• Residential & Commercial Glass Only — No Auto Glass Services
  • Proudly Serving Northern Virginia
  • Open 24 hours
Menu
Call Us Today

571-621-0898

Menu
Frequently Asked Questions

Glass Repair Questions, Answered Straight

The questions we get asked most, with actual numbers wherever we can give them. If yours is not here, call 571-621-0898. We would rather answer it on the phone than have you guess.

Cost and estimates

Is the estimate really free?
Yes. We come out, measure and give you a written estimate at no charge and with no obligation. There is no trip fee and no diagnostic charge. If you send a photo first we can usually give you a ballpark before anybody drives out.
We can give you a range from a photo. We cannot give you a firm number, because glass has to fit within about a sixteenth of an inch and the price depends on the exact dimensions, the glass type and whether the frame or hardware also needs work. Anyone who quotes a firm price sight unseen is either padding it or planning to revise it later.
Almost always, and usually by a lot. When a double pane window fogs up the frame is typically fine. What failed is the seal on the glass unit inside it. We replace that unit in your existing frame, so no trim comes off, no siding work, no painting. Whole window replacement makes sense when the frame itself is rotted, rusted or out of square. We will tell you which one you have.
Emergency board up outside normal hours is priced differently from scheduled daytime work. We tell you the rate on the phone before we dispatch, not after we arrive.
We take card, check and ACH, and on jobs over a certain amount we can split payment into a deposit and a balance on completion.

Timing

How fast can you get here in an emergency?
We aim to have somebody on site within [90] minutes for emergency board up, any hour, including nights, weekends and holidays. Call 571-621-0898 and you get a person.
Standard sizes are frequently in stock and can go in the same or next day. Custom cut tempered glass, insulated units and shower enclosures are fabricated to your measurements and usually take about [3 to 5] business days. We give you the date at the estimate and call you if anything moves.
For in stock sizes and most hardware repairs, yes. For custom glass, no. We have to measure first because the unit is cut to your exact opening. That means two visits, measure then install. Anyone promising single visit custom glass is measuring off your numbers, and if those are wrong you pay for the mistake.
Emergency board up, yes, any day and any hour. Scheduled installations are normally weekdays, though we can often arrange a Saturday for commercial customers who cannot close during the week.

What we do and do not do

Do you do auto glass?
No. We are residential and commercial only. Buildings, not vehicles. If you need a windscreen you want an auto glass specialist.
Tempered safety glass, laminated security glass, insulated double pane units with or without low emissivity coating, mirrors, and standard annealed glass where code allows it. For storefronts we also repair and replace aluminium framing systems.
Usually. We match thickness, tint and coating so a replacement pane does not stand out against the rest of the elevation. On very old or specialty glass, antique wavy glass, discontinued patterns, some obscure tints, an exact match may not exist, and we will tell you before you commit.
You will see drill and inject defogging advertised. It is cosmetic. It clears the visible haze but it does not repair the failed seal or restore the insulating gas fill, so the window still is not insulating and the fogging tends to come back. If appearance is all you care about it is an option. If you want the window working again, the glass unit has to be replaced.
Yes, and it is usually the better choice. Original sash from before the fifties was built to be maintained. We take the sash out, remove the failed putty, set new glass and reputty. In historic districts this is often the only approach that gets approved.
Yes. Frameless, semi frameless and bypass enclosures. Every one is custom, because shower openings are almost never square. We template the opening, order tempered glass cut to those measurements and fit the hardware.

Permits and code

Do I need a permit for glass replacement?
Like for like glass replacement in an existing frame usually does not need one. Commercial work, changes to an opening, storefront replacement and anything in a historic district generally does. We will tell you at the estimate, and when a permit is needed we pull it.
Historic districts in Takoma Park, Georgetown, Capitol Hill and elsewhere require review before exterior window and door work. In Montgomery County that is a Historic Area Work Permit through the Historic Preservation Commission. Prince George’s County runs its own version with no application fee. We have been through it. In most cases repairing the original sash is both cheaper and far more likely to be approved than replacement.
Building code requires safety glazing, tempered or laminated, in and near doors, near stairs and landings, in guards and railings, in large panes close to the floor, in bathrooms near tubs and showers, and in a few other locations. If your existing pane is in one of those spots and is not tempered, we replace it with glass that is. It is not optional and it is not an upsell.
DC Department of Buildings, Montgomery County DPS and the Historic Preservation Commission, Prince George’s County DPIE, Baltimore County PAI, and the relevant Northern Virginia jurisdictions.

Trust and guarantees

Are you licensed and insured?
Yes, in DC, Maryland and Virginia. License numbers [FILL IN]. On commercial jobs we email a certificate of insurance naming your entity the same day you ask, which most buildings want before we can reach a loading dock or freight elevator.
[1 year] on our workmanship, in writing on your invoice, plus the manufacturer warranty on the glass itself. Insulated units usually carry a longer seal warranty from the manufacturer. If something we installed fails inside the workmanship period we come back and fix it at no charge.
All eight wards of Washington DC. Montgomery, Prince George’s and Baltimore Counties in Maryland. Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church in Northern Virginia. If you are just outside that, call. If we are working nearby we will come.
Yes. Old glass, packaging and debris all leave with us. On break in and storm calls we vacuum the area, because broken glass ends up a lot further from the window than people expect.

Still Have a Question?

Call 571-621-0898 and ask. If it is an emergency we answer after hours. If it is not, send a photo and we will usually tell you what you are dealing with before anybody drives out.
Get My Free Estimate