Hail Damaged Glass Block Window — Replace the Panel or Swap It
Hail cracked four blocks in the basement glass block window on the west side, and the adjuster's scope lists the windows upstairs but not that one.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
A hail damaged glass block window usually shows as cracked or chipped blocks in a basement or bathroom opening. Single blocks in a mortared panel rarely come out clean, so the usual repair is a new panel. JMB Builders in the Twin Cities photographs each cracked block with a scale, writes the panel as its own line for your adjuster, and replaces it like for like, or swaps it for a window that opens. Priced per opening.
- Priced per opening
- Each cracked block photographed with a scale
- Like-for-like panel or a window that opens
Glass block is common in basement windows and some bathrooms across the Twin Cities. It is thick, but a direct hail strike can still crack or chip a block face, and a cracked block lets water and cold into the mortar joints over time. Because basement windows sit low behind shrubs and window wells, they are easy to leave off a storm scope.
Replacing one block in a mortared panel is hard to do without cracking the next one, and matching the pattern of an older block is often not possible. So the usual repair is a new panel for the whole opening: a mortared or pre-built glass block panel, with a vent section if the old one had one. That is the like-for-like line on a claim. Each cracked block is photographed with a scale and marked on a photo of the whole panel, so the adjuster can see the count.
Some owners use the claim as the moment to swap the glass block for a vinyl window that opens. The claim normally pays for like kind; the difference for a different window is usually yours, and a basement bedroom window may raise egress questions on its own. Check your policy and ask your agent. You file and deal with your insurer. Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 325E.66) bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying any part of your deductible, and we do not.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
What you supply
- Your claim number and the adjuster's scope, if you have it
- Photos of the glass block windows from outside, including any in window wells
- Whether the basement room is or will be a bedroom
- Your choice: glass block again, or a window that opens and paying the difference
What JMB supplies
- Photos of each cracked or chipped block with a scale, marked on a photo of the whole panel
- A line-item scope with the glass block panel as its own line
- The old panel cut out and the opening cleaned
- A new glass block panel set and sealed, with a vent section if the old one had one
- Or a vinyl window that opens, set on a sill pan, foamed, sealed and trimmed
- Permits pulled when the job needs one, such as enlarging an opening
How it is priced: per opening
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Size of the opening and how many openings were hit
- Like-for-like glass block panel vs a window that opens
- Vent section in the panel
- Window well access and digging
- Interior finish around the opening in a finished basement
Send a photo of each glass block window from outside with a close-up of the cracks. We reply within one business day.
How long it takes
Photos and scope in one visit. Panels and windows are ordered to size; install is a few hours per opening.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Hail Damaged Glass Block Window — Replace the Panel or Swap It: questions, answered
Can hail crack a glass block window?
Yes. Glass block is thick but not unbreakable, and a direct strike can crack or chip a block face. Look closely at the side of the house the storm came from and at blocks in window wells, where they are easy to miss.
Can one cracked glass block be replaced?
Sometimes, but it is hard to cut one block out of a mortared panel without damaging the blocks around it, and older patterns are often not made anymore. A new panel for the whole opening is the usual repair and the usual line on a claim.
Will insurance pay to replace glass block with a window that opens?
A claim normally pays for like kind, which is a glass block panel. If you want a window that opens, the difference is usually yours. If the room is a bedroom, code questions about egress may come up; check your policy for ordinance or law coverage and ask your agent.
Why is my glass block window not on the adjuster's scope?
Basement windows sit low, behind shrubs or in wells, and are easy to skip. Photograph the cracked blocks with a scale and ask your insurer how to add them. We can photograph them and write the line for you.
Is a cracked glass block window a problem if I leave it?
Over time, water can get into a cracked block and the mortar joints around it, and freeze-thaw can make it worse. It is also an easy way for cold air to get in. It is worth fixing while the claim is open.
Can a contractor pay my deductible on a glass block window claim?
No. Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 325E.66) bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying any part of your deductible, and JMB Builders does not do it.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and the builders we work with. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
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Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All insurance repairs pages
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