Hail Damage Insurance Claims: What You Need to Know

Hail damage on your car is usually covered by your auto policy, and filing often costs you less than you'd think. We handle the claim with your insurer from start to finish.

Deductible Covered up to $1,000
Free Rental Car
We Handle Your Insurance Claim
Lifetime Warranty

Deductible and rental offer for the first 100 cars per storm.

A hail damage insurance claim doesn't have to be a headache. We work with your insurance company directly, write the estimate, and walk the adjuster through it at our shop. You can pick any shop you want, even if your insurer suggests their own. Every repair carries our lifetime warranty. And we cover your deductible up to $1,000 for the first 100 cars per storm.

Does Insurance Cover Hail Damage on Your Car?

Insurance covers hail damage on your car if your policy includes comprehensive coverage. Hail falls under comprehensive, along with theft, fire, and falling objects. It's not a collision claim.

Most people with a car loan or lease carry comprehensive, because lenders usually require it. Not sure about yours? Look for "comprehensive" on your declarations page, or call your insurer.

A single hail claim usually won't raise your rates, because nobody caused the damage. After a big storm, though, insurers can raise rates for a whole ZIP code, whether you file or not.

When Is It Worth Filing a Hail Damage Claim?

For most hail cars, filing is worth it:

Insurance pays the repair, minus your deductible.
We cover that deductible up to $1,000 for the first 100 cars per storm.
One hail claim usually won't raise your rates.

Even light hail is often worth a look. A car that looks fine in the driveway can show dozens of dents under shop lights. Our free inspection tells you what you're really dealing with before you decide.

How to File a Hail Damage Insurance Claim: Step by Step

Filing a hail damage claim with us takes six steps:

1Report the claimCall your insurer or use their app soon after the storm. Write down your claim number.
2Wash your carA clean car shows every dent. Dirt hides the small ones.
3Drop it off with usYou leave in a rental car the same day. If your policy has no rental coverage, we pay for it (first 100 cars per storm).
4We inspect and write the estimateEvery panel goes under a light board, and we count and size every dent.
5We send the estimate to your insurerAn adjuster reviews it at our shop, usually the next day.
6We repair your carWork starts once it's approved. You get your car back in 7 to 10 days.

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What Does a Hail Damage Estimate Include?

A hail damage estimate is built dent by dent, panel by panel. For each panel, it lists how many dents there are, how big they are, and where they sit. Dents on a flat hood cost less to fix than dents on an edge or body line.

The estimate also lists any parts that have to come off. To reach roof dents, techs often drop the headliner. For quarter panels, the tail lights and liners come off. Aluminum panels take more time than steel, so they cost more too.

Some panels can't be fixed without paint. Cracked paint, stretched metal, or old body filler all mean that panel goes to paint. Your estimate shows which panels get paintless dent repair and which don't. Our hail damage repair page covers when PDR works and when it doesn't.

Deductibles, Waivers, and What You Actually Pay

Your deductible is the part of the repair you'd normally pay before insurance kicks in. If your repair is $5,000 and your deductible is $1,000, insurance pays $4,000.

We handle it differently. Paintless dent repair keeps your original panels, so the repair costs less than replacing and painting them. That gap is how we can cover your deductible, up to $1,000, for the first 100 cars per storm. If your deductible is higher than $1,000, you pay the difference.

Your rental car works the same way. If your policy has rental coverage, insurance pays for it. If it doesn't, we pay for your rental for the first 100 cars per storm. Our $0 Repair Club page explains the offer.

Why Insurers Send Adjusters to the Shop

Adjusters review hail claims at our shop because that's where the light boards are. Hail dents are hard to see in daylight. Under shop lights, every dent shows.

We send the estimate first. Then the adjuster comes in, usually the next day, and checks it against the car. Most of the time, they look it over and approve it. Sometimes they question a panel, and we show them the dents right there.

What If Insurance Underpays or Denies Your Claim?

If insurance underpays your claim, it's often because damage got missed on the first look. We fix that with a supplement.

When we take off trim, lights, or the headliner, we often find more dents. We document them and send a supplement to your insurer for the extra work. The adjuster reviews it, and we keep going once it's approved.

If the adjuster disagrees with part of the estimate, we walk them through it at our shop, dent by dent, under the lights. A claim gets denied far less often when every dent is on the record. And if your policy doesn't include comprehensive coverage, we'll tell you that up front.

Choosing the Right Shop vs. In-Network Recommended Shops

You get to choose where your car is repaired. Your insurer may suggest one of their in-network shops, but you don't have to use it. Insurance still has to pay for the repair at the shop you pick.

At an in-network shop, this is what often happens:

You pay your deductible.
You may not get a rental unless your policy covers it.
Damaged panels are often replaced and repainted.
Wait times can run long after a big storm.

At our shop, we fix panels with paintless dent repair, cover your deductible up to $1,000, and set you up with a rental, for the first 100 cars per storm. Learn more about the method on our paintless dent repair page.

Where We Handle Hail Claims

We handle hail claims wherever we're repairing. Our home base is the Denver metro, and we follow the storms with a network of PDR techs and partner shops.

FAQs

Does Insurance Cover Hail Damage on a Car?

Insurance does cover hail damage on a car when your policy includes comprehensive coverage. Hail is a comprehensive claim, not collision. Check your declarations page or call your insurer if you're not sure.

Will My Car Insurance Go Up If I Claim Hail Damage?

Your car insurance usually won't go up if you claim hail damage. Hail is a comprehensive claim, and nobody caused it. Insurers can still raise rates across a whole ZIP code after a big storm.

How Long Do I Have to File a Hail Damage Claim?

You have as long as your policy allows to file a hail damage claim, and that varies by insurer. Check your policy or call your insurer. Filing soon after the storm is safest, because it's easier to tie the dents to that storm.

Should I Claim Hail Damage on My Car?

You should claim hail damage on your car if you carry comprehensive coverage and the damage is more than a few dents. Insurance pays the repair, and we cover your deductible up to $1,000 for the first 100 cars per storm.

How Much Is the Average Hail Damage Claim?

The average hail damage claim depends on how many dents you have, how big they are, and which panels they're on. Our free inspection gives you a real number for your car.

Can I Choose My Own Repair Shop for a Hail Claim?

You can choose your own repair shop for a hail claim. Your insurer may suggest a shop, but the choice is yours, and insurance still pays for the repair.

Can Hail Damage Be Popped Out?

Hail damage can be popped out with paintless dent repair when the paint isn't cracked. Techs push the dents out from behind or pull them with glue tabs. The factory paint stays on the car.

We cover your deductible up to $1,000 for the first 100 cars per storm.