Your Car Is Family
Cars are one of the most important pieces of property you own. They provide the utmost convenience when you want to get from point A to B, and if they get damaged, it’s almost like having another member of your family get hurt.
This is especially true in the case of collision damage, though it can also stem from other potential damage like hail and other unforeseeable situations. For those living in Colorado and Texas, hail storms happen every year from April to September.
Depending on the severity of the hail damage, you may feel like you could repair the damage yourself.
But is this a good idea? You’ll find out soon.
In this guide, we will quickly go over the best approach on how to repair hail damage on car.
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-> Hail Damage Repair is Difficult
-> Rental Cars
-> See a Hail Repair Specialist
How to Repair Hail Damage on Car: Type of Repairs Based On Damage
All hail damage is not created equal. Sometimes, the damage can be more or less severe depending on the intensity, size, and duration of the hailstorm itself. Auto hail damage repair cost will also vary based on how badly your vehicle’s been hit by a hailstorm.
Even if the damage does not appear to be that bad at first glance, that doesn’t mean there isn’t more than meets the eye.
It’s extremely important to have a repair specialist inspect your car if it has been damaged by hail—there could be some seemingly insignificant damage that could create a bigger problem if not repaired properly.
Before we get to the details on how to repair hail damage on car, let’s first go over the different types of hail damage that could happen to your car:
- Dents: Just as all hail is not created equal, the resulting dents would also vary in size, shape, and depth. This means you’ll be seeing all kinds of unsightly damage all over the hood, roof, and side panels of your car.
- Paint damage: If anything strikes your car with force—definitely including hail—it may bounce off, taking with it some paint and causing scrapes and blemishes on the surface. The big problem with paint damage is the fact that, over time, the damage could grow worse, resulting in the rusting of your car’s surface.
- Glass cracks, chips, and breaks: If the hailstorm is bad enough, which does happen, the hail could cause severe damage to your vehicle’s glass. The resulting glass damage could then lead to water damage, as rainwater could start seeping into the interior of your vehicle—not good!
Left unrepaired for a long period of time, these series of damage will decrease your car’s value. Prolonged neglect on “smaller” or “negligible” damage can also make it more difficult for the damage to be fixed.
Repairing Hail Damage Requires Specialty Technique
Sometimes, a hailstorm will come and go, and it isn’t too bad. It damaged your car a little, and you figure, “Hey, this isn’t the worst. Maybe if I do some research, get the proper materials, I can repair all the damage myself!”
That’s the thing, the damage may appear to be easy to fix, but if you look closely enough, you’ll discover how to repair hail damage on car requires a more difficult process than you think in reality.
It’s also easy to miss all the subtle dents and scratches which, as stated before, could develop over time into much larger issues that will blow up the hail damage auto repair cost in the long run.
This is why you need specialty, hail damage repair shops, like us – StormWise, where experienced technicians can do a comprehensive inspection of your car, not leaving anything out of the repair process.
We nip everything in the bud and get your car back to you looking brand new!
Ensure You Get a Fair Estimate
Almost always, it can be challenging to get a fair, initial estimate from your insurance company for the cost of damages to your car. When checking how to repair hail damage on car, insurance companies will require the claimant (you) to snap photos of all the damage done to your car.
Taking these pictures, in itself, is a difficult task. You need to be sure all the damage is documented clearly with every photo you take.
You can achieve this clarity by using indirect light and various camera angles to cover the full extent of the damage. If you snap these photos in direct sunlight, for instance, it would be extremely hard to see the severity of the damage.
Bright, direct light can almost white-out some hail dents, depending on how deep they are. This renders them harder to see in a photograph.
Unclear photos lead to a low-cost estimate from the insurance company.
However, we at StormWise have a long-running professional experience in dealing with hail damage and insurance companies. We can do a full inspection of your car’s damage and send a supplemental claim off to your insurance company.
This ensures a fair cost estimate, and now the insurance company is aware of the true amount it will take to cover the repairs.
Reputable auto hail damage repair specialists like StormWise always make sure to have your back and that the insurance company treats you fairly.
You can also quickly get a free estimate by using our hail damage car repair cost calculator today.
Dealing with Rental Cars
Another benefit of getting a comprehensive insurance plan is the ability to rent a vehicle if your car is being repaired. This is completely covered under your plan, and your insurance will even cover the rental car in the event that anything else should happen.
Hail damage auto repair specialist companies like StormWise will even grant you a complimentary rental vehicle while they work on your car. This ensures you never lose the ability to get around.
We always keep the customer in mind and we know your life shouldn’t become less convenient just because your car is out of commission for the moment. No hailstorm should prevent you from traveling comfortably and conveniently.
DIY? No Way!
It may seem like repairing the hail damage on your car might not be a big deal, but you could possibly do a lot more damage to your car instead of efficiently fixing it! DIY car repair is never ideal.
There are old wives’ tales out there about methods that supposedly work perfectly for fixing your car: compressed air, using dry ice, or even sunbathing. These supposedly work wonders for fixing dents, scratches, or other damage caused by hail—but don’t try them, please!
These methods don’t work and could very easily mess your car up even further. Go to car repair experts if you want to know how to repair hail damage on car.
It’s much more advisable to leave the repairs up to the pros. Plus, your insurance may not even cover the cost of repairs if you attempt to fix them yourself.
Who pays for the repair? You vs. the Insurance
Vehicle insurance is a basic requirement for car ownership. If you have a car, it should have insurance. But what type of insurance do you need to make sure even hail damage is covered?
In states like Texas and Colorado, it is definitely advisable to get a comprehensive insurance plan, as hailstorms are a common occurrence and spring up at a moment’s notice. A comprehensive plan gives you peace of mind because you know you’re covered no matter how bad the hail damage is. If you don’t have comprehensive insurance, though, you may end up paying for all of the repairs.
If you look at a few different types of car insurance, a comprehensive plan is quite different from strictly a collision plan. A collision plan will not cover any damage resulting from “acts of nature” or non-collision fiascos.
Also, in Texas and Colorado, it is entirely legal for an independent vehicle repair shop to cover your deductible, which is great news for you! Reputable repair shops, such as StormWise, can also help you manage the entire insurance claim process.
We help you deal with the insurance company to the point where you basically don’t have to deal with them yourself! StormWise specializes and has experience in hail damage, so we have your back and make sure the full extent of the damage is covered by the insurance company—as it should be.
But…
Most of the time, the insurance adjuster’s initial estimate of the damage is inaccurate. This has been a common theme since the COVID pandemic started, due to the lack of in-person adjuster inspections of vehicle damage. It definitely is more challenging if you try to go through the process by yourself, but here’s a helpful guide to assist with claim filing.
This is when your chosen repair shop steps in to provide the insurance company with a supplemental addition to the claim—ensuring that the insurance company is aware of the actual extent of the damage and the true estimated cost thereof.
Don’t Wait, See a Specialist
After going through this guide, hopefully, you now have an idea of how to repair hail damage on car and see why doing DIY repairs on your hail-damaged car is not the best idea.
It is far better to take your car in to see a repair specialist like StormWise as soon as you possibly can. The damage can get worse and worse over time, so there is no time to waste!
Contact us and let the pros take care of it while you sit back and relax. You’ll have your car back looking brand new in no time at all, all while knowing it’s all been taken care of and completely covered by your insurance.
