Hail and Car Damage: What Auto Insurance Covers

Article overview

• What hail can do to your car:
  Common damage patterns like dents, broken glass and paint damage — and why some issues may not be obvious right away.
• What’s usually covered:
  How comprehensive coverage typically applies to hail damage, plus when claims may be paid or denied.
• What can affect your payout:
  Deductibles, actual cash value, total‑loss thresholds and how documentation and timing impact claims.
• How to file a claim:
  What to document, how inspections work, repair estimates and what to expect during the claims process.

This article explains what auto insurance typically covers after a hailstorm, how comprehensive coverage and deductibles affect payouts, and steps to document damage and file a hail claim.

When this happens, the first question you may ask is, does car insurance cover hail damage? The short answer is yes, but only if you carry comprehensive coverage. Without it, you may be covering the repair costs yourself.

Whether a hail-damaged car insurance claim gets paid can also depend on your policy type, how quickly you report the damage, and how well you document what happens.

What kind of car damage does hail cause?

Hail damage to a vehicle can go beyond a few dents. According to an Allianz Commercial report, hailstones between 1.2 and 2 inches can damage vehicles, while larger stones can cause severe structural damage.

The most common damage is usually:

• Dents and dings across the hood, roof and trunk.
• Cracked or shattered windshields and windows.
• Paint chipping, pitting and scratches.
• Damaged side mirrors, headlights and taillights.

Even smaller dents can add up quickly, depending on how many there are and where they located.

Does auto insurance cover hail damage?

Auto insurance policies typically include three main categories of coverage: liability, collision and comprehensive. Liability covers damage you cause to others. Collision covers damage to your vehicle from a crash. Comprehensive coverage is for events not tied to a collision, including severe weather, theft, vandalism and falling objects (such as hail).

When hail damage is typically covered:

• You have an active comprehensive coverage at the time of the storm.
• The damage comes from a documented weather event.

When hail damage isn’t covered:

• You carry liability-only insurance.
• Your policy lapsed before the storm.
• The damage was pre-existing.

What is comprehensive coverage — and is it worth it?

Comprehensive coverage generally pays for damage to your car that’s not caused by a rollover or collision. That includes hail, flooding, fire, vandalism, theft and falling tree limbs. It comes with its own deductible, separate from the collision deductible.

Costs vary by vehicle, driving history, and location. In 2025, the U.S. saw 142 days with damaging hail—well above the 20‑year average—placing more than 43.5 million properties in moderate or higher hail‑risk zones (Cotality, 2026 Severe Convective Storm Risk)

For most drivers, the question comes down to vehicle value and storm exposure. If your car is newer or still financed, comprehensive coverage may already be in place, as many lenders require it.

For older, paid-off vehicles, some drivers drop comprehensive insurance to save on premiums. But there is a trade-off, since a single hailstorm could cause more financial damage than the comprehensive coverage would have cost. 

What to do if your car is damaged by hail

Hail damage could look worse than it really is, so it’s a good idea to take a closer inspection to get a clear idea of the damage:

• Move the car to a garage or covered area if more weather is on the way.
• Take detailed photos and videos of your roof, hood, trunk, windows, windshield and mirrors from every angle.
• Check for interior leaks, especially if any glass is cracked.
• Note the date, time and exact location of the storm.
• Contact your insurer to open a claim.

How to file a hail damage car insurance claim

Here’s the general process most insurers follow for filing a claim:

1. Call or file the claim online, and include storm details, photos and where the vehicle was parked.
2. Schedule an adjuster inspection or virtual estimate.
3. Get repair estimates from an approved or preferred body shop.
4. Pay your comprehensive deductible, and your insurer may cover the rest up to policy limits.

Your deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in. On a $500 deductible, a $3,000 repair means you pay $500, and the insurer pays $2,500. 

Repair options for hail damage

There are several repair methods based on the severity of the damage.

• Paintless dent repair: This is typically the fastest and least expensive option for small dents where the paint is still intact.
• Traditional body shop repair: For when paint is chipped or cracked, or metal is creased.
• Total loss: When the repair costs exceed a set percentage of the vehicle’s value, the insurer may say the car is a total loss rather than repair it.

Something else to consider if you have a leased or financed car is if hail totals your vehicle, insurance typically pays the actual cash value, which can be less than what you still owe.

Gap insurance may help close the shortfall. It may be something to consider in the first few years of ownership, when depreciation often outpaces loan paydown.

How much does hail damage repair cost?

Repair costs vary widely depending on how many dents you have, their depth and whether any glass is involved. Global Public Adjusters noted in a recent article that industry data shows the average hail damage vehicle claim runs between $4,300 and $5,000.

Windshield replacement can also vary a lot by vehicle. An aftermarket windshield on an older car may run $300 to $600, whereas windshields on newer cars with advanced driver assistance systems can exceed $1,000 because sensors or a head-up display may need to be recalibrated.

Will a hail claim raise your insurance rates?

Many insurers typically don’t raise individual rates after a weather-related claim the way they would after a collision caused by the driver. But policies and state regulations vary, and widespread storms may push up rates across a region regardless of any single claim.

How to protect your car from hail

Hailstorms can whip in and out quickly, so it’s hard to always be prepared. But there are a few things you can do to help limit exposure:

• Park in a garage or covered structure.
• Use a padded cover during storm season.
• Watch for local weather alerts and move the car ahead of forecasted storms.
• A portable carport or canopy can be a lower-cost alternative to a garage and offer some protection.

Hail can hit with almost no warning, but reviewing your policy ahead of storm season and ensuring you have the right coverage can make a stressful storm cleanup more manageable.