How Is Hail Damage Assessed on a Vehicle?

Before you take your car to the autobody shop, you’ll need to conduct a hail damage assessment and accurately document any visible damages. Certain things may get overlooked, so doing this assessment beforehand will help the technicians determine the best possible solution to your vehicle’s damages. To accurately and responsibly detail your repair request, you’ll need to know how hail damage is assessed on a vehicle.

Accounting for the Main Body

Before accounting for any minor damages, you must examine the main body of the car. Any hail damage to the hood, trunk, side panels, or front and back bumpers reported by the owner makes the list. Tackling these repairs comes first and foremost due to the extensive time and labor costs.

Looking for Windshield Integrity

Glass is a huge component of any vehicle. Without glass, we would lack protection from the elements, other drivers, and any debris or gas that might be caught in the air while driving. You should account for any structural issues that are visible in the mirrors or windshield. These can quickly grow from a slight crack to shattered glass, so repairs are crucial.

Looking for Water Damage

If you have water inside your vehicle due to hail damage, you should make a note of it for the autobody technician. Water damage can destroy your car’s interior and even fry the electronics. Without a working electrical component, your vehicle cannot function. Electrical damage is also a safety hazard, as damaged electrical work could potentially harm the driver and passengers.

Accounting for Parts, Labor, and Tax

After considering each of these factors, you can finalize your assessment. The auto technician will then calculate parts and labor costs and sales tax to give you their total price for the final charges. Once the repairs are paid for in full, you can leave the technician to complete their work, knowing they will care for your vehicle and ensure it is in working order when you return to retrieve it. If you need professional hail damage repair services in the Chicago area, then consider us at River North Collision Repair. Our expert team is happy to help you with all your weather-damaged auto repair needs.

How hail damage is assessed on a vehicle can mean the difference between an error-free, carefully calculated repair process and an error-riddled, grossly miscalculated one. The assessment process allows the customer and provider to have all the information they need to make repairs successful and keep costs affordable.