When hail hits, especially in Austin, there’s a real danger it can leave your car covered in dents, dings, and sometimes even cracked glass. If you’ve ever walked outside after a Texas storm to find your vehicle looking like an oddly-shaped golf ball, after the initial frustration, your first question is probably: Does car insurance cover hail damage?
The short answer, fortunately, is yes! If you have the right kind of insurance. Hail damage falls under comprehensive coverage, sometimes called “other-than-collision.” This part of your policy protects against things like theft, vandalism, falling branches, and yes, even hailstorms. But if you only carry liability insurance, the minimum required in Texas, your policy won’t cover hail damage to your own car. Liability coverage only pays for damage you cause to someone else’s vehicle or property.
How Comprehensive Coverage Works
Comprehensive coverage is what pays to repair or replace your vehicle if it’s damaged by a natural event like hail. You’ll still have to pay your deductible, the amount you’re responsible for before your insurance kicks in, and your insurer covers the rest, all the way up to your car’s actual cash value.
That means if your deductible is $500 and hail repair costs $2,000, your insurance would pay $1,500. But if the damage is minor and repair costs are close to your deductible, it sometimes makes more sense to simply pay out of pocket rather than file a claim.
At Hail-Tech PDR, we understand that these charges are still high, but we don’t believe you should miss out on having your vehicle repaired because of them. That’s why we cover deductibles of up to $1,000 for our customers to make sure you can get your car back on the road and looking as good as new in no time.
What to Do After a Hailstorm
If your vehicle gets caught in a storm, you’ll need to start by documenting the damage as soon as it’s safe. Take clear photos of every panel and be sure to include close-ups of the dents and wide shots of the entire car to get a better picture of the damage. This documentation helps with both the insurance claim and your repair estimate.
Next, check your insurance policy or call your agent to confirm your policy and to find out if your insurance does cover hail damage on your car. Ask about your deductible, how to file a claim, and whether you can choose your own repair shop; most policies do allow this.
Once you’ve confirmed coverage, bring your car straight to Hail-Tech PDR for an inspection. Our team will provide a free estimate and help you determine whether filing a claim makes sense. We also work directly with insurance companies to simplify the process and get your claim approved faster.
Repairing Hail Damage the Right Way
At Hail-Tech PDR, we specialize in paintless dent repair (PDR), a technique that removes dents and dings without sanding, filling, or repainting. It’s much faster and more affordable than traditional dent repair, and keeps your factory paint intact, which helps preserve your car’s resale value.
Because we focus exclusively on small dings like hail damage, we’re experts in spotting hidden dents and restoring your vehicle to pre-storm condition. We also back our work with a lifetime warranty, giving you confidence that your repair will last as long as you own your car.
What About Insurance Rates?
Many drivers worry that filing a hail claim will raise their premiums. Since hail is a weather-related event and not something you can control, most insurers treat it differently from collision claims. That being said, it’s always a good idea to ask your provider how a weather-related claim could affect your rates.
If your car is severely damaged, something that is fortunately quite rare when asking the question, does car insurance cover hail damage, the insurance company may determine that repairs exceed its value and declare it a total loss. In these cases, they’ll pay you the car’s actual cash value, minus your deductible. This usually only happens with extreme and extensive hail damage, but it’s one more reason to get a professional inspection as soon as possible.
Living in Central Texas means hailstorms are a part of life, but finding out if car insurance covers hail damage doesn’t have to be stressful. Whether you’re filing an insurance claim or paying out of pocket, our team of professionals at Hail-Tech PDR can guide you through every step.
We’ve helped countless drivers in Austin and the surrounding areas restore their vehicles after hailstorms, working quickly with insurers to minimize both downtime and costs. Our paintless dent repair methods are clean, precise, and specifically designed to bring your car back to its former glory without compromising its factory finish.
If hail recently damaged your car, contact Hail-Tech PDR today at 512-817-6357 or contact us online to schedule your free estimate today!