How Long Does Car Hail Damage Repair Take?
This is one of the most common questions we are asked with regards to hail repairs. Once dropped off at the repair facility a normal hail repair that goes through an insurance claim will take between 5-8 days to repair. This is obviously an estimate.
What are the basic steps that occur during the Car hail Damage repair process?
- Hail Occurs
- Vehicle owner files a claim with their insurance
- Insurance completes a preliminary estimate
- Vehicle is dropped off at the repair facility of your choosing
- Hail Repair Shop inspects the vehicle and writes a thorough repair plan
- Repair plan (updated estimate) is submitted to insurance for review
- Insurance reviews claim and approves repairs – sometimes in person, sometimes remotely
- Repair shop disassembles vehicle, orders replacement parts, and repairs hail damage on vehicle
- Vehicle is reassembled, washed, and inspected pre-delivery
- Client picks up the repaired vehicle
Why isn’t my insurance company’s initial estimate more accurate?
Insurance adjusters are given a tall task during a hail claim process. If you have hail, more than likely so do hundreds of your neighbors. This means that your insurance company is required to move fast with regards to their estimates. Adjusters are also not usually equipped with all the necessary tools to write a thorough hail estimate. While collision damage is usually more cut and dry, hail estimates are significantly more nuanced. Estimates are based off of the actual, specific dent count as well as the size variations of the hail damage.
Most insurance adjusters are also tasked with writing an initial estimate outside in a customers driveway or in a parking lot. This leads to insufficient lighting for writing an accurate estimate. Some vehicles that are lighter in color are significantly more difficult to properly estimate without bringing it into a shop and using a hail light.
Can I have my hail Damage repaired with any shop of my choosing?
Yes, absolutely. If you are in our market we obviously would love to be your shop of choice, but the honest answer is, you can use any shop you choose.
Your insurance may ask that you take your vehicle to a certain shop for an initial estimate but you are not required to use that shop for the repair.
Why does a repair shop need to circle up my car before the repair?
This process is our way of identifying the exact damage that was caused by the storm. Every single dent and ding is documented and photographed. This process speeds up the insurance companies approval time.
How long does it take a hail repair shop to write an accurate hail estimate?
The process of identifying, documenting, photographing, estimating, and uploading the hail estimate normally takes a shop anywhere from 1 hour to 24 hours to complete. This process may vary from shop to shop based on staffing.
How long does it take my insurance company to review a Car hail Damage repair plan and approve the shop estimate?
3-5 business days. This is the part of the hail claim process that can be the most frustrating and is the most “out of the hands” of the repair facility. Many insurance companies will have an adjuster come to the shop in person to go over the estimate and confirm the repair plan. This typically takes a few days. Some insurance companies have moved to digital reviews by looking at pictures that the shop submits. Some have even moved to a video conference type of review process.
Once insurance approves the repair, how long does it take a shop to complete my entire hail repair?
1-4 days. The actual repair process only takes a few short days to complete. The main thing that slows down a repair facility with regards to your hail repair, is the process of parts ordering. Most parts are ordered immediately, but unfortunately, some parts take days to even weeks to deliver.
If a vehicles repair is complete but there are still parts on backorder, we will generally deliver the vehicle to the owner and have them come back in when the parts arrive at a later date.
If no insurance company is involved, how long will The hail Damage repairs take to complete?
1-3 days based on the damage and the availability of parts. Normally, if a client opts to not complete an insurance claim and just wants to pay out of pocket, it’s because the damage is light enough to be at or below a deductible. This usually leads to the repair being on the quicker side.
