Nationwide glass shortage impacting Butte window repair shops

BUTTE, Mont. – The statewide workers shortage, COVID-19 shipping backorders and factories closing to international tariffs have caught up to local window and glass installation services.

Butte Glass Window Specialist Eric Ellingson said prices of certain types of glass have increased while bulk orders of windshields and windows have been put on backorder for several weeks.

“There’s no workers, limited staff pushes the windows two to six weeks out, our vinyl’s they’re 10 to 12 weeks out, it’s a huge shortage on glass especially with older vehicles, it is just really hard to get the glass in,” Ellingson said.

Glass Doctor of Butte Kody Tracy said the availability of glass is a huge concern along with no exact answer on when product will arrive.

“I have 60 windows I ordered in May and they’re still not here and they keep telling me they’ll be one more month out so with that I’ve lost probably $50,000,” Tracy said.

In-store Representative for Glass Doctor Godio B. said the glass shortage is not limited to even the most common makes and models of car windshields.

“The biggest line of vehicles that are on the road, 2006 to 2008 are Chevy Silverado 1500 or GMC 1500… I can’t get that glass anywhere, it’s not 15 days out, its not 30 days out, it’s out,” Godio B. said.

Ellingson said the price of plexiglass is almost double normal glass prices from what it was before the pandemic and the vinyl glass orders for your kitchen or house windows won’t come in for another two months.

As for a solution? Right now, both businesses said it’s really a waiting game, but if you do have a glass emergency you should still bring in your car windshield or window but they can’t guarantee you a fix right on the spot.

You can find more information on Butte Glass here.

You can find more information on Glass Doctor of Butte here.