Your car just got damaged in a hailstorm and now you have questions on what to do first. Hail damage comes in all types of sizes and severity.

The most common question we get asked is “Is my damage more than my deductible”?

The average hail damage claim across the country is $4,300.  We see repairs in our shops for as little as $300, but as high as $16,000.  The average is typically above the average deductible.

Late spring to early fall is hail season. Knowing how to file an insurance claim is a must

The first thing you will need to do to file a claim is call the claims number for your insurance company. Have your policy number ready and be prepared to give the date the damage occurred.

To assess the damage, they will have an adjuster look at the vehicle to write up an initial estimate, or they might send you to a repair facility that is in their network.

You are then free to have your vehicle repaired at any facility, no matter where the estimate was written.

Make sure to write down you claim number, this is very important and will be used throughout the claims settlement and repair process.

How will your damage be accessed?

Hail damage is assessed by dent size and number of dents per panel, and then by damaged parts. Any dent that is over half dollar size, and dents that are difficult to access are subject to a separate markup.

Insurance companies default to using Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) as the preferred method of hail damage repair. This technique involves slowly massaging out the dents from the back side of the panel.  If the damage is too extensive to use PDR on any given panel, then that panel will need to be repaired or replaced in the more conventional style of repair and will require that the panel be painted.

After looking over every panel on the vehicle, they will check windows, moldings, and lights for damage. The most accurate damage assessment will happen in a controlled, clean, and well-lit space with PDR professionals.

Understand your estimate.

Once all the damage has been assessed it is uploaded into an estimating software program.  That software calculates all the repair time that is needed and the cost of new parts that need to be replaced to give you an initial estimate.  The estimate will break down every line item of the repair.  If you have any questions at all, make sure you ask the adjuster or writer at the repair facility.

At the time that you take your car in for the actual repairs, the repair facility will look over the initial estimate, and if any damage has been missed, they will contact the insurance company on your behalf to file a supplement for that work.

Get Help.

Knowing what to do with your hail repair is not easy and can be stressful if you don’t have someone who knows the industry on your side. Give us a call at 833-800-4245, visit us online www.axiomrepair.com or stop by any of our front range -locations and let us hep you get the best hail repair experience for your needs.