HOW DO ADJUSTERS ASSESS HAIL DAMAGE?
Panel by panel: they count the dents, size them, and price the repair from that count. Most hail estimates group dents on each panel by size, often dime, nickel, quarter and half-dollar, and price paintless dent repair from the number in each group. Then come lines for taking parts off to reach the dents (remove and install), conventional repair and paint where hail cracked the paint, adjustments for aluminum panels and oversized dents, and any broken glass. The weak point is light: a photo or a quick look in daylight misses shallow dents that PDR lights show. That’s why a written count from the shop, sent as a supplement, so often changes the number. You choose the shop under Texas Insurance Code §1952.301.
The Longer Answer
WHAT THE ADJUSTER LOOKS AT, AND WHAT THEY MISS
How the inspection happens. Depending on the insurer and the storm, the first look may come from your phone photos, a drive-in inspection site, a field adjuster in your driveway, or an appraiser at the shop. After a big storm, every one of those is moving fast.
What drives the number. The dent count and dent size on each panel are the core. Roofs usually carry the most dents and need the headliner lowered so a technician can reach them; that access labor is a separate line. Aluminum hoods and roofs are slower to repair, and dents too big for the size groups get priced one at a time. Where hail cracked the paint, the panel moves from PDR to conventional repair and refinish, including blending into the panels next to it.
Where first estimates come up short. Shallow dents have no edge for a camera or a glance to catch. Under a PDR light board, each one breaks the reflection line, so a roof that looked like a dozen dents can count far higher. Roof rails, door-frame tops and the back edge of the hood are the usual misses, along with the headliner labor.
What helps before the inspection. Wash the car, because dust hides dents. Write down where it was parked during the storm and the date. Take your own photos from a low angle in daylight, and point out any older dents so they aren’t mixed in with the new damage.
How it gets corrected. You open the claim. We count every panel under PDR lights, write the estimate line by line, and send your adjuster a supplement with photos for anything the first estimate missed. On qualifying hail claims we cover the first $1,000 of your deductible; above that, it’s case by case. Our published ranges are in the hail repair cost guide. General information, not legal advice.
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