Step 1 — Confirm you have comprehensive coverage
Hail is weather damage, so it is paid under comprehensive coverage, not collision and not liability. If you carry liability only, there is no hail benefit on the policy and repair is out of pocket. Check your declarations page or ask your agent before anything else.
Comprehensive claims are generally not treated as at-fault losses, which is why many drivers file after a storm. Rate impact varies by carrier, so ask your agent directly rather than assuming.
Step 2 — Get an honest look at the damage first
Before you file, it helps to know roughly what you're dealing with: a handful of shallow dents on one panel is a different conversation than a hood, roof and both quarter panels. We inspect under controlled shop lighting, because hail dents are read through reflections — daylight in a parking lot hides half of them.
If the total repair sits close to or under your deductible, filing may not be worth it. We'll tell you that instead of pushing a claim.
Step 3 — File the claim
You open the claim with your carrier by phone or app. You'll need the date of the storm (approximate is fine), your policy number, and photos in most cases. You'll receive a claim number — keep it somewhere you can find it, since every later conversation references it.
You are allowed to choose your own repair shop in Texas. A carrier can recommend a network shop, but the choice is yours.
Step 4 — The adjuster estimate
The carrier assigns an adjuster who either inspects the vehicle in person, uses a drive-through catastrophe site, or reviews photos you upload. They write an estimate: a list of panels, dent counts, labor hours and any conventional repair or parts.
First estimates on hail are frequently light. That is normal, not a conspiracy — a photo review or a fast catastrophe-site walkaround simply doesn't reveal every dent.
Step 5 — The supplement (this is the important one)
When a shop finds damage the estimate missed, it submits a supplement: documentation of the additional dents, panels or operations, with photos and a matrix. The carrier reviews and, when it's supported, revises the payout.
This is where hail claims either get finished properly or get shortchanged. We document what we find and submit it for you, and we keep you copied so you always know the current number.
- Supplements are routine on hail — expect one.
- Ask for the revised estimate in writing, not verbally.
- Keep your deductible amount in mind: it comes out of the total, not off each panel.
Step 6 — Repair and payment
Payment reaches you or the shop depending on how the carrier issues it and whether a lienholder is listed on the check. Once repair is authorized, hail work typically takes a few days to a couple of weeks depending on panel count, whether glass or trim is involved, and parts availability.
Paintless dent repair keeps the factory paint on the car, which is why it is usually both faster and better for resale than panel refinishing.
Common ways hail claims go sideways
Almost every problem we see traces back to one of a few things:
- Waiting so long that the storm date is hard to establish.
- Accepting a photo-only estimate as final with no supplement.
- Cashing the first check and never completing repairs, which complicates any future claim on the same panels.
- Assuming PDR isn't an option because a shop only quotes conventional bodywork.
Want a straight read on your own vehicle? Send a photo or call 214-882-2102 — we'll tell you honestly whether it's a paintless repair, a body shop job, or not worth a claim.