Today I’m going to share with you How Much Does It Cost to Repair Auto Hail Damage.
How much does it cost to repair hail damage on a car? Hail damage is common in areas where there are frequent hailstorms. A storm in Texas damaged automobiles that claimed 560 million dollars in 2016 and 230 million dollars in Alberta. This figure shows the severity of hailstorms.
They not only affect cars, but also animals, humans, property, housing, and crops. People who live in such areas often have to spend a lot to get their car on the road. It is better to take a comprehensive car insurance policy to help you in such times.
If you are thinking of postponing your plan of repairing hail damage, then it may not be a good option. It may worsen the situation of the car because the dent may attract rust if not repaired on time. This may increase your expenses in the future. So, it is better to repair your car as fast as possible.
You may also be thinking if it is worth fixing hail damage on a car? Here are some points in this blog post that will help you to get a good deal on hail damage repair costs.
The severity of hail damage will decide the cost to repair hail damage on a car. The bigger the size of the hailstones, the greater the loss the car will have.
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Table of Contents
Types of Hail Damage:
There are mainly two types of hail damage:
- Contained Hail Damage
- Multiple Site Damage
Contained Hail Damage:
This type of hail damage costs less than multiple site damage.
To do repairing work containing hail damage, SMART is used. It means Small and Medium Area technology.
It costs less because it only repairs the affected area without needing to repair the whole damaged part of the car. But, if your car is severely damaged or has quite a deep dent, then it may not be an option for your vehicle. If the dent is small, or the damage is less, then you can get your car repaired at a less price.
Here, the average cost to fix hail damage on car is around $500 to $1000.
Multiple Site Damage:
If your car has dents on multiple panels, then it will come under multiple site damage. Therefore, it costs more. All the dents need to be repaired and painted by beating the dents to make your car look nice and good.
In such cases, you can use an insurance policy to repair your car. The excess of the policy will be less than the repair cost.
In multiple site damage, your car may need to replace the affected parts of the vehicle.
If the window of the vehicle is also damaged apart from panels, then your car will come under multiple site damage.
Depending on the parts to be replaced, and other factors, the cost to fix hail damage on car can be $1000 to $10000. If the cost is too much, then you can think about writing off your vehicle.
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How Much Does It Cost to Repair Hail Damage?
Factors determining the hail damage repair costs:
The cost will vary depending on the area you live in, and the severity of the damage. It may cost you from $500 to $10000.
The amount and the extent of damage your car insurance policy covers will also be a determining factor in deciding the cost.
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How to Determine the Expenses of Repairing Hail Damage?
Before giving your car to a technician, it is better to take an estimate of your expenses. So, you can plan to pay the bill without clearing your pocket.
- First, you should see the dents. You can also measure the size of the dents to make a rough estimate of hail damage costs. Dime and nickel can be used to measure the size of the dent.
- Click pictures of the affected area which needs repairing.
- You can call your insurance company to inform them of the matter. They will send an appraiser to analyze the repair work.
- The insurance company will help you in finding the cost of repair.
- You can also contact a repair shop to get an estimate of the expenses.
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Types of Dent Repair:
- Traditional Dent Repair
- Paintless Dent Repair
Traditional Dent Repair:
Traditional dent repair takes more time than paintless dent repair.
It is also expensive.
If your car has severe hail damage, then it needs to get repaired through this method. It includes sanding, filling, and painting the affected area. Banging of the affected area is done to bring it to the normal shape.
If the dent is deeper, then this method can save your car from hail damage. If your car needs to replace the damaged panel, then it can be a cost-effective way to repair a car.
Paintless Dent Repair
As the name suggests, in this method the vehicle is not repainted. So, there is no problem with finding the perfect dent repair for your car.
It is less time-consuming.
It is cheap.
In this method, sanding or painting is not required.
If the dent is minor, then you can opt for this method. The large dent can also be repaired if it is not sharp. If the dent has sharp edges, then it may result in scratching of the paint when the dent is repaired.
It may not be possible to do paintless dent repair if your car was earlier repaired with traditional dent repair.
