How Long Does it Take to Replace a Car Window?
It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour. If you've ever had your car broken into or if someone broke into your car and shattered the window, then you know how long it takes to replace a car window. It's not like in the movies where it takes less than five minutes for someone in a Halloween mask, with tools in hand, to replace the glass in your car door; although in some cases this does happen if you have one of those companies come out and replace your window for you.
The time it will take depends on several things: whether there is anything wrong with the existing frame of the door & what you want to be replaced (the glass or the whole door), whether you are replacing the window yourself, whether you are making any repairs to the existing frame of the door while you replace it (i.e., tighten hinges), and how good a window installation company is at their job.
If you have never replaced a car window before & must do so for whatever reason, then expect it to take around 30-45 minutes for your first time replacement. If there's nothing wrong with the existing door frame & only the glass needs to be replaced, this will go much smoother than if your car doors need some work done on them while you're replacing that broken window.
However, if you are replacing the window for damage done by thieves that broke into your car, then it might be a good idea to have an installation company replace the glass & frame together so they should take around 15-30 minutes.
If you choose to install this yourself, which is not recommended if you aren't sure of what you're doing, then expect to spend anywhere from 1-2 hours because you will need time to cut off any leftover fragments on the door frame (if there are any), clean up all debris left behind, clean out the interior of your vehicle along with the exterior surface of your door, dry off both sides of your vehicle's door or window before installing new glass or putting in replacement weatherstripping/molding/trim pieces, etc.
If you have a car window replaced from scratch from an installer, then expect to pay around $155-200. This price will depend on what kind of glass you will need & whether or not your replacement is a back windshield or a side/rear door window.
For the same work done by a company that will do both the installation and repair of your vehicle's existing doors, expect to pay between $230-290 because they should be able to get it done in under 1 hour. If you spend more than 1 hour with these "double" installers, then something is wrong so please feel free to complain until they fix everything correctly for you.
If you want to replace your car windows yourself, then you will save a few dollars & spend around 1 hour in time, but if you're not good at putting new glass into the existing door frame, then go ahead and hire an installer.
If you think you can do a better job than someone who is certified to do this type of work, then go ahead and try it out. Just know that if you screw it up & break the glass or damage the door frame, then you will have no one to blame but yourself.
So as a general rule-of-thumb, from start to finish expect to spend anywhere from 1 hour (if an installer replaces your car window for you) to 2 hours (if you install the new car window on your own) if there's no damage done to any existing parts of your vehicle's door. Also, keep in mind that most installers will charge extra if they have more than one broken window that needs repaired/replaced so having all broken windows in your car fixed at once will cost you more money than just having the one fixed.
Lastly, check to see what types of glass your vehicle uses & buy that type at your local home improvement store. If you cannot find the correct glass, then go ahead and order it online because having the wrong type of replacement window in your car will lead to leaks & pressure problems within the door frame which could cause you even more grief than just having one broken window.
Palm Bay, FL