[champignon]

Sorry for your loss.

I have now had 2 windshield replacements done on BMWs in the last several years; one on my 135is Convertible, and the other on my recently departed 2018 M2. Rock chips and cracks are extremely common in Idaho, especially during the winter driving season. My car insurance is with Safeco, and I pay extra for "full glass" coverage, which reduces the owner responsibility to zero.

I have had a few minor rock chips over the years, out of the line of sight, where I consented to have the windshield "repaired" rather than replaced, and in those instances I have gone where Safeco sent me, either to Safelight when in the big city, or a smaller more local provider who came to my house when at my principal residence in the mountains.

In the case of damage requiring windshield replacement, I have not accepted that the work be done by Safelight or other 3rd party provider. When calling the insurance company, they connect you directly to Safelight, but it is possible to refuse having the work being done by Safelight and to insist on referral to a BMW dealer for OEM glass. This is what I did with my 135is and with my M2. In both cases I received 100% reimbursement for what I paid, within 1-2 weeks. The dealer kept the car overnight each time to let the seals cure, and I was provided with a free loaner car. This work cost a multiple of what Safelight would have presumably charged Safeco. Instead of Safeco paying Safelight directly, I needed to pay for the work myself, then submit the bill to Safelight (who contracts all windshield work from my insurance company).

Obviously, this is not your situation, and insurance companies presumably differ in how they deal with windshield damage, so check with your own carrier before proceeding. With a car like a 1M, I would not want third party glass in it, unless I was 100% certain that it was exactly the same as what the dealer would install. In addition, if the dealer does any damage to the car in the process of replacing the windshield, they will presumably fix it, but since they know the car much better to begin with, the likelihood of them doing damage is reduced. A good Indie shop could also be an option, depending on the shop, but a lot of those don't mess with windshields.