It needs professional tools, and equipment to do the work. So, a technician or professional can do this work. It is not possible to repair hail damage at home through this method. They use these tools to massage the dent and bring it to its normal shape.
If the paint has also been damaged, then it can’t be stored to normal. It will require additional work like buffing or paint touch-up.
How to Protect Your Vehicle from Hail Damage?
Nowadays, it is common to have severe weather conditions. Hailstorms are well-known. It causes damage to cars, humans, animals, buildings, etc.
Here are some of the points that can help you in saving your car from hail damage:
- Park in a Covered Place
The best way to protect your car is to park in a closed space. If your car is on-road and needs temporary parking, then you can consider parking in a mall with a garage, or other areas like a gas station.
Remember to keep a weather app installed on your mobile. When you go out, you can check the weather on the app and plan accordingly.
If you live in an area where hailstorms are frequent, then you can build or rent a carport. If you can build a carport, then you can also rent it to someone else to earn extra revenue, if you have some extra space left after parking your car or vehicle.
- Blanket or Hail Car Cover
If you can’t get a garage or closed parking space for your car. Then, you can consider investing in good hail car covers that will help you in protecting your car.
You can also use a blanket to protect your car in case of emergency, you don’t have a hail car cover. Remember to duct tape them. Do this in advance. Don’t do this in a hurry if the storm is coming within a few minutes.
- Floor Mats
Floor mats can also be used to protect your car. They can’t cover your entire car. So, you may require covering fragile parts of the vehicle like window, windshield, and other important parts.
- Avoid Driving in Harsh Weather
Try to avoid driving in harsh weather, if you can. If the weather worsens, then it may not only cause problems with laborers but may also affect you. So, remember to not go out in harsh weather. You can use the weather update apps to know about the weather in advance.
- Update Car Insurance Policy
It is also important to update your car insurance policy. Make sure that you invest in a good policy that covers the cost of hail damage repair.
- Car Insurance Policy
Many people have a lot of doubt regarding their car insurance policy and if it covers hail damage or not? If you have a comprehensive car insurance policy, then it will surely cover the hail damage repair. It is a no-fault claim.
You can once again check it to know if it covers the damage or not. You can also contact your car insurance provider to know more about it. Many people fear that lodging the complaint will increase the price of the premium. But, it is not true. It will not affect your premium price.
If it is covered in your plan, then you can lodge a claim. You can also contact an independent mechanic or technician to repair your car.
If the cost of repairing is more than the amount of deductible, then you can get it repaired and claim for the damages. Make sure that you don’t need to pay extra. In multiple site damage, an insurance policy will greatly benefit you. Also, check the terms and conditions of the car insurance policy. Get your car repaired accordingly. Try to repair it as soon as possible otherwise, you may have to pay more.
Sometimes, it takes a lot of time because insurance companies have a lot of claims filed when there is a hailstorm in a particular area. So, you may have to wait weeks, or months to wait for the appraiser to come and inspect the vehicle.
Where Should I Get My Car Repaired?
The insurance company will suggest to you some names of top mechanics or technicians for hail damage repair. You can also find out the names of good repair shops on your own.
You can look for the following things while selecting a professional for repairing your car:
- What are the services they provide?
First, find out the services they provide. Do they repair all the parts you want to repair in your car?
- Helps to lodge the claim
A good repair shop may help you in lodging the claim to the insurance company. You can also ask them to help you in processing your claim.
If you are not lodging the claim, then you can also look for technicians who may offer you some discount, if possible.
- Experienced technician
Try to get your car repaired by a professional technician. Dent repairing needs expertise, especially if you are repairing your car using the paintless dent removal method. It uses special equipment to repair the car.
- Works professionally
Look for a technician who knows how to work from start to end. It will make your work easier. You can rest assured and focus on your work while you give your car to repair.
- Good deal
Try contacting mechanics who give a good deal to customers in return for the services they offer. They should offer a fair price for the services. The expenses will vary from $500 to $10000. The average cost to repair a crack can be around $100.
- Help in transportation
Some repair shops also provide transportation assistance to customers, till the time their car gets repaired. They can help you in providing a rental car if the repairing of the vehicle takes time.
