What to do if Your Vehicle has Hail Damage

The lead time to repair auto hail damage depends greatly upon the repair shop and the extent of the damages. Be prepared to wait a few extra days if new glass, paint or a specific part has to be ordered. Step 2 on the road to your vehicle’s recovery is equally important to filing a claim; researching the paintless dent repair and hail repair shops in your area.

When choosing a repair shop you should treat it similarly to purchasing a product online. Are you going to buy something with 2 stars, 5 stars or purchase with blind faith by not looking at what other’s had to say? What if Amazon can get it to you tomorrow but Wal-Mart takes an extra 4 days?

When choosing a repair shop you should treat it similarly to purchasing a product online. Are you going to buy something with 2 stars, 5 stars or purchase with blind faith by not looking at what other’s had to say? What if Amazon can get it to you tomorrow but Wal-Mart takes an extra 4 days?

If you’re like most, you’ll be reading the reviews and considering the time it takes to get the item to you. For reasons unknown, this logic isn’t always applied to services like automotive hail repair. Every shop in North Texas offers the same ‘great’ quality of service if you take their website’s word for it but I guarantee that your satisfaction with the outcome and the time it takes to repair will vary dramatically from one shop to the next.

If you’re like most, you’ll be reading the reviews and considering the time it takes to get the item to you. For reasons unknown, this logic isn’t always applied to services like automotive hail repair. Every shop in North Texas offers the same ‘great’ quality of service if you take their website’s word for it but I guarantee that your satisfaction with the outcome and the time it takes to repair will vary dramatically from one shop to the next.

Spending 15 minutes to do a quick Google search of the business’ name you’re considering to trust with your ride, can save you weeks without it and heartbreak when the repairs don’t live up to your standards. Searching their business name should result in a page full of their website(s), social media profiles, business listings, reviews and more. If the search result page is a little bare, shows a lot of other companies or their reviews are lacking, it may be a good idea to move on to your next option.

You also shouldn’t choose any old body shop to complete the hail damage repair. It should be clear that the shop’s expertise and main service is Paintless dent repair, the industry standard for repairing automotive hail damages. These techniques allow for the dents to be removed without painting, using fillers or new body panels so the original parts are perfectly restored. This can save you $1000s and retain the vehicle’s value as PDR is usually not reported to CarFAX.

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The more informed you are (about automotive hail repair and the paintless dent repair process) going in, the better your overall experience will be. As previously mentioned the first step is always filing a claim with your insurance and then researching reputable hail repair shops in your area. After reading reviews, checking out some photos and maybe their home page or social profiles, contact your shop of choice to share claim details and arrange getting the vehicle to the shop.

In the first scenario, choosing your own repair shop, the next step would be to do just that. Give them a call with the claim details and schedule a time to get the vehicle to the shop. Expert technicians will then complete a full body inspection documenting every imperfection, dent and ding on your vehicle. Their first goal being documentation for the purpose of submitting an estimate for repair to your insurance providers. (*VIP Hail Service uses industry leading technology to provide standardized pricing based around the size, shape and quantity of dents along with access to repair which also considers vehicle make and model.)

After an estimate is approved the paintless dent removal process will begin, removing each dent to the vehicle body by pushing out with perfectly shaped rods or by using paint-safe glue and a tab to pull the dents out. Depending on how severe the damage is, (considering things like broken glass, paint damage, and large dents) you should expect your car to be in the shop for a few extra days. Be sure to always ask about how long the hail repairs will take, with VIP Hail service our average time is 5-7 days. If you’re expecting this level of urgency with every shop you may be let down and without a ride for a month or more.

When certain areas are hit harder than others by a large hail storm some insurance companies will already have a disaster relief site running. In these cases you’ll be referred to the closest site when you file a claim. Going this route, the insurance company basically handles everything, they will have contracted paintless dent repair technicians on site repairing all of the damaged vehicles covered by the same provider. Depending on how many vehicles are in front of you, it could be a few weeks, so it’s important to file a claim quickly. It could be worth asking if you can hire your own hail repair shop as well.

The third scenario is less common but it does happen from time to time. If your vehicle is an older model with sever hail damage the cost to repair it could be greater than the value of the vehicle. This seemingly unfortunate event can often turn out better for the owner by receiving a check that is more than the vehicle value, to purchase another one.

Once these details are worked out there are a few more helpful things you can do before the initial inspection takes place. One is having arrangements made for a rental, (*VIP Hail Service is located across the street from Enterprise) whether it’s through your insurance or set up with the repair shop.

At this point you should be set on making phone calls and having everything scheduled for the hail damage repair. Now is the perfect time to continue learning about what to when your vehicle has hail damage how paintless dent removal is used.

We continue to provide helpful information along with our services. Visit our blog for a list of all published articles on hail repair and dent removal. Find frequently asked questions about hail damage repair or continue reading the articles listed below. Feel free to reach out by phone or text if you have any questions and we’ll have a veteran technician right with you. If you’re ready to schedule your hail damage inspection and repair estimate don’t wait, get in touch as soon as possible for a stream-lined repair.