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Windshield Repair Costs & Charges; Questions Concerning Starting a Business
Topic Started: May 12 2008, 06:18 PM (450 Views)
tomtwocat
Newbie
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Hi Jason. Just found your windshield repair items for sale on ebay and then read about your forum here. Yours is the first ebay listing I've even viewed about it. I was looking on ebay because of the fact that I would like to try to get established in the business of windshield repair. I am disabled but this might be something that I could do to supplement my limited income - with some assistance from my wife. I know nothing about the repair process at this time but am willing to learn. I know you wrote that you are willing to assist in the learning of this trade but I'd hate to burden you with my every question or issue that might come up. Do you know of any printed material that I could purchase relating to this? I'm also interested in what the profitability might be and the costs of gettting set up with tools and materials needed. I have a lot of hand tools and a nice shop already so probably would only need the specialized tools and of course the materials. What about windshield replacement when the glass damage is too great to repair? Do you do that as well? Please reply when you have the time. I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions as time goes along... Thanks! Tom
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ShowroomCondition
Administrator
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hey there tom,
thanks for posting. i doubt you will ever be able to overwhelm me with questions, but you are welcome to try ;) the profit margin is great, especially if you can find a deal on resin. even without a good deal on resin, you will only spend about $1 on every repair you do, including resin and fresh seals and bits, once you get started. if you can average $45 per repair, you can see it's all profit, just labor.

i myself don't have printed material for handing out, however i am working on a brochure for my local business. i've done this for six years and am moving on to include a couple new services i need a visual to promote. of course i will always keep the core intact, and that is windshield repair and cigarette burn repair. for now, get yourself 1000 business cards from staples, and maybe a sign for the end of your driveway. that's how i started my business(just the cards actually). start marketing to car dealers if you choose that route, or some get in with insurance companies or just retail work.

as far as the tools you'll need, you need a dremel cordless drill, a couple of good injectors, resin, curing strips, drill bits, a collett to adjust to the drill bits, toolbox. a uv light is almost a necessity, as i find i use it about 10% of the time. that's alot of usage to not have one at all. if you want to do a repair while a car is in a garage or a shop, the uv light is a necessity. for starters, sunlight will do fine.

i have a basic kit on ebay that should get you started. it has almost everything you need except a uv light. it is not all inclusive, but it's certainly a great start for the money. no one has ever complained about the price or value, that's for sure. in two repairs, you'll have it paid for. to tell you the honest truth though, you might want to start off slow. i don't know your economic situation, but if you could tinker with your own cars or even friends cars before representing yourself to the public, that might be a good idea. included in the kit is a detailed set of instructions that i have tweaked over time. it should get the ball rolling for you, then experience plus these forums can help with your advanced skills.

hope this helps,
jason
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Jack
Newbie
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I have most of the equipment needed except for the drill bits, what do I ask for when purchasing? And what size works best? Thanks
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ShowroomCondition
Administrator
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the thinner the drill bit, the less evidence you leave that you were there. in other words, the dot on the repair has potential to be smaller. sometimes the pit is so big, that doesn't matter though.

however, if you get a thin drill bit, they can be brittle. i use medium bits and still every once in a while one will break off into a repair and i have to fish it out. so maybe a medium or thicker drill bit will work better for you.

as far as what to ask for, i think most windshield repair bits are also dental repair bits. the ones they use to drill into your teeth. but there are a ton of guys that sell them to us, so you shouldn't have trouble finding them. figure on the high side of $1 apiece and you'll get half dozen cars or so drilled until they start slowing down. as they age, they won't drill as fast as the do on that first car.
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Elias
Unregistered

what is the curing strip?
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ShowroomCondition
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curing strip is what you place over top of a finished repair. it keeps the resin in place until it has time to cure. then you scrape off the excess.
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Elias
Newbie
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what's the dimentions of one strip?
how much strips i need?
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ShowroomCondition
Administrator
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in this thread i'd like to keep on the original topic for all those who choose to read, so i'll have to limit my comments to the start up costs of a windshield repair business. curing strips are pretty cheap and you can get 2" by 2" curing strips by the dozen for about two or three bucks. you can then cut them down into fours yourself so they'll go further. they will last forever, or until they get wrinkled up and/or lost.

feel free to start another topic or two about anything you like and i'll answer any questions you can fire at me.
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