Hail Coverage: Does Car Insurance Cover Hail Damage?

Yes, car insurance covers hail damage if you have comprehensive coverage. If you lack comprehensive coverage, you’ll have to pay for your hail damage repairs out of pocket.

Comprehensive insurance covers damage from weather-related events, including hail, floods, and sinkholes. It also covers most events other than collisions, such as auto burglary and vandalism.

Does Comprehensive Coverage Apply to Windshields?

If hail cracks or shatters your windshield, comprehensive coverage could reimburse you for the repairs. However, some drivers buy separate windshield coverage, also known as glass coverage. You can find glass coverage with and without its own deductible.¹

The cost of comprehensive coverage, which includes coverage for hail damage, varies by state. On average, though, comprehensive coverage costs $171.87 per year. Here’s how much this auto insurance costs on average by state:

It is important to note that comprehensive coverage differs from liability insurance. Liability insurance includes bodily injury coverage and property damage coverage, neither of which apply to hail damage. Instead, liability coverage, in the event of an accident you caused, pays the other party’s medical and property damage costs. In contrast, comprehensive coverage covers damages to your car from events other than collisions (for that, you’d need collision coverage).

In the event you do have a covered comprehensive claim for hail damage, you can be reimbursed for the cost of a rental car while your car is being repaired if you have rental car coverage. If you lack rental car coverage, you’ll have to pay for your rental car out of pocket.

Some people prefer not to file insurance claims. Why? Because insurance claims can take a long time to be resolved, make your rates go up, and often force you to pay an out-of-pocket deductible. Here are several factors to consider when you’re deciding whether to file a claim for hail damage.

Can You Fix Hail Damage on a Car?

Hail damage on a car is repairable with these methods:

• Body panel replacements
• Crack repair
• Filler
• Glazing
• Paintless dent repair

While you can try to make these repairs yourself, especially if the dents are minor, we recommend filing a claim and going to a professional.

Average Hail Damage Claim

The average hail damage claim is around $3,000 to $4,000, based on these average repair costs.

• Small dent: $30 to $45
• Medium dent: $45 to $55
• Large dent: $75 or more³

Hail Damage Deductible

If you haven’t already met your comprehensive deductible, you’ll have to pay it before your insurance provider pays anything. The deductibles are around $500 on average. Once you pay the deductible, your insurance provider will cover the rest of the costs up to the comprehensive coverage limit you’ve selected. Learn how deductibles work and read our deductible frequently asked questions for more information.

How Much You’ll Get Covered

If your hail damage is covered, you’ll get a dollar amount between your deductible and limit back. So, if you have $10,000 worth of comprehensive coverage, $3,000 worth of hail damage, and a $500 deductible, you’d pay $500, and then your insurance company would pay the remaining $2,500. After that, it’ll cover up to $7,500 worth of comprehensive claims if you have any other damage, beyond which you’ll be responsible for additional repair costs out of pocket.

Will Filing a Hail Damage Claim Increase My Car Insurance Premium?

The good news? Filing a hail damage claim won’t affect your car insurance premiums as negatively as at-fault accidents.

The bad news? A hail damage claim will still likely cause your premiums to rise. The truth is that any comprehensive claim, even if the damage wasn’t your fault, suggests a higher likelihood of future claims, which impacts premiums. You’d do best to ask your insurance agent how much your premiums would rise after a hail damage claim.

When insurance companies value cars, they take factors like these into account:

• The car’s make, model, and year
• History of accidents
• Repairs
• Mileage

If you have hail damage, even if it doesn’t cause any issues with operating the vehicle, it can seriously devalue the car. If the damage is not fixed, the car’s actual market value (AMV) will be less the cost of the damages.⁴ So, if your car has $3,000 worth of hail damage, you can subtract $3,000 from its pre-hail AMV.

The most important thing to do before, during, and after a hailstorm is to prioritize your safety. Then, you can think about protecting your car as well.

How to Protect Your Car From Hail Damage

1. Get covered parking. Park your car in either a carport or a garage (a garage is preferable, if you have one) when possible.
2. Cover your car. If you can’t park in a garage or carport, cover your car with either a hail car cover or blankets. Duct-tape them down so they don’t fly off.⁵ Another way is to put your floor mats on your windows, if no other options are available. Place the gripping teeth facing the glass.
3. Track the weather. Use weather apps and websites to look out for severe thunderstorms so you can prepare for hail.

What to Do During a Hailstorm

1. Don’t drive. It’s best not to drive during a hailstorm. Wait until it’s passed to take your car out.
2. If you must drive, pull over. If you have to drive during a hailstorm, pull over, as driving fast in a hailstorm could increase the force at which the hail hits your car, causing greater damage. If you can, face toward the direction hail is falling from.
3. Put your hazards on. For other drivers, turn on your hazard lights, especially if you’re pulled over. A collision is the last thing you need right now.
4. Roll up your windows. While you don’t want hail to damage your windows, it’s better than hail damaging you.⁶

What to Do if You Experience Hail Damage

1. Document everything. Take pictures and write out a list of all the damages; this will serve as evidence for your insurance claim.
2. File a claim. Contact your insurance agent and file a claim. You’ll then meet with an adjuster, who will assess your damages and determine your coverage.
3. Repair your car. Either get your car repaired by a professional or, if the dents are minor, do it yourself.
4. Alternatively, do nothing. You can also choose to do nothing, but know that hail damage will greatly reduce your car’s AMV, which is an issue if you ever want to sell it or trade it in.⁷

No state is impacted by hail more than Texas. Of course, if you live in Texas or anywhere in the Midwest, you’re probably already aware of the physical damage that hail can cause.

States With the Most Hailstorms

The state with the most properties damaged by hail events in 2020 was Texas, where over 1.5 million hailstorms damaged an estimated 17 percent of all properties. Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Missouri rounded out the top five.

States With the Most Hailstorm Claims

Texas also had the most hail loss claims in 2019 (the last year this data was available), comprising nearly a quarter of the total hail loss claims in the U.S.

Here are the basics of what hail actually is.

Hail

Hail is solid ice that precipitates. It forms inside the updrafts of thunderstorms, causing damage to homes, cars, and aircrafts, as well as people and livestock.¹⁰

Hailstorms

Hailstorms are thunderstorms that involve hail — solid ice precipitation.

While walking in a winter wonderland may seem like a dream, if there’s hail, it quickly becomes a bit of a nightmare. But with the right precautions, you can protect your car from hail damage. And even if you get a few dents or cracks, comprehensive coverage will pay for your repairs — after you pay your deductible, that is.