Hail dents are fixed one of two ways. If the paint is intact and the metal has not stretched, a technician can work the dents out from behind the panel without repainting, which is called paintless dent repair. If the paint has cracked, the dents are sharp, or the panel cannot be reshaped, the shop uses conventional body work: filler or a replacement panel, then primer and paint. Hail is normally paid under the comprehensive part of an auto policy, so fault does not come into it, but your comprehensive deductible does.
Why hail keeps showing up in the metro
Kansas City sits where warm, humid air from the Gulf regularly meets drier air from the plains, which makes for a long thunderstorm season. Late spring is the most active stretch, though hail can fall in any month that brings strong thunderstorms. Stones range from pea-sized, which rarely do more than mark the paint, to golf-ball size and larger, which can dent a roof, crack a windshield and total an older car in a few minutes. Cars parked outdoors at homes, apartments and workplaces take the brunt, because storms move quickly and there is rarely time to find cover.
How the damage is assessed
An estimator walks around the vehicle under bright, angled light, because shallow dents disappear in flat daylight. Dents are counted panel by panel and sorted by size, usually against a coin: dime, nickel, quarter, half dollar. Estimating software turns that count into labor hours. A hood with forty quarter-sized dents is a very different job from a hood with six dime-sized ones.
Panels that face the sky take the worst of it: roof, hood and trunk lid, then the tops of fenders and doors. A complete inspection also covers:
- the windshield, rear glass and any sunroof, for chips and cracks;
- headlight and taillight lenses, mirror housings and plastic trim;
- roof rails, antenna bases and the plastic cowl panel under the wipers, which cracks easily;
- on pickups, the bed rails, tailgate and cab roof.
Ask for the dent count in writing, panel by panel. It lets you compare quotes fairly and check later that every panel on the list was actually addressed.
Repair methods compared
| Method | Works best when | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Paintless dent repair | Paint is intact, dents are shallow to moderate, and a tool can reach behind the panel | Struggles with cracked paint, sharp creases, panel edges and some aluminum panels; keeps the factory paint |
| Conventional repair | Paint is cracked or dents are deep, stretched or inaccessible | More labor; needs primer, paint matching and blending into neighboring panels |
| Panel replacement | Too many deep dents to straighten economically | Part cost, delivery time and refinishing; roofs are the hardest |
| Mixed approach | Most real-world hail jobs | Needs a shop skilled at both methods and honest about which panel gets which |
Roofs deserve a special mention. A roof with deep dents near the edge, where the metal is braced and no tool fits behind it, may need to be replaced, and on a modern car that means cutting, welding, glass removal and headliner work. This is how a car with a badly hit roof can jump from repairable to total loss. The trade-offs between the two main approaches are covered in more detail in our dent repair guide.
What it costs
Price depends on dent count, dent size, panel material and local labor rates. Treat the ranges below as rough ones only; the written estimate for your car is what counts.
| Damage level | What it looks like | Rough range |
|---|---|---|
| Light | A few dozen small dents, mostly on hood and roof | Roughly $500 to $2,000 |
| Moderate | Dozens of dents on several panels, mixed sizes | Roughly $2,000 to $6,000 |
| Severe | Hundreds of dents, or deep dents on roof edges and body lines | Often $6,000 and up, and sometimes more than the car is worth |
The insurance side
Hail falls under comprehensive coverage. If you carry only liability, hail damage is yours to pay. Check your comprehensive deductible before filing: a handful of small dents may cost less to fix than the deductible, while a heavily hit car clears it easily. Take date-stamped photos as soon as the storm passes and note where the car was parked. If a second storm comes through before the first claim is settled, clear records of what was damaged when make the claim far easier to sort out.
When the repair estimate approaches the value of the car, the insurer may declare a total loss and pay actual cash value instead. For titling purposes, Missouri's legal definition of a salvage vehicle uses an 80 percent repair-cost test that, according to the state statute, does not count hail damage in the repair total. That does not keep a hail-damaged car off a salvage title, though: if the insurer totals the car and declares it salvage when settling the claim, the statute treats it as a salvage vehicle anyway. Ask the insurer how the title would be handled before you accept a total-loss payout. Our total loss and salvage title guide explains the difference, and a separate guide covers how estimates and supplements are handled.
Avoiding trouble after a big storm
A major hailstorm fills local shops within days, and crews from other states often arrive to work the backlog. Many of them do honest work. The risk is that a crew that has moved on cannot fix a problem found a month later. Before you commit:
- ask who stands behind the warranty and whether it is written down, including what happens if a repaired dent shows up again;
- get the scope in writing: panels, dent counts, glass, and what happens if hidden damage turns up;
- read any direction-to-pay or authorization form before signing, since some hand control of the insurance payment to the repairer;
- avoid paying the full amount up front; pay the balance after you have inspected the finished car under strong light;
- compare at least two written estimates, using the checklist in choosing a body shop.
Dents with intact paint do not usually get worse, so there is no need to accept the first offer on the spot. Cracked paint is different: it lets moisture reach the metal, so those panels should not wait long. And a long delay can put you in a queue behind the next storm.
After the repair
Look at the car in the shop's lot, outdoors, before you pay. Run your eye along each panel at a low angle to catch remaining ripples, check that trim and weatherstripping were put back, and test every window and door. Water leaks around a disturbed roof seal show up the first time it rains, so ask how long the shop's workmanship warranty runs and whether it covers that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does car insurance cover hail damage?
Comprehensive coverage normally pays for hail. Liability-only and collision-only policies do not. You pay your comprehensive deductible, and the insurer pays the rest of an approved repair. Read your own policy, since deductibles and terms differ.
Will hail damage make my car a total loss?
It can, if the repair estimate gets close to the car's actual cash value, and older cars reach that point sooner. Hail damage is left out of the repair total in Missouri's 80 percent salvage test, but if the insurer totals the car and declares it salvage when settling the claim, the statute treats it as a salvage vehicle anyway.
Should I file one claim or wait for the next storm?
Report each storm's damage on its own and promptly. Each storm is usually a separate loss with its own comprehensive deductible, and waiting for a second one makes it hard to show which dents came from which. If the first storm's damage is below your deductible, keep dated photos anyway so a later claim is not reduced for old damage.
Is it worth fixing hail dents if the car still drives fine?
Often, if you plan to sell or trade the car, because visible dents lower its value. If you keep an insurance payment and skip the repair, expect the insurer to exclude or deduct that unrepaired damage from any later claim, and check whether your loan or lease requires the repair.
Can hail damage be repaired without repainting?
Often, when the paint has not cracked and the dents are not too deep or sharp. A technician reshapes the metal from behind and keeps the factory finish. Dents on panel edges, creases and some aluminum panels may still need conventional repair.