Central Texas hail season peaks between March and June, with the Bell County and surrounding areas sitting in one of the most active hail corridors in the country. If you park outside, a storm will eventually find your vehicle.
What you do in the first 48 hours after a storm directly affects how your insurance claim goes and how much you pay out of pocket. Here's the right sequence.
Step 1: Document Before You Touch Anything
Before washing the car, moving it into shade, or doing anything else take photos. Walk around the entire vehicle in good light and photograph every panel: roof, hood, trunk lid, all four doors, fenders, and the mirrors. Get close-up shots of individual dents and wide shots of each panel.
The reason this matters: insurance adjusters work from the damage that's documented at the time of the claim. If you wash the car first and some of the hail markings are less visible, you may get a lower estimate than the damage warrants.
Step 2: File the Claim Promptly
Call your insurance company the same day or the next morning. Hail damage is a comprehensive claim it doesn't go against your liability record and typically doesn't raise your rates in Texas (more on that in a separate post). There's no good reason to wait.
When you call, tell them you have hail damage and want to schedule an adjuster inspection. Ask them whether you can choose your own repair shop in Texas, you have the right to take your vehicle anywhere you want for repairs, regardless of what the insurer prefers.
Step 3: Get a PDR Assessment Before the Adjuster Shows Up
This is the step most people skip, and it's the one that costs them money.
If a PDR shop documents your damage first with a full dent count and a written estimate your adjuster is working from that documentation during the inspection. If the adjuster shows up cold, they may miss dents, undercount damage on complex panels, or write an estimate that doesn't reflect the full scope of the repair.
A low initial adjuster estimate isn't the end. PDR shops can file a supplement with your insurer when the repair scope exceeds what was originally authorized. But starting with thorough documentation makes the whole process easier.
Step 4: Don't Let the Storm Chasers Rush You
After a major hail event, out-of-town PDR crews will drive into the area and knock on doors or approach people in parking lots. Some are skilled technicians. Many are not. The pressure tactics "we're only here for a week," "sign today for a discount" are a red flag.
Take your time. Choose a local shop with a physical address, verifiable reviews, and a clear process for handling your insurance claim. A shop that's been in Salado or the surrounding area isn't going to disappear after the storm passes.
What the Repair Timeline Looks Like
After a large storm, reputable local PDR shops fill up fast. If you want your vehicle back within a week or two, call early. Shops that do good work after a major storm event often have waitlists measured in weeks, not days.
For most passenger vehicles with moderate hail damage, the actual repair takes 13 days once the vehicle is in the shop. Heavily damaged trucks or vehicles with complex panel shapes take longer.
The Short Version
- Document the damage with photos before anything else
- File your comprehensive claim the same day or the next morning
- Get a PDR assessment before your adjuster inspection if possible
- Choose a local shop not a storm chaser
- Call early good shops fill up fast after a major event
If your vehicle got hit in a recent storm and you're not sure where to start, call us. We'll walk you through the claim process and tell you exactly what your damage looks like before you commit to anything.