Did hail damage any of your lights or glass?
If your headlights, taillights, windshield, or other windows were damaged, these elements will need to be replaced or repaired, which will add slightly extra to your cost. Estimate upwards of $500.
How deep is your hail damage?
At our body shop, our master auto body technicians are trained in a technique called Paintless Dent Repair (also known as Paintless Dent Removal), which allows us to repair shallow dents without having to replace an entire panel. This technique can save you a significant amount of money, because it eliminates the need for extra parts, labor, and paint. When you first bring your car to us, we can take a thorough look at all your car’s areas of hail damage and determine which dents, if not all, can be repaired using this professional method. Unfortunately, if your dents are too deep, we will likely need to employ other methods of repairing your damage. PDR can cost anywhere from $99 to $250 per dent, but is a safe alternative to having to fix and repaint the whole car.
Is there paint damage?
Hail damage can typically be fixed with Paintless dent repair because the paint is not usually damaged, unlike most collision repair work where paint is part of the repair. However there are freak storms out there which can actually lead to paint loss, especially if the car was already suffering from other paint issues such as peeling clear coat. If we do not have to paint your car, then that is a bonus to you. But if we do need to add some paintwork, you can figure on a few extra repair days and about $800- $1,500 worth of paint work.
How many areas are damaged?
Hailstorms can be very peculiar. The damage they leave behind is always quite extensive but we find with some cars and trucks that only certain areas are affected. Perhaps your car was parked under an awning or under a tree. You might only have dents in your hood. Or sometimes when people are driving through hailstorms on the windshield sustains any damage. Some cars are made with thicker steel and are strong enough to withstand a hailstone. The price you will have to pay will come down to three factors- Square footage of the damage which will then begin to add up the time and materials to fix it exponentially.
Do you have water damage from the storm?
If hail created deep enough crevices in your car’s panels or if your shattered glass allowed water to seep in, you might have water damage to your interior, which will need to be addressed. If left alone, your car’s interior components could begin to rust or even develop mold. It’s better to repair water damage as soon as possible, rather than wait until further damage occurs. Figure on a couple hours of labor to vacuum out and dry out your car’s interior- around $200.
Does your car have existing damage?
One important thing to note is that your claim will only cover damage caused by the hailstorm. If you had prior damage, that will need to be fixed as well because no quality auto body shop will fix a car or repaint one over existing damage without fixing it first. This affects not only the body shop’s reputation, but also our ability to warranty the work that we do.