How much does it cost to fix hail damage on my car?
Did your car, truck, or SUV fall victim to severe weather in Washington, DC, Virginia, or Maryland. Summer time in the DMV can bring powerful thunderstorms that occasionally have the ability to generate hail. These falling ice balls can vary from pea size to baseball size. The size of the hail stones and amount of time they fall in a given location determines the amount of damage on your car. In the Washington, DC region we have seen damage on cars ranging from barely noticeable to completely destroyed, resulting in a total loss insurance claim. The variability in damage results in a wide range of pricing for automotive hail damage repair. Most hail damaged cars cost $750-$10,000 to fix.
How does Dent Hero determine how much it will cost to repair your hail damaged car?
Dent Hero carefully inspects your car and inputs the damage severity into the industry leading PDR software system, Mobile Tech Rx. We use special lights to count the number of dents and determine the proper size category on each individual panel of your vehicle. We also inspect and input any broken parts that must be replaced, such as window moldings, trim parts, and windshields. Lastly, Dent Hero determines what labor operations will be required to disassemble your car in order to properly push each dent from the underside of the metal body panels. Mobile Tech RX, uses all of this data and it’s algorithms to determine the appropriate cost of repair.
What size hail usually falls in the Washington, DC region?
The size of hail depends on the strength of the associated thunderstorm. The stronger the storm, the larger the hail. In order for cars to be damaged by hail, the stones usually need to be 1 inch in diameter or larger. Smaller dime size hail typically does not cause damage on cars or trucks. In Washington, DC and surrounding suburbs we usually see hail stones ranging from pea size to 1.5 inch in diameter. This size hail usually causes moderate to medium levels of damage. The average cost of repair for this type of hail damage usually ranges from $2000-$4000.
Occasionally we will receive extreme hail in our region. Extreme hail involves golfball to baseball size hail stones falling from the sky. This type of hail can absolutely destroy a vehicle, and is most likely to fall in our western suburbs, such as Loudon and Fauquier county. Thunderstorms can come over the Blue Ridge mountains with extreme up force and drop monstrous hail stones. A few years ago, Middleburg was struck with one such storm. Baseball sized hail resulted in several vehicles being damaged beyond repair, resulting in total loss insurance claims. A total loss insurance claim happens when the cost of repair exceeds a certain percentage of the value of the car, usually 75 percent in Virginia and Maryland. Dent Hero inspected a few luxury vehicles from the Middleburg storm that were dented beyond repair and deemed total losses. These cars looked like dimpled golfballs with thousands of huge dents, cracked paint, along with broken sunroofs and windows. Extreme hail in our area is rare, however we have fixed cars with severe damage that cost upwards of $10,000 to bring back to pre storm condition.
Should I make an insurance claim for my hail damaged car?
Yes, because of the expensive nature of hail damage repair, we recommend making an insurance claim. Rather than paying several thousands of dollars out of pocket, you pay your deductible (usually $100-1000) and let your insurance provider cover the rest of the the cost of repair.
Will my insurance rates go up if I file a claim?
No, hail damage is filed as a comprehensive claim and will not directly influence your insurance rates.
Will my car have a repair record associated with it if I file an insurance claim and fix my car?
Your car may have an insurance claim record associated with it, if you file an insurance claim and have it repaired. Dent Hero does not share your data. However, insurance providers and lien holders may.
How do I get my hail damaged car fixed by Dent Hero?
It’s simple. Three easy steps: 1. File a claim with your insurance provider. 2. Drop your car off with Dent Hero. 3. Pick up your repaired vehicle. Once you drop off your hail damaged car with Dent Hero, we handle the rest. We can provide a detailed repair plan, process the claim, negotiate on your behalf, and repair your vehicle to the highest standard. Most hail damaged cars require 3-9 days to process and repair.
How does Dent Hero remove hail dents?
Dent Hero uses specialized lights and precise alloy tools to slowly and methodically push each individual dent until it disappears. In order to gain access to the back side of the dents, we disassemble the interior panels of the car. Certain areas of the car are completely sealed and not able to be fixed with primary PDR methods. In this case, we use a secondary glue pulling system to remove the dents, by pulling from the top surface of the car.
Does auto hail damage require repainting or panel replacement?
It depends on the severity of the hail damage. Most moderate to average hail damage can be fixed without replacing or repainting panels on your car. More severe hail damage can result in panel replacement and conventional body repair. Sometimes it can be more cost effective to replace a hood on a vehicle rather than fix it with PDR. Other times hail dents can be too deep and/or large to fix with paintless dent repair. In these situations, Dent Hero partners with trusted body shops and outsources the conventional body repair and refinishing.
Do I have to take my car to a repair facility recommend by my insurance provider?
No. Your insurance provider may give you a list of preferred body shops and dent repair companies. However, it is your decision to choose who fixes your hail damaged vehicle.
How do I find a high quality and knowledgable local company to fix my hail damaged car?
Do your research. Paintless dent repair is a highly skilled craft. The end results depend highly on the skill of the PDR technician fixing your car. It takes several years to master the art of PDR. We recommend finding a local dent repair company that has several years of experience and plenty of positive online reviews and testimonials.
Can I get my hail damaged car fixed at a traditional body shop?
Yes. Most insurance companies will direct you to have your car fixed at a local body shop. The body shop will process the claim and then outsource the dent repair to a PDR company like Dent Hero. Most body shops do not have PDR technicians on staff. They will also manage the part replacement, billing, and conventional repair and repainting, if needed.
Should I take my hail damaged car to a temporary PDR roadside tent operation?
We do not recommend taking your car to a roadside dent repair operation. Hail damage happens all over the United States and abroad at various times during summer months. Because of the random nature of occurrence, an industry of traveling hail repair technicians has developed over the years. Hail techs from all over the country will descend on an area right after a powerful hail storm. Some of them partner with local dent repair companies and body shops. Others set up temporary operations to capture as much hail work as possible and then move on to the next town. In our opinion it is not wise to have thousands of dollars worth of hail damage repair completed on your car by an out of town company. What if you have issues later on down the road? How are they storing your car overnight? Is there accountability if something goes wrong with your repair?
Dent Hero is here to help
Getting caught in a hail storm is a scary and stressful situation that can result in very expensive repair costs. Dent Hero technicians have been fixing hail damaged cars since 2003. We have the knowledge, experience, and industry connections to repair your car in an efficient and precise manner. If you were impacted by recent hail storms in Washington, DC, Virginia, or Maryland, we recommend contacting your insurance provider to file a claim. Then visit our contact page and fill out the hail damage inquiry form. We will contact you directly to establish a game plan and timeline on returning your car dent free, in prestorm condition. Thanks for taking the time to read this article and educate yourself on the automotive hail damage repair process.