Although they are fairly common in states like Colorado and Texas, hailstorms can be a devastating event. This is especially if your car is caught outside in the middle of a storm, with no way to protect it. Hail can cause significant damage to your vehicle, and it’s important to understand how that damage is assessed.
In this article, we will go over the four main factors that go into assessing hail damage on a car and estimating the cost and repair methods necessary to fix it.
Size of the Damage
The size of the hail is one of the first things that will be considered when assessing damage. This is because, as you can imagine, larger hailstones are more likely to cause more damage than smaller ones.
In general, anything over an inch in diameter is considered to be large enough to cause significant damage, but even smaller hailstones can cause dents and scratches if they’re falling with enough force.
When assessing the paintless dent repair cost, dents are typically measured by how large they are. Small dents can be as little as $30 to $50, while large ones can be $150 or more.
Location of the Damage
Another important factor to consider is the location of the damage on your car. This is because different parts of the car are more susceptible to hail damage than others. They may also require different repair methods or variations in technique.
For example, damage to the hood or roof is going to be worse than damage to the side of the car, just because the hood and roof are more exposed to hail.
However, certain areas are also more difficult to repair than others. Places where the area behind the dent can’t be easily accessed may cost more to repair, as well as areas with more complex machinery. Sun roofs, for example, can complicate the process of repairing a roof.
Number of Dents
One of the unique things about hail damage is that dents often occur in the dozens or even hundreds. This makes paintless dent repair, a technique that involves popping out dents from the inside with specialized equipment, ideal for hail repair, because it can tackle many dents at once.
However, that doesn’t mean that a hundred dents is as easy to fix as one. The more dents you have in a certain area, the more expensive the repair is going to be. According to most PDR pricing matrix systems, the price per dent will go up along with the amount of total dents you have.
Severity of the Damage
The severity of the damage is another important factor that will be considered when assessing paintless dent repair cost. This includes things like how deep the dents are, whether or not the paint has been chipped, and if there are any other damages.
For example, deep, jagged dents that have cracked or chipped paint will generally require more complex repairs than shallow, smooth dents that don’t affect the paint, and will lead to higher costs as a result. Similarly, extra damage like broken windows, lights, or mechanical features will also increase the cost.
Conclusion
Hail storms can do a number on your car, but most kinds of hail damage are repairable. The costs, time involved, and repair methods may vary depending on what kind of damage you have, but any reputable hail damage repair shop will be able to guide you through how your costs and repair methods are estimated.
If you want a more accurate idea of how your car will be assessed before even going into a shop, try out this paintless dent repair cost estimator. I like this calculator because it factors in size, severity, and location to tell you what your repair costs will look like.