Hail Damage Estimates • Insurance Claims • Deductible Help
Get Help With Your Hail Damage Estimate & Insurance Claim
We help vehicle owners understand the hail damage repair process, work through the insurance claim, and find out whether their vehicle qualifies for our repair program. We work with your insurance company, document the damage, and on qualifying repairs you may have no out-of-pocket deductible expense.
- Paintless Dent Repair
- We Work With All Insurance Companies
- $0 Out of Pocket
- Free Rental Car
- Lifetime Repair Guarantee
Tell Us About Your Vehicle
Tell us a little about your vehicle. A hail repair specialist will contact you to schedule a free inspection.
We Work With Your Insurance
We coordinate with your insurance company throughout the hail damage claim and repair process.
Insurance-Based Estimates
We document the hail damage and prepare a detailed estimate for your insurance company.
Qualifying $0 Out of Pocket
On qualifying repairs, a repair discount may reduce or eliminate your out-of-pocket deductible.
Hail Damage Estimates
How Does a Hail Damage Estimate Work?
A hail damage estimate is a detailed assessment of the dents across your vehicle. It is more involved than simply counting visible dents. A specialist examines each affected panel in proper lighting to document the size, location, and number of dents so an accurate repair estimate can be prepared for your insurance company.
What a hail damage estimate takes into account:
- •The number of dents across the vehicle
- •The size of each dent
- •The location of the dents on each panel
- •Which vehicle panels are affected (roof, hood, doors, trunk)
- •How accessible the damaged panels are
- •Whether parts need to be removed and reinstalled to reach the damage
- •The overall severity of the hail damage
Professional hail damage estimates use a standardized estimating matrix based on dent size, quantity, and panel damage. Some hail damage is difficult to see in ordinary lighting, which is why technicians use professional inspection lights to identify and document the full extent of the damage.
Hail damage is assessed using a standardized estimating matrix based on dent size, quantity, and panel damage.
How Much Does Hail Damage Repair Cost?
There is no single universal price for hail damage repair because the cost depends on the extent and location of the damage on your specific vehicle. Two vehicles caught in the same storm can have very different repair costs.
Repair cost depends on:
- •The number of panels affected
- •The number, size, and depth of the dents
- •How accessible the damaged panels are
- •Whether parts need to be removed and reinstalled
- •The overall severity of the hail damage
Because every vehicle's hail damage is different, an accurate repair cost starts with an inspection. Once the damage is documented, a detailed estimate can be prepared and the insurance repair process explained.
How insurance affects what you pay
When hail damage is covered by the comprehensive portion of your auto policy, your insurance company typically pays the covered repair amount subject to your deductible and policy terms. Your deductible is the portion of an approved repair you would normally pay out of pocket. On qualifying repairs, a special repair discount may reduce or eliminate that out-of-pocket amount. Eligibility depends on the repair, your insurance claim, your policy, and applicable terms.
How Does a Hail Damage Insurance Claim Work?
Understanding the hail damage insurance claim process helps you know what to expect. Here is the general sequence, from the storm to getting your vehicle back:
- 1
Hail damage occurs to your vehicle.
- 2
You report the damage to your insurance company.
- 3
The damage is inspected and a hail damage estimate is prepared.
- 4
Your insurance company determines the covered repair amount according to your policy.
- 5
The vehicle is scheduled for repair.
- 6
Auto Hail Help and the repair provider coordinate the repair and claims process.
- 7
The vehicle is repaired and returned to you.
We are a repair provider, not your insurance company. We do not determine insurance coverage or guarantee that a particular claim will be approved. Coverage depends on your policy and your insurance company's review of the claim.
How It Works
What Happens to My Deductible on a Hail Damage Claim?
Your insurance claim may include both an insurance-paid portion and a deductible that would normally be your responsibility. For qualifying repairs, a special repair discount may reduce some or all of that out-of-pocket amount.
A Typical Approved Repair
The full bar represents the total approved repair amount. Your insurer pays the larger portion; your deductible is the part you would normally pay out of pocket.
With a Qualifying Repair Discount
Potential Customer Out-of-Pocket: $0for qualifying repairs, subject to policy terms, claim approval, and applicable law
Normally, your deductible is the portion of an approved insurance repair that you would pay out of pocket. For qualifying repairs, we may apply a special discount toward that portion of the repair. We still collect the insurance-paid portion of the approved repair amount, while the qualifying discount may reduce or eliminate what you would otherwise pay out of pocket.
Example Repair
- Approved repair amount:
- $5,000
- Insurance-paid portion:
- $4,000
- Customer deductible:
- $1,000
- Qualifying repair discount:
- up to $1,000
- Potential customer out-of-pocket:
- $0
Example only. Actual repair amounts, deductibles, coverage, and discounts vary. This is not a quote or guarantee of pricing.
Eligibility varies by repair, insurance claim, policy, shop participation, and applicable law. Insurance coverage and claim approval are determined by your insurer. Ask us whether your vehicle qualifies.
Tell us about your vehicle and insurance coverage to see what options may be available.
