Hit by hail? Here’s the order of operations
- Document it. Photograph every panel in daylight or under a garage light — roof, hood, trunk, and both sides. Note the date of the storm.
- Call your insurer. File a comprehensive claim. You’ll get a claim number and, usually, an adjuster inspection.
- Choose your shop. You are not required to use the insurer’s preferred shop. Pick one you can drive back to if something isn’t right.
- Drop it off. We inspect every panel under reflection lights, write a dent-matrix estimate, and send it to your adjuster. If the adjuster missed damage, we file the supplement.
- Pick it up. You pay your deductible. We handle the rest of the paperwork with the insurer.
How to tell a real shop from a hail chaser
After every big storm, crews from other states set up in hotel parking lots and knock on doors. Some do fine work. The problem is what happens after they leave: a supplement that never gets filed, a panel that needs a touch-up next month, a warranty that points to an out-of-state phone number.
The Better Business Bureau of Kansas City issued a warning in April 2026 with the red flags to watch for: door-to-door solicitation, pressure to sign on the spot, requests for payment up front, and no itemized written estimate.
Our shop has been at the same Edwardsville address through all three 2026 storms. Read why a local shop matters, or see the 2026 hail reports.
Dealers with a lot full of hail
If a storm hits your inventory, see our dealership hail program — a local crew, dent-matrix estimates for every unit, and no travel-crew markup.
