When vehicles endure hail damage, many car owners call the nearest auto body shop and ask for a quote on repair services. And while many shops will spit out an estimate off the top of their head, or divvy out the details on their tiered pricing plans, it should be noted that accurately quoting hail damage repair can only take place when an auto repair specialist actually sees the damage himself.
The size of the dents, their location and how deep they are will largely influence the cost of hail damage repair. For those who are in need of auto body services, it’s imperative to find a shop that steers clear of tiered pricing plans. With this type of pricing schedule, car owners tend to find themselves being overly charged for the services that they acquire, and in some instances, shoddy work will be performed because too low of a tiered pricing option was chosen.
Here are a few tidbits of information that all car owners need to know about hail damage repair services.
Making a claim with the insurance company
If a car owner doesn’t have full coverage or comprehensive insurance, then hail damage won’t be covered. Hail damage itself is categorized as a comprehensive claim, so in the least, a person will need a liability/comprehensive policy. Fortunately, making a claim under one’s comprehensive coverage for hail damage repair won’t likely affect the person’s insurance rates; however, filing a claim every year might.
Minimizing hail damage
To ensure the costs of hail damage repair services stay to a minimum, it’s pertinent to park a vehicle under a covered shelter, such as in a garage, when at home. Then again, hail damage can occur any time of day or night, so being parked in a garage isn’t always feasible. If a driver finds himself driving when a hail storm hits, the car should be pulled into an area with covered parking, such as under an overpass.
Minimizing hail damage not only lessens the amount of an insurance claim, but in the event that a person doesn’t have comprehensive coverage, the repair expenses won’t dig so deep into the car owner’s wallet.
Documenting the damage
After a hail storm takes place, car owners should thoroughly inspect their cars, documenting any damage. By having documentation, preferably pictures, of the damage, this will help win any disputes that the insurance company might try to start. Once the car owner has documented the damage, it’s imperative to contact the insurance company promptly; this helps to speed up the claim process, which means hail damage repair services can be gained sooner rather than later.
Cost of hail damage
Paying for repair services will vary from one car to the next, and the extensiveness of the damage will of course directly affect the total cost. Most dents cost anywhere from $50 to $125 to have fixed. And being that hail damage will oftentimes result in both large and small scratches on a car, additional repair services will likely be needed.
Filing a claim or paying out of pocket
For some car owners, paying for hail damage repair services out of pocket will be much more advantageous than filing an insurance claim, especially for those who have made recent claims within the past year. If the associated costs exceed $5,000, it’s usually best to make a claim, and this particularly applies to those who have a high deductible.
Types of hail damage repair
There are two basic types of hail damage repair services; Paintless Dental Removal and the traditional method. The latter tends to take much longer to perform, while Paintless Dent Removal will help preserve the factory finish on a car.
The total cost of repairing hail damage is dependent on many factors — severity of damage, insurance coverage, repair method used — and the only way to know how much it will cost to have the damage repaired is by letting an auto body professional look at the car and give a quote.