- Check Internals
If you are getting your car repaired, then also ask them to check the internal parts for safe and secure driving.
Is It Worth Fixing Hail Damage on a Car?
Yes, it is worth fixing hail damage on a car.
If you delay the repair work, then it may cost you more than earlier. It is because if the dented part is left unrepaired, then it will start becoming rustier. The car insurance policy may also have time duration to lodge the claim after the incident. They may not cover the cost of damage after a while. So, it is better to get your car repaired as fast as possible.
A car with a bad cosmetic look, dents, rust, and scratches does not get a good value when sold.
Example:
If you are planning to save $1000 by avoiding repair. Then you may get your car value depreciated by around $4000. So, it is better to repair your car and get a good price when sold.
A car goes with you everywhere, so it is better to spend some money on it to make it look nice and good.
Hail Damage Repair Cost Without Insurance:
You can also get your car repaired if you don’t have car insurance that covers hail damage. If you are doing paintless dent removal, and the dent is not sharp, then you can easily get your car repaired at a low budget. It may cost you around $500 to $1000.
If your car has multiple site damage, then it will cost you more. Since you are not having an insurance policy, then you will have to pay the entire amount yourself. Multiple site damage may cost you more than $1000. The price to repair per dent can vary from $150 to $350 by the traditional method and $50 to $200 by paintless dent removal.
- Light Hail Damage Repair Cost
Light hail damage cost will also be the same as mentioned, or it may be slightly less than it i.s. $500 to $1000.
- Average Cost to Fix Hail Damage on a Car
Dents:
If the panel is required to be replaced, then there may be an additional cost of labour.
The cost will also depend on the panel that needs to be replaced, and the worth of it.
If multiple panels need to be replaced, then the cost will be more.
Some panels may not need to be replaced, and welding may do the required job. In that case, the price will be less.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Reading this blog post will clear all the doubts you have. If you still have any doubt, then don’t worry, keep reading these FAQs to know more about hail damage repair costs.
1. Should I Get My Car Repaired from Anywhere or Need to Do Some Research on Good Repair Shops to Get My Car Repaired?
Nowadays, PDR (Paintless dent Removal) is a popular method to get auto hail damage repaired. An experienced specialist can only do this task because it requires practice to master this art. So, you should choose the repair shop accordingly.
A little search on technicians that do this work will save your time and money later on. You may also be required to visit the traditional repair shop if the damage is severe because PDS may not be able to repair sharp dents.
2. Does the Insurance Premium Rise, If I Filed a Claim for Hail Damage?
It is a no-fault claim. It means that it is not your fault if your car gets damaged because of hailstorms. Furthermore, it comes under a comprehensive coverage policy.
So, you can choose to take advantage by filing the claim if you want. You should take advantage of it, and repair your car.
3. What Is the Best Time to Repair Your Car?
If your car gets damaged by two or more hailstorms or more than one event, then there is a risk that you will get involved in insurance fraud. Many people are not aware of it, but it is important to know about terms and conditions.
If you are not repairing the existing damage, then you are driving your car with existing damages, which is not good. Waiting for the hail season to end may not be a good option. It will further deteriorate the condition of your car.
4. It Is Only Light Hail Damage, Should I Worry About It?
Even if there is light hail damage, then also it will affect the look of your car. Many people maintain their car to make it look gorgeous.
Even if the dent is light it will depreciate the value of the car, you can lose around $4000 to save $500 to $1000. It is not a good option to ignore the dents if they are light or small to fix.
Ending the Article:
You will get the accurate cost to fix hail damage on car by visiting an auto hail damage repair shop. It is important to get the hail damage repaired to the car as soon as possible. You can ask your family, friends, or google it to get good names of the hail damage repair shop.
The insurance company also recommends the name of some good repair shops. If the work is small, and the dents are not sharp, then you can choose to get your vehicle repaired by PDS (Paintless Dent Removal). If the damage is severe, then you can opt for traditional methods of repairing a car.
Best of luck. Hope you will get your car repaired within your budget.
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