Hail damage: what to do with your car after a Queensland storm

Don't rush. Hail damage doesn't get worse sitting in the driveway, and the shops get flooded in the week after a big storm. Photograph the car, check your policy, and get it assessed properly rather than taking the first quick fix on offer.

South East Queensland cops serious hail most storm seasons, and after a bad one insurers set up mass assessment centres and repairers run hail-only lines. Here's how it works and what your options are.

First: photos and a check for broken glass

Walk around the car in good light and photograph every panel, plus the windscreen, rear window, lights and mirrors. If glass is broken, cover it and get it replaced first so water doesn't get into the cabin. If only the panels are dented, the car is fine to drive.

Claim or not?

Hail is usually covered under comprehensive insurance as a storm event, and it's typically a not-at-fault claim, so it generally doesn't carry the same premium consequences as an at-fault accident. Check your policy. If you only have third-party cover, hail isn't covered and the repair is on you.

Insurers often ask you to lodge the claim and then book into an assessment centre, where the car is counted and photographed and a repair method is decided. If your policy lets you choose your repairer, you can nominate us. See choice of repairer, explained.

How hail damage is assessed

The car goes under a light board that shows every dent. Each panel is counted: how many dents, what size, and whether the paint is broken. That count sets the method and the price.

How it's repaired

Paintless dent removal (PDR) is the standard method for hail. The dents are shallow and rounded, the paint is usually intact, and PDR works each one out from behind the panel without any painting. The factory finish stays, which matters for the car's value. Read our PDR versus conventional repair guide.

Conventional repair and paint is used where the paint has cracked, where dents are too sharp, or on panel edges.

Panel replacement is used when a panel, usually the bonnet or roof, has taken so many hits that repairing each dent would cost more than a new panel painted to match. Roofs are the expensive case because of the headlining and glass involved.

Most hail cars get a mix: PDR on the doors, guards and boot, and replacement or conventional repair on the bonnet or roof if they're too far gone.

Beware the quick fix

After a big storm, travelling PDR operators set up in car parks offering fast, cheap hail repair. Some are good. Some leave high spots, cracked paint and drill holes in panels for access. Before you let anyone work on your car, ask where they're based, whether they'll be contactable in a month, and whether the work is guaranteed in writing.

What about a write-off?

If the repair cost is more than the car's value, the insurer may write it off. On an older car with heavy hail that's common. You can sometimes negotiate to keep the car, but it will be recorded as a repairable write-off, which affects re-registration and resale. Ask the insurer to explain your options before you agree to anything.

Timing

Expect a wait after a major event. Assessment centres and repairers work through cars in order, and parts like bonnets can be back-ordered. A hail job with PDR alone is often a few days in the shop once it's booked; jobs with panel replacement take longer.

What we do

H&H Smash Repairs in Slacks Creek does paintless dent removal, panel beating and spray painting under one roof, so a hail car with a mix of damage stays in one place. Send photos through the quote form or bring the car in so we can count it under the light.