Get the answers to the most important questions.

What is Paintless Dent Repair (PDR)?

Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) is a specialized technique used to remove dents, dings, and hail damage from a vehicle’s exterior without the need for traditional bodywork or repainting. Using specialized tools to gently massage and reshape the damaged metal back to its original form, preserving the factory paint and finish.

Benefits of PDR:

Faster Repairs – Most PDR repairs can be completed in a matter of days.

Maintains Vehicle Value – Since PDR preserves the original paint, it helps retain the vehicle’s resale value.

PDR is ideal for hail damage, minor dents, and creases where the paint remains intact. However, it may not be suitable for severe damage involving deep paint cracks or sharp creases.

Will Filing an Auto Hail Repair Claim Raise My Insurance RatesNo, filing a claim for hail damage repair will not raise your insurance rates. Here's why:

Hail damage falls under comprehensive coverage, which covers natural events like storms, falling objects, and vandalism. Since you have no control over the weather, insurance companies do not penalize you for making a claim.

Insurance companies adjust rates based on the overall risk in an area, not just one person's claim. If a storm causes widespread hail damage in your region, insurers may adjust rates for everyone, regardless of whether they filed a claim. Not using your coverage doesn’t prevent potential rate changes.

Comprehensive insurance is designed for situations like hail damage. If you have full coverage, you've been paying for this protection—using it doesn’t count against you the way an at-fault accident would.

Leaving hail damage unrepaired can lower your vehicle's resale value. Filing a claim ensures your car is restored properly without paying out of pocket.

Using your insurance for hail repair won’t increase your premiums, but ignoring hail damage could cost you in the long run.

increase your premiums, but ignoring hail damage could cost you in the long 

In most cases, yes! Skilled PDR technicians can 100% of  the dents, dings, and hail damage, restoring your vehicle to its pre-damaged condition. However, the success of PDR depends on a few key factors:

• Small to medium-sized dents can almost always be repaired completely.
• Larger dents can often be removed, but extremely deep or stretched dents will need to be reviewed.

• If the paint is intact, PDR is highly effective.
• If the paint is cracked or chipped, PDR alone may not be enough, and additional refinishing may be required.

• Dents on flat surfaces like hoods, roofs, and doors are easier to repair.
• Damage near panel edges or body lines can be more challenging but is still often fixable with advanced techniques.

• Steel panels are more flexible and easier to repair.
• Aluminum requires more specialized techniques, but a skilled technician can still achieve amazing results.

Most hail damage and minor dents can be completely removed with PDR, leaving no trace behind. If a dent is too severe for PDR alone, a combination of repair methods may be recommended.

Waiting to repair hail damage might seem like a good idea, but it can actually cost you more in the long run. Here’s why delaying your claim and repairs can hurt you:

If your vehicle is involved in an accident before you’ve repaired hail damage, your insurance company will subtract the pre-existing damage from your total loss payout. That means you could get paid thousands less than what your vehicle is actually worth—simply because you never filed a claim for the hail damage first.

• Example: Your car is worth $25,000, but you have $5,000 in unrepaired hail damage. If you're in an accident and your car is totaled, insurance may only pay $20,000 instead of the full value.

If you wait until after another hailstorm to file a claim, insurance may question when the damage actually occurred. If they can’t determine the date of loss, they might deny the claim altogether or only cover part of the damage.

• Some policies even have time limits on how long you have to file a claim after a storm.

Each storm weakens the metal, and a second or third round of hail can push a repairable vehicle into total loss status.

• A single hailstorm might cause repairable dents, but if another storm hits before you fix it, the additional damage could make the vehicle irreparable, forcing insurance to total it.
• Even if it’s not totaled, excessive damage can exceed what PDR can fix, meaning more expensive and invasive bodywork or repainting.

Waiting to repair hail damage risks lowering your vehicle’s value, reducing your insurance payout, and even making repairs impossible after another storm. Filing your claim now ensures your vehicle is restored before it’s too late.

In most cases, paying out of pocket for hail repair is not a smart financial decision—and here’s why:

Many people assume a few dents will be cheap to fix, but after a hailstorm, vehicles often have hundreds of dents, sometimes per panel. Even with Paintless Dent Repair (PDR), the cost can easily reach $5,000–$10,000+, depending on the severity of the damage.

• A single dent might cost $75–$150 to repair. Multiply that by hundreds of dents, and the price quickly adds up.
• Severe hail damage can require roof, hood, and trunk replacements, making out-of-pocket costs even higher.

Many people hesitate to file a claim because they fear their insurance rates will go up. However, hail damage is covered under comprehensive insurance, which does NOT increase your premiums like an at-fault accident would.

• Since hail is an "Act of God," you aren’t penalized for filing a claim—your insurer won’t single you out for higher rates just because you used your coverage.
• Not using your insurance does not prevent potential rate increases. If your area experiences a large hailstorm, insurance companies may adjust rates for everyone, regardless of whether you filed a claim.

If you have full coverage, you’ve been paying for comprehensive insurance—which is specifically designed for hail damage. Not using it means you’re paying twice: once in insurance premiums and again out of pocket.

• If you don’t file a claim now and later get into an accident, insurance could deduct the cost of the existing hail damage from your payout.
• If another hailstorm hits, the new damage could push your vehicle past repairable limits, leading to a total loss.

Hail repair is expensive, and your insurance is there to cover it without penalty. Paying out of pocket makes little sense when your policy exists for this exact situation.

Whether you’ve just started your insurance claim, have already had an adjuster assess the damage, or have received a payout check, we’re here to guide you through the next steps. It’s important to understand that insurance adjusters aren’t repair professionals—they assess the damage and estimate repair costs, but they’re not involved in the actual repair process. Even if you’ve received a check, insurance often won’t release full payment until you’ve selected a repair shop and committed to the repairs.

Don’t worry, though—when you choose us, we’ll work directly with your insurance company to ensure the repair costs are fully approved. We make sure the insurance company is paying the correct amount, and most importantly, that you're completely satisfied with the repair. You can even hold onto your check until the repairs are finished. We always ensure 100% repair cost approval from insurance before any work begins. No matter where you are in the process, we’ve got you covered!

Insurance Preferred Shop vs. Insured Choice:

An insurance-preferred shop is a repair facility that has a direct relationship with an insurance company. These shops typically work under the insurance company and often have agreements on pricing and repair procedures. While they may offer convenience, you’re usually required to pay your deductible and sometimes even rental car costs out-of-pocket, depending on the insurance company’s rules. Additionally, the insurance company often controls aspects of the repair process, which might limit your flexibility in choosing the best shop for your vehicle.

On the other hand, insured choice means you have the freedom to choose any repair shop you trust, without being limited to those preferred by your insurance company. When you choose us, for example, we work independently from the insurance company, giving you more control over the repair process. We deal directly with your insurance to make sure the correct repair costs are covered, and in most cases, we pay your deductible and rental vehicle costs, so there’s no out-of-pocket expense for you. You also get the benefit of high-quality, personalized service from a repair shop that prioritizes your satisfaction and the integrity of the repair.

In short, choosing an insured shop gives you the freedom to select where your car is repaired and ensures that you’re getting the best service without the restrictions of working with a preferred provider.