How a hail damage insurance claim actually works
A hail claim is more straightforward than most people expect: comprehensive coverage pays, you pay your deductible, and you pick who does the repair. Here is the order it happens in, what the adjuster is looking at, and where paintless dent repair fits.
Four steps from storm to repair
Do them in this order and the claim goes much smoother.
Photograph the damage
Shoot the hood, roof, trunk and fender tops in daylight at a low angle so the dimples show. Wide shots plus close-ups. Do this before you call anyone — it is the evidence for the whole claim.
Open the claim
Call your insurer or use their app and report hail damage with the date of the storm. You will get a claim number and either an adjuster appointment or a photo-estimate app to upload to.
Get the estimate written
The adjuster writes an estimate by panel and dent count. Paintless dent repair is a recognized method, so you can ask that it be written as PDR rather than a repaint.
Choose who repairs it
The shop is your choice in Florida, not your insurer's. Send us the estimate, we review it, and we repair on site — we can go back to the adjuster if something was missed.
What your policy covers
- Comprehensive coverage is the part of your policy that pays for hail. Liability-only policies do not cover it.
- Your out-of-pocket cost is normally your deductible — the insurer pays the rest of the approved estimate.
- Hail is a weather claim, not an at-fault accident, so it is generally not treated the same way as a collision.
- Insurers write and pay paintless dent repair routinely; it is usually the cheaper outcome for them too.
- The repair facility is your decision. You are not required to use a shop from your insurer's list.
Policies differ. This is general guidance, not a coverage decision — your carrier and your declarations page have the final word.
Deductible or pay directly?
Hail claims are priced by panel and by dent count, so a light dusting on one panel and a full car of dimples are very different numbers. Small jobs start around $160.
If the repair comes in near your deductible, filing gains you very little. Send us photos first and you will know the repair number before you decide whether to open a claim at all — that is a free call either way.
If the damage is well above the deductible, file. We will work from the estimate and handle the adjuster conversation with you.
Photos that get an accurate price
A few good pictures tell us the panel, the paint and the shape of the dent before we quote it.
It takes about 60 seconds: your name, phone number, your car's year, make and model, and a few photos of the dent.
No account, no payment info — and if we need a better photo, we'll tell you exactly what to take.
Show the whole panel
Stand far enough back that we can tell which door, fender, hood or quarter panel is dented.
Add several close-ups
Take each close-up from a slightly different angle so we can judge the depth and shape of the dent.
Use daylight
Soft daylight and a low angle make shallow dents, creases and the condition of the paint easier to see.
Paintless repair requires intact paint. If the dent is creased through the paint, chipped, scraped or part of a heavily damaged panel, send the photos anyway — we will tell you honestly whether PDR is the right repair.
Hail claim questions, answered
If your policy includes comprehensive coverage, hail damage is normally covered and you pay your deductible. If you only carry liability, hail is not covered and the repair is out of pocket. Check the comprehensive line on your declarations page — that is the one that matters.
Not sure whether to file? Get the repair number first
Send a few daylight photos of the panels. We come back with a firm repair price so you can compare it against your deductible before you call your insurer.
60 seconds, a few photos, a firm price back the same day.