Paintless Dent Repair

If you live in Texas or Colorado, hailstorms are fairly common, popping up when you least expect them. Your vehicle could be caught in what seems like a light hailstorm, but the cost of fixing the “light” damage could still be way more than you initially thought. Let’s explore the reasons why fixing your hail-damaged car can be on the pricey side.  Reasons That Make Hail Damage Repair Expensive:  The cost of repairs is relative to several factors such as: The severity of repairs Method of repair Parts replacement Labor expenses Sales tax A reputable and experienced repair shop, such as StormWise, will break the cost down into these simple categories. Transparency is important when you’re dealing with the repair cost of a vehicle, which can quickly rack up to be expensive. The Severity of Repairs Say you forgot to park your car in the garage (if you have one) and all of a sudden a powerful hailstorm looms over the horizon. Hail starts crashing down in full force, one lump of ice after the other, pelting your car. All you can do is watch through the window, and you know the aftermath is not going to be pretty. You can almost see all the dents as they happen—sometimes even cracks in your windows! After the storm passes, you walk outside and survey the damage: sure enough, there are dents and cracks all over your car.  After a bad hailstorm, it’s common to have hundreds of dents scattered across the hull of your car. If the damage is severe enough, you’re looking at an expensive repair job. So, where do you go from here? What exactly makes the repair work expensive? Method of Repair In today’s world, paintless dent repair (PDR) is the industry-standard method for repairing hail damage dents on your vehicle. This is the most efficient and effective way to make repairs, being less intrusive and much faster than traditional dent repair. Both PDR and traditional dent repair are difficult. PDR is particularly difficult for repairing aluminum panels.  Because of the difficulty—the time and labor PDR uses—repairing your hail damage is going to be expensive, depending on the severity of the damage. However, the PDR method will produce the best-finished results. PDR is also great because it doesn’t void your factory paint warranty.  With StormWise, the PDR cost is figured by a pricing matrix, which takes into account the time and technician labor it takes to get all the repairs done. This is broken down by the panels of the vehicle: how many dents per panel, and how severe the dents themselves are—meaning how deep and wide they are. For example, if one of your door panels has 1 to 5 quarter-sized dents, the cost to repair just that one panel would be estimated at around $100. If the number and severity of the dents are worse per panel, the price per panel will continue to increase. After each panel of the vehicle is assessed, the PDR costs of each are added together—you then have an accurate estimate of the total repair cost. Parts Replacement Sometimes the hail damage is so severe that the particular damaged part is beyond repair and has to be replaced. This is figured into the total repair cost as well, and, depending on the part, the cost can get very expensive. If a part is damaged and has to be replaced, your repair shop will simply order a new part, with the cost being the retail price of that part—plus labor. Often, there are particular parts on your vehicle that need to be replaced if the hailstorm was bad enough. A common replacement includes the glass on vehicles, such as the headlights and taillights, the windshields and windows. The technicians will assess the damage, figure out what needs to be replaced, and the cost of replacement is added into the repair estimate. Depending on how many parts were replaced, the cost can get on the pricey side as well. Labor Expenses Labor expense is a factor that ties the whole repair process together. Someone’s got to do the work, right? In addition to what we’ve covered so far, another cost that goes along with labor expenses is removed and install cost (R&I). This cost can quickly make your repair estimate go up. R&I entails having to remove certain parts of your vehicle in order to make adequate repairs to that part. Sometimes repairs can’t be done while the car is in one piece, so technicians have to take extra steps in the process, which will ultimately raise the repair cost. The R&I cost varies on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the make, model, and year of the car, technicians have to search a database that consists of different cars and their parts in order to figure out the R&I time. Figuring out this R&I time utilizes the figure, “book time,” which is the time and labor it takes to remove the part, make the repairs, and install it back onto the vehicle. The “book time” figure is used by the repair shop—as well as your insurance company—in order to calculate the final repair estimate of your vehicle. So, again, depending on how much R&I time and general labor it takes to repair certain parts of your vehicle, the total repair cost could end up being more expensive. Sales Tax The final piece of the repair cost puzzle is sales tax. Along with the other cost metrics, sales tax will vary on a case-by-case basis. This figure is calculated by where the repair shop is located, which city, town, state, etc. If you happen to live in Colorado, the only sales tax you have to pay is on your vehicle itself and not on labor costs. Make Sure You Have Comprehensive Insurance! When shopping around for auto insurance coverage, make sure you include a comprehensive plan. With comprehensive coverage, any damage that occurs to your vehicle outside of your control—such as hail damage—should be

