The questions people ask before they call.
Insurance, repair, process and coverage area. Everything about policies here is general; your own policy and your carrier are the authority on your claim.
First, the one everybody asks
Don't dimples make the car faster?
MythBusters actually proved dimples make a car more aerodynamic, so the physics is on your side. Your insurance adjuster is not impressed, and neither is your trade-in value. Hail dents read as damage to every buyer, every appraiser and every lease inspector who looks at the panel.
Insurance
Does my insurance cover hail damage?
It does if you carry comprehensive coverage, which is the part of an auto policy that handles weather rather than collisions. Check your declarations page, or ask your carrier to confirm what you hold. With liability only, a hail claim generally will not apply, and we will tell you that rather than start one.
What is comprehensive coverage?
Comprehensive pays for damage that is not a crash: hail, wind, flood, fire, theft, vandalism and falling objects. It is optional on a car you own and usually required while you finance or lease. Only your policy can tell you what you carry.
Will filing raise my rates?
That is your carrier's decision and nobody outside your insurer can promise you otherwise. Most insurers treat weather claims differently from at-fault claims, because nobody chose to park under a storm. It is a fair and direct question to put to your agent before you file.
Do you work with my insurance company?
Yes. We work directly with all major carriers, and the claim and the paperwork are handled for you. Your carrier still decides coverage and approval under your policy, and we never promise an outcome on their behalf.
Do I have to use the shop my insurer recommends?
Generally no. In Texas the choice of repairer is yours; a carrier can recommend a network shop but does not get to require one. What the carrier controls is what it will pay, so an estimate still has to be justified line by line. If you lease, check your lease terms as well.
What if my claim is denied or the estimate seems low?
Ask for the reasoning in writing, then answer it with documentation. Low first estimates are common because they are often written from photos and miss dent density or damage found once trim comes off. A detailed teardown estimate with matching photographs resolves most of it, and your policy sets out what to do if it does not.
How long do I have to file?
Policies set their own reporting requirements and Texas law sets outside limits, so the honest answer is: sooner is better and your policy is the authority. Waiting makes it harder to tie the damage to a specific storm date, which is one of the first things a carrier looks at.
The repair
What is paintless dent repair?
It is a technique that works the metal back to its original shape from behind the panel, using specialised rods and a light board, without filler or repainting. It is the standard approach for hail because hail dents are shallow, numerous, and usually have not broken the paint.
Can hail damage be fixed without repainting?
Most of it can, when the paint surface is intact and the metal has not been stretched. That keeps the factory finish on the car, which matters for both appearance and resale.
When does it require paint?
When the paint is cracked or chipped, when a dent is sharp enough to have stretched the metal, when the dent sits on a body line or a panel edge with no access from behind, or when a panel is damaged badly enough to be replaced. Aluminium panels and some plastics also behave differently and can need refinishing.
How long does a repair take?
The repair partner gives you a timeline once the vehicle has been inspected and the scope is known. Heavy damage, panels that need paint, replacement parts or a supplement all add time, and the claim side of the calendar is usually the longer part.
Will it be visible afterwards?
Done properly, no. The point of paintless repair is that the original finish is never disturbed. We walk the panels with you in daylight at handover, which is the light that shows everything, and anything you are unhappy with goes back to the repair partner under their warranty.
Does hail damage affect resale value?
Visible dents do get noticed at trade-in and appraisal, and unrepaired hail damage is a standard deduction. A properly repaired car with its factory paint intact is a different conversation.
What about damage under the paint I cannot see?
That is what supplements are for. Once headliners and trim come off, dents often appear on roof rails, door channels and panel edges, along with cracked mouldings or damaged antenna bases. It is normal, carriers expect it, and it gets filed and explained to you rather than quietly skipped.
The process
What happens after I contact you?
You get a call or a text back within the hour during business hours, and first thing the next morning if you wrote overnight. We agree a time, come to the vehicle, and tell you what we see and what your options are, including the option of doing nothing.
Do I need to bring my car anywhere?
No. We inspect where the vehicle already is, and the repair partner's valet service collects and returns it, which we arrange around your schedule.
Who actually performs the repair?
Our vetted Dallas–Fort Worth repair partner. We are an independent concierge, not a shop. We coordinate the inspection, the insurance communication, the transport, the updates and the delivery, and they do the work on the metal, the detail, the fuel and the warranty.
Will I have a vehicle while mine is in?
Yes. We coordinate a rental vehicle with the repair partner so you stay mobile through the repair. If your policy includes rental reimbursement, that gets factored in too.
What does an inspection cost?
Nothing, and it carries no obligation. The online photo estimate is free as well.
What does your service add to my cost?
Our service does not add anything to your cost. The coordination is part of the repair service, not an extra fee.
What qualifies a vehicle?
The vehicle carries full coverage insurance, it is typically model year 2015 or newer, and it passes an initial inspection confirming the damage and that repair makes sense. If it does not qualify, you hear that first.
What comes back with the car?
The repair partner returns it with a full interior and exterior detail, a full tank of gas, and a lifetime warranty on the repair for as long as you own the vehicle.
How do I document damage before filing?
Photograph in flat morning or late afternoon light, never midday sun. Cover the roof, hood, trunk and the tops of the quarter panels first, then the sides, glass and lamps. Take one wide shot of the whole car, a few close shots with something for scale, plus the odometer and VIN. Note the storm date if you know it.
What if I lease my vehicle?
Leased vehicles are usually covered the same way, and the repair standard matters more because you hand the car back. Check your lease terms for anything it says about repairs, and we will document to that standard.
Service area
Which cities do you serve?
Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Flower Mound, Southlake, Colleyville, Grapevine, Richardson and Prosper. If your city is not on that list, call anyway; if we cannot help you will be told that rather than asked for your details.
Do you handle more than one vehicle?
Yes. Households with two or three cars hit by the same storm are common, and fleets are handled the same way. They can go through together on one visit.
Do you speak Spanish?
Sí. Hablo español, and the whole process can be handled in Spanish from the first call to the handover.
If your car doesn't qualify, we'll tell you first.
Not every vehicle is a fit. Coverage, model year and the extent of the damage all matter, and we would rather tell you that on the first call than after you have spent time on it. The inspection is free and there is no obligation either way.
Keep reading
- The full claims guide
Coverage, documenting damage, adjusters, supplements and timelines.
- How it works
The three stages, with timings and what we need from you.
Call (469) 552-7362. Serving Dallas–Fort Worth. Hablo español.
Send a photo
A couple of minutes now, and we come back to you the way you prefer to be reached.