I walked by a friend’s car the other day and saw a crack running the full height of the windshield. I told them, “You know, your auto insurance may include glass repairs.” They said, “I don’t want to make a claim because my premiums will go up.” That made me wonder: Should you file an insurance claim for a cracked windshield? I looked into when a glass claim could raise your premiums, according to the insurance companies themselves.

We’ve already covered when auto insurance will pay to repair a cracked windshield. You need comprehensive coverage to file a glass claim. You then pay your deductible for repairs. After that, your insurer pays to fix the glass. But will filing a claim increase your premiums?

When a glass claim might raise costs

According to American Family Insurance, comprehensive claims rarely increase premiums. “If you file a windshield claim, your insurance company typically won’t apply a surcharge, which is the rise in your insurance premium.” There is one exception. “If you do frequently file auto repair claims, your company could consider you a high-risk driver, which would cause a hike in your premium.”

So, if you live on a gravel road, tailgate other vehicles, and repeatedly file claims for broken windshields, your insurer may consider you “high-risk.”

There are times when you shouldn’t file a claim at all. It may make more financial sense to pay out of pocket if you only need a cheap repair. If you have a chip or starburst crack smaller than a quarter, your insurer will likely suggest filling it with epoxy to stop it from growing. They may not replace the entire windshield. The repair will likely cost less than your deductible, so you should pay out of pocket.

A long crack usually means you need a full replacement. If you drive a modern car with forward-facing sensors for driver-assist systems behind the glass, the repair can get expensive. In that case, you’ll likely want your insurer’s help.