Are you a car owner in Austin, Dallas, Denver, or Colorado Springs? As you probably know, hail in these areas can wreak havoc on a car’s value unless you get it repaired right. Those with comprehensive insurance coverage are in luck! In case you don’t have comprehensive insurance, try our Hail Damage Car Repair Cost Calculator to get a quick estimate. Let’s talk about some ways you can affordably repair your car during hail season. A dreaded hail storm can mean extensive damage to your car over time, creating bruises and dents. Luckily, there are advanced techniques to fix those hail dents.  Keeping your car looking great and in high value depends on the types of car hail damage repair available to you. This guide explains if repaired hail damage affects car value. Keep reading! The Hail Repair Expert Approach – How StormWise Keeps Your Car’s Value In most cases at StormWise, repaired hail damage maintains a car’s value. We achieve this through advanced paintless dent repair and using original equipment manufacturers (OEM) parts, if necessary. When no paint damage or severe damage occurred that requires a part replacement or paint repair, Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) is sufficient and the best option for auto hail repair. Because it keeps the car’s factory paint warranty, and it doesn’t affect the car’s value. Sometimes, when a car is severely damaged and requires part replacement plus PDR, we do our best to maintain your car’s value using Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) car parts. The last scenario calls for paint repair, which usually includes sanding, grinding, and painting. Every car is different in that situation. At StormWise, we still try to fix as many dents with PDR as we can, and we will speak with you about the impact of the conventional repair method on the damaged paint areas. The bottom line is: Unless fixing hail damage costs way more than the car’s current value, it is worthwhile to get it done! Not only do we make sure your car hail damage is fixed in the right way, we also do our best to get your insurance to pay for everything needed. We even help with your current deductible.  But if you’re in an area that we don’t service, you may need more info to determine what repair options are available and your best options, so keep reading. What is Paintless Dent Repair?  If your paint surface isn’t broken, we’ll use PDR to fix the dent while preserving the factory paint. This is your best option to maintain your car’s value. PDR is only possible for the metal panels, such as steel or aluminum. But, if there are any sharp edges or broken metal on the surface, then an alternative method would need to be considered. Basically, PDR will save you not only time and money for auto hail repair but the finishing touches on your car. So if your hail damage is didn’t affect paintwork, this is the best way to go. How Does PDR Work? Paintless dent repair involves professionals using a specialized dent removal tool. This tool is used to push the dent from under the panel to softly move it outwards. The professional will often need to remove certain trimmings and panels to access the underside and then replace or reattach them when finished. You might be wondering what the advantages PDR has over other techniques. How is it different?  Because paint is usually not harmed during hail dings and dents, you can save yourself a new paint job or matching the paint on the car. The technique involves special glue, equipment, and materials to help lift out the dent. As a result, PDR often saves you thousands of dollars and weeks of repair time compared to conventional repair techniques that involve a paint job. Easy Hail Dent Repair – Services Are Also Important When seeking a hail repair expert, it’s important to find out how good their services are besides their techniques. At StormWise, our expert team will give you the easiest hail dent repair you’ve ever had. Do They Help With Your Insurance? The insurance process shouldn’t be a hassle. At StormWise, we’ll help you with the repair claim, and we’ll be involved throughout the process (working with your adjustor and negotiating for the best repair for your car). So ask your repair shop what they do to help with your insurance. Free Rental Car and Free Pickup & Drop-off For many of us, it’s not an option to live without a car for even a few days. If you need a car while you’re waiting and your insurance doesn’t include a rental, we’ll give you a rental car for free.  Similarly, to keep things convenient for you, StormWise also offers a free pickup and drop-off service for people that are far from our repair locations. We do our best to keep a flexible schedule to suit your needs and lifestyle.  How Will Unrepaired Hail Damage Affect Your Car’s Value? Besides affecting the appearance of your car, unrepaired hail damage can significantly lower your car’s value – we’re talking about thousands of dollars to $20k. This can happen whether or not you report it to your insurance company. Even just a few tiny dents can do it, so it’s best to get them repaired right away.  What About Trade-In Value?  Hail damage is different on every car, so naturally, it will vary the impact on trade-in value. Over the years, even minor hail damage with just a few dents here and there could result in a huge dent in your compensation upon trade-in (up to 1/2 the car’s value).  Don’t Stress Over Hail Damage Comprehensive insurance is essential for protecting your car from hail damage, especially in areas prone to severe weather. Repairing hail damage not only restores your car’s appearance but also helps maintain its value, especially if you plan to sell or trade it in. Shops with expertise in hail damage repair, like StormWise, excel

