St. Louis Auto Hail Damage Repair

Step-by Step-Guide to Hail Repair

It’s no secret that St. Louis area storms can cause significant damage to your vehicle. When your car has sustained any kind of hail damage, it can be frustrating to handle. Who do you contact first? Where do you go? Which repair shop can fix your vehicle the first time so you can get back on the road? At Dent Devil, it’s our goal to repair your vehicle correctly as well as keep you well informed, so we’ve compiled a list of steps to take if your car has sustained hail damage.

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STEP 1: Make an Insurance Claim

The first action you should take following the incurred damage is to contact your insurance agent. Make a claim on your vehicle and schedule a time for an inspection to be performed by an adjuster. On-site inspections at our Clayton and Ballwin facilities are recommended, because Dent Devil is equipped with specialized lighting and we are experienced with claims adjusters. Therefore, a more accurate inspection is the result, which eliminates the need for re-inspections and hail repair delays.

STEP 2: Select a Professional Repair Shop

Be an intelligent consumer and do your homework on the repair shop you choose.

Check with BBB first and always deal with reliable businesses.
Ensure the business has a permanent address and phone number.
Ask your friends and family for referrals.
Check customer references.
Make sure contract provisions match what the salesperson or advertisement says.
Get everything in writing.
Know the status of warranties.
Avoid sales pitches that demand you “act now.”
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

You deserve to have your vehicle repaired properly the first time, and paintless dent repair (PDR) is the best method of doing so. Please be aware and choose wisely – it’s worth your time spent investigating.

Investigate the Auto Repair Shop

As in any catastrophe, there are many ways that people can be taken advantage of when emotion and substantial sums of money are involved. When your car sustains damage from hail, you can have your vehicle repaired at a conventional auto body shop or at a shop that specializes in PDR. Investigate the repair shop you are considering! Is it a local company? Is the repair work outsourced to other companies?

Is the Paintless Dent Repair Work Outsourced?

Most auto body shops are not permanently staffed with PDR technicians, and in most cases, will contract with a PDR company to handle the high volume of vehicles arriving at their shop. Doing so is perfectly acceptable, as long as the contracted PDR company is legitimate, professional and most importantly, local.

Ask the body shop manager if the work is outsourced to a local or a mobile company. If the PDR company is local and they are sponsoring out of town PDR technicians to assist them, you are much more likely to have a master technician working on your car. A legitimate local company has a list of talent to assist them during catastrophes, and will screen both the PDR technicians as well as the contracted body shops for themselves. Be wary of less honorable repair shops that pop up all over the heaviest damaged areas, such as St. Charles and St. Peters, posing as local hail specialists.

Poorly Paid Traveling PDR Teams

Many auto body shop managers will aggressively negotiate thinly profitable contracts with traveling companies that attract only the lower tier technicians. If the technician is not paid well, they are more likely to rush through your vehicle and do mediocre work to make up for the less-than-favorable deal. Most traveling teams have no relationships when they arrive in town and are desperate to find a body shop location to gain work.

STEP 3: Scheduling the Repair

Schedule your rental car to coincide with both the insurance claim adjuster’s inspection and the repair at our Clayton or Ballwin hail repair shop. Enterprise Leasing will ensure a rental car is ready for you at our location.

Hail storms create a lot of confusion and completely backlog the insurance companies, rental car companies, auto body shops and professional paintless dent repair organizations in your community. To the best of your ability, make your insurance claim as quickly as you can. Be patient and choose your repair shop wisely. Don’t get into a race to have your car repaired and make a decision based on next availability.

The best shops are always going to fill their calendars quickly, and placing your car on the list automatically gives you priority on cancellations or reschedules. Parts such as trim pieces, plastic lenses, and windshields are in high demand after hail storms. If your vehicle requires a high degree of available parts, you also receive an advantage in scheduling.

hail damage repair st louis bimmer before

hail damage repair st louis bimmer after

STEP 4: The Repair Shop Process

Auto Hail Damage Repair Day: What You Do

Bring your car to our shop on your scheduled day and we will handle all of the details. We are customer friendly and understand your concerns and needs. We promise to answer any questions you ask clearly and quickly, keeping you well informed.

Auto Hail Damage Repair Day: What We Do

Order Parts and Replacement

Once you have scheduled a repair date, we will order the replacement trim moldings if needed and any other parts that will be required to complete the repair. If your car needs the windshield or any glass replaced, we offer on-site replacement services. Provided that the insurance appraisal is complete and accurate, we can begin disassembling your vehicle for repair.

Quality Control

Once we have begun the dent removal process, we will execute the procedure of quality control on a per-panel basis. Nothing is reassembled until we ensure the surface finish quality is correct and the underside protective e-coat has been applied.

Reassembling: Fit, Finish, and Functionality Check

If your vehicle has a clear bra installed and the damage requires us to remove the protective film, we partner with Dalo Inc. in the removal and installation of the new film. After reassembly of your vehicle, we review the fit, finish, and functionality of all your car’s components and move forward to detail.

Delivery Day

We perform a complete detail of your vehicle to ensure a clean return to you. Upon delivery, we will review your car with you and answer any questions you may have. Additionally, if needed, we will file paperwork summarizing the completed repair to any lien holders.

We Are the St. Louis Auto Hail Damage Repair Experts

When it comes to auto hail damage, you need to entrust your vehicle to a local company specialized in paintless dent repair. We work to understand your needs and requests, as well as ensure your vehicle is fixed correctly the first time. With two locations in Ballwin and Clayton, our experts are efficient, friendly, and eager to assist you. If your vehicle has been damaged from hail, look no further than Dent Devil for professional repair!