Navigating Hail Damage Repair
Whether you’re a first time vehicle owner, new to areas with large amounts of hail, or just plain lucky, learning to navigate the options for hail damage repair can be difficult. Chances are, though, that if you do live in an area where hailstones get large enough to leave a dent, then you will probably need this kind of repair more than once. In the West and Midwest, damage control from hailstones can be a lot like window chip fixes: inconvenient and potentially costly, but manageable. Hail damage repair cost estimates depend a lot on your insurance and the kind of damage inflicted, so the main goal is to get an idea about what you are in for.
Like with window chip repair, hailstone repair might be covered under your insurance with no deductible. If so, then that makes cost estimates less pressing, and it also sets you up to comfortably opt for repair whenever you notice a dent. If your insurance does not offer a no-deductible option for hail repair, then the kind of repair you opt for can make a huge difference.
In a lot of cases, hail damage repair is like minor dent repair to the side panels of your car. It can be done without repainting, and usually the same day while you wait. In extreme cases, this might not be possible, though, and then hail damage repair cost estimates will fluctuate according to how large an area is affected, what kinds of restoration will need to be done, and the costs of repainting the sections of the body affected. This only usually becomes necessary at the point where the original finished is cracked, peeling, or otherwise has its integrity compromised, and then the work is usually priced at regular rates for body work.
Hailstone damage can become cumulative if it is not repaired, and that is another way it is similar to windshield chip damage. In both cases, it originally starts as a low- to no-cost repair that restores the vehicle’s appearance, but if left to sit or compounded by further damage, the costs can escalate quickly. If you notice hailstones have battered your vehicle to the point where it is dented, know that budgeting for any potential hail damage repair cost as quickly as possible leads to the best cost minimization overall. If you live in an area regularly affected by this, the first step is to make sure you have the insurance coverage you need to support these repairs effectively.
