Typical range
Resin repair of a small chip	about EUR 50 to 150
Windscreen replacement without driver assistance systems	about EUR 400 to 1,000
Replacement with camera recalibration	about EUR 1,500 or more
Average glass claim on insured cars, 2024	about EUR 900
Typical deductible in partial cover	about EUR 150

Figures from publicly quoted data as of September 2026. The amounts in the worked example are guide values from our quoting practice. Whether your insurer waives the deductible for repairs is in your policy terms; we can check it for you.

Worked example

Compact SUV from 2022 with a windscreen camera

A stone hits the glass on the Autobahn. Two ways it can go.

Chip near the edge, repaired at once	about EUR 100, your share often EUR 0
Crack in the line of sight, replacement with recalibration	about EUR 1,500
your deductible in partial cover	EUR 150
Without partial or comprehensive cover	about EUR 1,500 out of your own pocket

A quick repair usually costs you nothing. Waiting until it cracks costs you at least the deductible.

Partial cover pays, liability does not

Glass breakage is a standard part of German partial cover. It pays to repair or replace the windscreen, side and rear windows, and in many policies also a glass roof and headlight glass. If you have comprehensive cover, partial cover is already included.

With liability only (Haftpflicht), the damage is yours. You can only claim from the driver ahead if you can prove the stone fell from badly secured cargo. A stone thrown up by tyres is usually treated as unavoidable, so nobody pays.

Your cover	Who pays	Your share
Liability only	nobody	the whole bill
Partial cover	your insurer	deductible on replacement, often nothing on repair
Comprehensive cover	your insurer, through the partial part	same as partial cover
Truck with loose cargo, provable	the truck's liability insurer	nothing, if you can prove it

Repair or replace

A chip can usually be filled with resin if it is smaller than about 2 cm, not directly in the driver's line of sight and at least 10 cm from the edge. Otherwise the glass has to be replaced.

Many insurers waive the deductible for a repair because it saves them the far larger replacement cost. Do not wait: cold, heat and potholes quickly turn a small chip into a crack, and then only replacement is possible.

Why replacement has become expensive

Many windscreens carry the camera and sensors for lane keeping and emergency braking. After a replacement they must be recalibrated, which pushes the bill for newer cars to EUR 1,500 or more.

In 2024 a glass claim cost insurers about EUR 900 on average, around 77 percent more than ten years earlier. That is one reason partial cover premiums keep rising.

When you do not need cover for stone chips

For an old car with a low value, dropping partial cover and paying for the odd chip yourself can be cheaper. Compare the annual premium with the cost of one replacement every few years.

Keep in mind that partial cover also pays for theft, storm, hail and collisions with wild animals. Cancelling it because of the glass alone removes that protection too.

Partner garages and deductibles

Policies with a partner garage clause (Werkstattbindung) often send you to a contracted glass specialist and in return waive the deductible even for a replacement. Going elsewhere without asking can lead to a reduced payout.

The usual deductible in partial cover is EUR 150. Report a repair even if it costs less than that, as long as your insurer waives the deductible for repairs.

Step by step

Photograph the chip and cover it with a windscreen patch to keep dirt out.
Check your policy: partial cover, partner garage clause, deductible for repair and replacement.
Report the damage to your insurer before booking a garage.
Have it repaired soon, before a crack forms.
After a replacement, make sure the driver assistance camera has been recalibrated.

Checklist

Partial cover including glass breakage
No deductible on repairs
Glass roof and headlights covered, if your car has them
Camera recalibration included in the payout
Partner garage clause understood, or free choice agreed

Common mistakes

Ignoring a chip for weeks until it turns into a crack
Using any garage although your policy requires a partner garage
Paying yourself out of fear for your no-claims class, which glass claims do not affect
Cancelling partial cover over glass alone and losing theft and storm cover

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Will a stone chip claim raise my premium?

Not through your no-claims class. Glass claims go through partial cover, which has no no-claims class, even if you have comprehensive cover.

Do I pay the deductible?

Usually for a replacement. For a repair many insurers waive it, and some also waive it for a replacement at a partner garage.

Can I keep driving with a chip?

A small chip near the edge is usually fine. A crack in the line of sight can fail the roadworthiness test (TÜV) and lead to a fine at a police check.

Does the truck driver who threw the stone pay?

Only if you can prove the stone fell from his cargo. Stones thrown up by tyres are normally treated as unavoidable.

Are side windows and the glass roof covered?

Side and rear windows yes. Glass roof, mirror glass and headlights are included in good policies, not always in basic ones.

Is partial cover worth it just for stone chips?

Rarely on its own. Together with theft, storm, hail and wildlife collisions it pays off for most cars still worth a few thousand euros.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

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