Mobile auto glass in Charlotte, at your car.

A mobile job asks very little of you, but a few things decide whether it can go ahead at the address you give. Getting them right when you book saves a wasted trip on either side.

• A level, firm spot. New glass is set into fresh adhesive and must sit undisturbed while it bonds, and a level car makes camera calibration more accurate. A flat driveway, a garage or a level row in a parking deck all work.
• Room around the car. The front doors need to open fully on both sides, and the technician needs to walk around the front of the vehicle with the glass.
• Dry glass. Rain on the frame gets in the way of the adhesive. A garage, a carport or a covered deck lets most jobs go ahead in wet weather.
• Permission where the lot is private. Apartment complexes, office parks and shopping centers sometimes have rules about work in their lots. A quick word with the manager avoids trouble.
• The keys, for a short time. The technician may need to open doors, move the mirror or run a calibration that needs the engine on.

Tell Impex the address and the type of parking when you book. A home in Huntersville with a two-car garage and a reserved space in an Uptown apartment deck are very different jobs, and knowing which one is coming means the right plan is made before the van leaves.

Weather is the main reason a mobile appointment changes. The Auto Glass Safety Council says the minimum time a car should stand still after an installation varies with the type and brand of adhesive and the atmospheric conditions at the time of replacement. Steady rain with no cover, strong wind blowing grit across the opening, or a cold, wet spell can all mean a different time or a different spot.

Calibration is the other deciding factor. Most newer cars carry a forward camera at the top of the windshield for lane departure warning, collision braking and adaptive cruise control, and I-CAR lists removing the windshield among the events that may require that camera to be aimed again. There are two methods. A static calibration places targets in set positions in front of the car while a scan tool runs the aiming procedure. A dynamic calibration is done by driving the car at or below a set speed for a set time or distance, and I-CAR notes it may need roads clear of rain and snow without heavy traffic or tight curves. Some cameras need both.

Impex states that it performs ADAS calibration on site immediately after windshield replacement, with both static and dynamic calibrations possible in one visit, and that calibration takes between 30 minutes and 2 hours. A static calibration needs a level floor and clear space in front of the car, so if your driveway slopes or the lot is cramped, Impex may ask for a different spot for that part of the job, such as a level parking deck or a flat office lot, and will say so when you book.

In North Carolina, glass damage normally falls under comprehensive coverage. The NC Department of Insurance lists ‘Breakage of glass’ and ‘Missiles or falling objects’ among the losses Other Than Collision coverage pays for, less any deductible. North Carolina has no law that waives the deductible for glass, so the comprehensive deductible usually applies. Some policies include full glass coverage; your policy documents or your agent will say whether yours does.

Mobile service does not change who you may choose. Under G.S. 58-3-180 a policy covering damage to a motor vehicle must allow the claimant to select the repair service, and the insurer owes the same amount whichever one you pick. If an insurer recommends a shop, it must tell you that you are under no obligation to use it. Impex works with all major insurance providers and can handle the claim with your insurer.

A comprehensive glass claim is not an at-fault accident, so it does not add Safe Driver Incentive Plan points. The NCDOI notes that many insurers do look at how often you file claims, at fault or not, so it is worth asking your insurer how a small repair would be handled. One more point that surprises people: the NC annual safety inspection checks your wipers, not the glass itself, but a crack in your line of sight is still a safety problem.