If you’re someone that treats their vehicle like family, then you might be wondering, “who’s best to take care of the damage on my truck?”. If that’s you, then you need to learn all that you can about how to repair hail damage on a truck. Doing so can help you understand why it’s necessary to get the hair damage repaired as quickly as possible. Educating yourself will also help make the right decisions when selecting an auto hail repair shop. See below for an in-depth guide covering the different types of hail damage on a truck, why you must fix the damage ASAP, and so much more. What Should I Expect With My Insurance? If you’re a new truck owner or are currently shopping for a new truck, be sure to include comprehensive coverage in your car insurance. It protects your car from non-collision accidents such as hail, hitting a deer, etc. If you currently have comprehensive coverage, then your hail damage repairs will be covered. Better yet, reputable repair firms, such as StormWise, can help you manage the entire comprehensive claim process. Don’t wait for another storm to hit. Capitalize on your comprehensive coverage right away to make your truck look as good as new! The Different Types of Hail Damage on a Truck All drivers know how harmful hail can be to a car. However, you might not realize that there are several different types of hail damage that your truck might sustain. It’s important to know the different types of damage so that you can identify what damage was caused by the hail storm. Here are the most common types: Dents—The most common form of damage from hail. They can vary in size and depth depending on the severity of the hail storm. Most often, they’re found on the hood, roof, and side panels of your car. Occasionally on the door as well. Paint Damage—Paint damage is common along the sides of the car. As the hail is falling, it can brush up against your car and scratch the paint off. If you see unusual marks on your car, it was likely from the most recent hail storm. Cracked Glass and Lights—Severe hail storms can put severe cracks in your car’s windshield. It can also shatter your lights, the glass around your car, and your side mirrors as well.  Crooked Side Mirrors—Large hailstones will knock your side mirrors out of place and can even knock them off in some instances. Trucks Require Specialty Repair StormWise specializes in truck hail repair. Not only do we have the technical knowledge and skills to repair trucks, but we also understand customer preferences. For example, truck owners sometimes don’t want to fix the roof because it’s tall and you can’t see it. Specialized tools are required for truck hail damage repair because most trucks are all aluminum. When you perform paintless dent repair on aluminum, you have to be certified, which we are for a very long time. Special parts of trucks can cause their own set of issues. For example, tailgates are unique to trucks, and the repair shop (like StormWise) has to know how to take them apart and put them back together. The Average Cost of Hail Repair for Trucks If you were to perform a common Google search on the topic, you might be led astray. It would give you the impression that the fix would be cheap and might not even be necessary. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The average hail repair for trucks is $6,500. To get a more accurate repair estimate on your truck, you can use a free estimator. Or follow the instructions here to use the Paintless Dent Repair Matrix (PDR Matrix, for short), and do your own calculations. The most common mistake among truck owners is waiting too long to repair the hail damage on their truck. If you don’t repair your truck’s hail damage in time, it can lead to even more costs in the future. Why? Because unrepaired hail dents can cause further and more severe damage to your truck. Learn more and see this under the “you risk paying more” section of this article. Additionally, you may get hit by a second storm. Your insurance company keeps track of hail storms. If you wait until the next hail storm season to get all the damage done at once, the insurance might refuse to pay. If the damage to your car is more severe than the most recent storm would’ve caused, they have reason to believe you waited too long to fix it and will refuse to pay the difference. That kind of repair can quickly add up on a truck. Don’t Fix the Dents Yourself Whatever you do, don’t try to fix the dents yourself. While hail repair experts make it look easy, it’s a lot more complicated than it sounds.  The common myths of using dry ice, compressed air, or sunbathing aren’t going to work. In fact, they’ll create more damage on your truck, which will lead to expenses your insurance provider won’t touch with a ten-foot pole. Take the truck to a hail damage repair service right away. Let our professionals use tactics, such as our paintless dent repair, to make your truck look good as new. Remember, as long as you have comprehensive coverage, it’s highly likely that your damage will be covered. How to Get an Estimate First things first, make sure that you use a hail repair specialist like StormWise instead of a normal body shop. Be sure to read the Paintless Dent Repair section of this article on how to choose an auto hail repair company. The experience with your insurance can fluctuate depending on the provider. Since COVID, most insurance companies ask customers (you) to file a claim with photos showing the damage. Taking photos of the hail damage on a truck can be difficult. If not done correctly, the insurance estimates will leave most of the hail dents unrepaired due to them not seeing the damage. See more details