Hail Damage Quote vs. Hail Damage Estimate
People often search for a "hail damage quote" hoping to get a quick price online. But an accurate hail repair number usually requires evaluating the actual damage on your vehicle — not just a generic price based on the year and model.
Hail damage varies widely from one vehicle to the next. The number, size, and location of the dents, the panels affected, and how accessible the damage is all change the repair. Without inspecting the vehicle, any number is really just a guess.
A hail damage estimate, by contrast, is based on a real inspection of your vehicle. That is the most reliable way to understand the repair cost and what your insurance may cover. The best next step is to find out whether your vehicle qualifies and get an estimate based on the actual damage.
Paintless Dent Repair for Hail Damage
Paintless dent repair (PDR) is a method for removing hail dents by carefully restoring the damaged metal to its original shape. When the damage is suitable for PDR, the technician works from behind the affected panel using specialized tools, gradually easing the dent out without the need for conventional body filler or repainting.
PDR is commonly used for automotive hail damage because hail dents typically do not break the paint surface. That makes them good candidates for a repair that preserves the factory finish rather than requiring a repaint that may not perfectly match the original color.
What is paintless dent repair?
A technician uses specialized tools to gently massage the dented metal back toward its original form. No sanding, filler, or repainting is involved when the damage is appropriate for PDR.
Can hail dents be repaired without repainting?
In many cases, yes. When the paint surface is intact and the dent is accessible, PDR can remove the dent without repainting the panel.
Will my original factory finish stay intact?
Because PDR does not require repainting, the original factory finish remains on the vehicle when the repair is suitable for the method.
How is the vehicle inspected?
A specialist examines the vehicle in proper lighting to assess the number, size, and location of the dents across each panel and determine whether the damage is appropriate for paintless dent repair.
What if there are many dents across multiple panels?
Hailstorms often affect several panels. Each panel is inspected individually, and the repair plan addresses the documented damage across the vehicle.
Simple Process
How the Hail Damage Repair Process Works
Inspection
A specialist examines your vehicle and documents the hail damage across each panel.
Estimate
An estimate is prepared based on the documented damage.
Insurance Review & Approval
The insurance company reviews the covered damage and approves the repair.
Repair
Paintless dent repair is performed to restore the affected panels.
Final Inspection
A final quality inspection is completed before the vehicle is returned.
Guarantee
The repair is backed by a lifetime repair guarantee.
The repair process typically takes about 7–10 days. Timelines can vary based on the extent of the damage, parts availability, and insurance approvals. A more accurate timeframe is provided after the vehicle is inspected.
What Happens After Drop-Off
We Handle the Hard Part
From documenting every dent to working with your insurance company and completing the repair, we handle the process from start to finish.
Every Dent Gets Documented
We perform a complete inspection of your vehicle, documenting the size, severity, and number of dents on each affected panel. This gives us the information needed to prepare a detailed repair estimate for your insurance company.
Hail damage is assessed using a standardized estimating matrix based on dent size, quantity, and panel damage.
We Handle the Insurance Process
Your insurance company will review our estimate either through an in-person adjuster or a virtual assessment using the photos and documentation we provide. We work directly with them throughout the approval and supplement process so you don't have to manage it yourself.
Once the covered repairs are approved, your insurer issues payment according to your policy, less any applicable deductible.
Direct Insurance Coordination
Estimates, supplements, and approvals handled with your insurer — in person or virtually.
Paintless Dent Repair Begins
Once the repair is approved, our technicians restore the damaged panels using Paintless Dent Repair whenever appropriate — removing the dents while preserving the vehicle's original factory finish.
You Don't Leave Until You're Happy
When the repair is complete, we perform a final quality inspection. When you pick up your vehicle, you'll have the opportunity to inspect the repairs yourself before driving away.
And if you ever find something we missed, bring it back. Our repairs are guaranteed for life.
Lifetime Guarantee
Our repairs are guaranteed for life.
Ready to Get Your Car Back to Pre-Storm Condition?
Schedule your free inspection and we'll take it from there.
The PDR Sharks Offer
Hail Damage Repair Without the Usual Out-of-Pocket Cost
$0 Out-of-Pocket Deductible
PDR Sharks may cover your deductible on qualifying insurance-approved hail repairs, so eligible customers pay $0 out of pocket.
Free Rental Vehicle
Stay on the road while your vehicle is being repaired. A rental vehicle is included with qualifying repairs.
We Handle the Insurance Process
We work with your insurance company, document the damage, review the estimate, and help manage necessary supplements.
High-Quality Paintless Dent Repair
Whenever appropriate, PDR removes hail dents without repainting or replacing the original factory-finished panels.
Why PDR Sharks
The Right Team for Your Hail Repair
Lifetime Repair Guarantee
Our hail repairs are backed by a lifetime repair guarantee. If you have questions about what the guarantee covers, ask your specialist during the inspection.
Estimate & Insurance Questions
Hail Damage Estimate & Insurance FAQ
Ready to Get Your Hail Damage Estimate?
Tell us about your vehicle and insurance coverage. A specialist will contact you to schedule a free inspection and walk through the estimate and insurance process.