What To Do Immediately After a Hailstorm

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A hailstorm just rolled through your area and your vehicle took a hit. It's a stressful situation — but if you follow the right steps, you can protect your insurance claim, get your vehicle fully restored, and pay little to nothing out of pocket. Here's exactly what to do.

1. Stay Safe — Don't Go Out During the Storm

This sounds obvious, but it's worth saying: don't go outside during active hail. Hailstones can range from pea-sized to baseball-sized and can cause serious injury. Wait until the storm has fully passed before inspecting your vehicle. If you were caught driving, pull over under a bridge or overhang if possible, and stay inside the vehicle with your seatbelt on.

2. Document the Damage Thoroughly

Once the storm passes, grab your phone and photograph every panel of your vehicle — hood, roof, trunk lid, doors, fenders, and any glass. Here are the keys to good documentation:

• Shoot in good natural light — hail dents are hard to see in shade
• Get close-up shots of individual dents as well as wide shots of full panels
• Note the date, time, and location of the storm
• If possible, take photos of hailstones next to a coin or ruler for size reference
• Check for cracked or broken glass — windshield, sunroof, mirrors

This documentation becomes critical evidence when your insurance adjuster reviews your claim. The more thorough you are, the better your claim outcome.

3. Don't Try to Fix It Yourself

We've all seen the DIY hail repair videos online — hair dryers, dry ice, suction cups. Avoid these entirely. Amateur repair attempts can crack your paint, void your insurance claim, and make legitimate PDR (paintless dent repair) harder or impossible to perform correctly. Hail damage repair requires certified technicians with specialized tools. Let a professional handle it.

4. Schedule a Professional Assessment First

Before you call your insurance company, schedule a free hail damage assessment with a certified PDR specialist like Auto Hail Shop. Here's why this matters: insurance adjusters sometimes miss dents, especially on complex panels or in certain lighting conditions. When you have a professional damage report in hand before your adjuster visit, you're protected — every dent is documented and accounted for in your claim.

5. Call Your Insurance and File a Comprehensive Claim

When you call your insurer, make sure you file under comprehensive coverage — not collision. Hail is a weather event, which means it falls under comprehensive. This is critical because:

• Comprehensive claims do not raise your insurance rates
• You are not considered at fault — hail is an act of nature
• Your deductible applies, but the repair cost is covered beyond that

If you accidentally file under collision, it can affect your rates. Always specify comprehensive when reporting hail damage.

6. Understand Your Timeline

Most insurance policies require you to report hail damage within a reasonable window after the storm — typically 30 to 90 days, though this varies by insurer. Don't wait too long. The sooner you file, the easier it is to tie the damage to a specific storm event. Check your policy or call your agent to confirm your deadline.

7. Choose a Certified PDR Specialist — Not a General Body Shop

Not all body shops are equal when it comes to hail damage. A general body shop may use paint, filler, and panels to fix hail dents — which takes longer, costs more, and can reduce your car's resale value. A certified paintless dent repair (PDR) specialist uses precision tools to restore dents from the inside without disturbing your original paint. The result is factory-condition restoration with a lifetime warranty.

At Auto Hail Shop, hail damage is all we do. Our certified PDR technicians have repaired thousands of hail-damaged vehicles — and we guide you through the insurance process from start to finish.