According to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association’s hail report, Colorado had the highest overall hail damage claims in the U.S. between 2017-2019. Over that three-year span, the “Personal Automobile” policy type for hail loss claims was second only to the “Personal Property Homeowners” policy type. Colorado’s most damaging hail season runs from around the middle of April to around September 15th. The Front Range is right in the center of “Hail Alley”! This is where the United States gets the largest hail storms. Folks who live here are looking at about three or four considerably damaging hailstorms each year. Read on to learn how to use the dent repair cost estimator to find out roughly how much you can expect to pay for the repairs. Dent Repair Cost Estimator You’ll want to get yourself some good hail insurance if you live in Colorado. Over the last 10 years alone, these storms have cost Colorado residents over $5 billion in insured damage.  Don’t worry, almost all insurance companies cover hail damage in the comprehensive insurance. If you live in one of the country’s hail-prone areas, the insurance industry recommends you have this specific type of coverage. Here at StormWise, we’re providing you with a convenient dent repair cost estimator, to make it super easy to find out the amount you may have to pay, depending on the number, size of the dents and other factors.  Count and Measure the Dents Before You Start Make sure you can see the dents in your car to get an accurate count. Measure the size of the dents with a Dime, Nickel, Quarter and/or Half-Dollar sized coin. For example, if you can still see the dent by covering it up with a Half Dollar coin, then the dent will be considered ‘Oversized’. Follow the Calculator Steps To get started, go to the dent repair cost estimator page. Enter the type of vehicle that’s damaged. Then enter the year it was made. Under “Left Side Panel Damage Information” you can select which area(s) was damaged. Your choices include: left front fender, left front door, left back fender, left back door, or no damage on the left side panels. For my 2019 Subaru Outback, I chose “Left front door.” The next field of the hail damage estimator is where you put in the number of dents. Then move over to the next field and choose the biggest size of your dent(s) from the following options: 0.75″ (dime size) 0.835″ (nickel size) 1″ (quarter size) 1.5″ (half-dollar size) >1.5″ (oversized) I chose 15 dent with a size of 0.75″ (dime size). The next field will show you the number of total dents on the left side panel. Next, you have the option to upload a photo of your vehicle damage. As you move onto the next page of the hail damage estimator, it’ll ask you to enter information about any top panel damage. Following the same steps of the left-panel, I chose 10 dime size dents in the top hood, and 34 nickel size dents in the top roof. The next page will cover the right side panels. I chose “no damage.” Move ahead to the next page and you’ll see that you’re asked “In Case We Lose Connection, Where Should We Send This Estimate?” In this area, go ahead and enter your full name, a valid email address, and the best phone number at which to reach you. How to Understand the Estimate The next page of the hail damage car repair cost calculator is the last step, which is your preliminary report. Mine says Your car has severe hail damage. 😭. You’ll see it conveniently explains for you the four main parts hail damage repair is usually comprised of, which are Dent Repair, Removal and Installation, Parts, and Sales Tax. This is a paintless dent repair cost estimate, so if there’s any damage to your vehicle’s paint, you’ll need to factor in the paint time, body time, and paint & material costs as well. My hail damage repair estimate, based on the information I entered above, my PDR cost is as low as $5,650 to approximately $12,000. The estimate range, in the end, is huge. That’s because the lower part contains a rough estimate of the PDR cost. Without knowing the specific location of the dents, it’s hard to factor in other costs such as R&I cost, part replacement, etc.. So the higher end includes the average cost of such from similar hail damage based on our decades of experience. That’s why on the final step when we provide you a cost range, we also give you the option to receive contact from us to provide more details, which is highly recommended to get an accurate and free estimate. Accuracy of the Dent Repair Cost Estimator Accuracy of the estimator heavily depends on your ability to spot and measure the number and sizes of the dents. This is another reason the estimate provides a huge range based on our experience working with customers who did initial estimates using online PDR calculators like ours. Believe it or not, counting dents can be very difficult for customers and even insurance adjusters. What’s worse is to provide an estimate based on only the pictures you take. Since COVID, most insurance companies don’t send adjustors to do a personal inspection. Taking pictures to show all the hail damage is a daunting challenge.  More details here. What’s Included in My Hail Damage Estimate? Let’s talk more in-depth about the four estimate parts we mentioned above. Note that a comprehensive “hail damage estimate” is what you receive when contacting StormWise, not something you can get from an online calculator, however, both are free. You’re looking at the “Paintless Dent Repair Estimate”, which is the time and labor required by a technician to fix the actual dents. Then you’re going to have your “Remove and Install Cost (R&I)”, which tell you the cost of removal and installation of parts as needed to reach the hail damaged areas of the vehicle. Moving on to the next part, you’re going to see “Part Replacements” which are