How Much Does It Cost to Fix a Dented Hood?

If you're among the 90% of Americans who are financially stressed out, waking up to find a hail-damaged vehicle can cause a lot of strife. Hood damage may sound costly, but you likely don't know the exact price for dented hood repair.

Here, we're going to break down what it costs to fix a dented hood on your vehicle. Read on to learn the ins and outs of pricing, insurance, and how you can minimize your out-of-pocket payment.

The Hypothetical Average Cost to Fix a Dented Hood

The costs to remove a dent largely depend on the size of that dent. Larger dents cost more to smooth out than smaller ones do. This is because they require more labor.

The general out-of-pocket range for your vehicle's dent repair is anywhere between $50-$2500. Small dents that are 1" or less will usually cost about $125 to get rid of. About $30 per dent is a good rule of thumb for smaller hail damage.

If you have larger dents, the repairs will be $150 or higher. They'll be around $50 per dent. If they're deeper or in a difficult-to-access location, the price will be higher.

However, the good news is that these are the costs if you were to pay everything out of pocket. This is almost never the case since car insurance is a legal requirement across the US.

The Real Costs: Will Insurance Cover Hood Damage?

Almost every state including Colorado requires drivers to have liability auto insurance. However, 79% of Americans choose to buy a comprehensive policy instead of simply meeting the basic requirement.

If you have comprehensive auto insurance, your policy almost certainly covers damage from hail storms. A reputable car repair shop will be able to take payment from your insurance agency so you pay nothing out of pocket.

At Express Hail Repair, this is the case for most of our customers. You take your vehicle into our facility, get paintless dent repair (PDR) services, and get the car back in 48 hours completely free of charge. This is true regardless of dent size or vehicle type.

But how much does it cost to fix a dented hood if you don't have a comprehensive policy?

The underwhelming answer is that it depends. You would need to look into the specifics of your plan and policy to figure it out.

However, when you work with our team, it's unlikely that you'll pay for everything out of pocket. Customers almost always have some costs covered so they're not slapped with a thousand-dollar bill.

Plus, with our Pay $0 Program, Express will pay for all of your deductible up to $1000. So, you'll get a great deal no matter what. To figure out the exact costs, though, you'll need to get a custom estimate.

How to Learn the Cost of Your Specific Damage

The first step to learning the probable cost of hood damage repair is assessing the exact damage. Look carefully at your vehicle and jot down the following information:

How many dents you see
The depth of the dents
Whether the dents are cosmetic or severe
Whether or not all the paint is intact
The location of the dents

Take photos to keep as a record of the damage.

Then, go to Express Hail Repair's website and get a 3-minute estimate. This isn't a full quote, but it will tell you the general costs of dent repair.

Choose your vehicle type, enter its information, and select the panels that have hail damage. You'll be able to say how many hail dents are on each part of the vehicle. Then, you'll get a general estimate of the damage.

Once that's done, you can get a more comprehensive custom quote. The process takes an hour and is completely free. You take your car in and get a 360-degree damage analysis of your vehicle for more specific repair costs.

Minimizing the Costs of Fixing a Dented Hood

It's important to note that there are some concrete steps you can take to minimize repair costs. Working with a reputable repair shop is the #1 priority because it ensures quality dent removal. If you go somewhere unreputable, you likely won't get high-quality repairs and will need to pay more down the line.

You also need to contact your insurance company before taking your vehicle in for hood damage repair. If you don't come up with an up-front agreement, they might not reimburse you in full.

All you need to do is call them and answer questions about the damage. They'll guide you through the process so you can file a claim the right way. Note that while they may have reimbursement caps, you'll still likely get coverage as long as you file a claim ASAP.

It's also important that you specifically opt for paintless dent repair services. This method relies on professionals using metal rods and specialized tools to pop dents back out from underneath your vehicle's metal. It's easy and quick, which means that it costs less than other methods of repair.

You'll get speedier and better-quality repairs while saving money.

Get a Custom Quote for Auto Hail Repair

Now that you have a general idea of what it costs to fix a dented hood, it's time to get more information specific to your situation. Express Hail Repair can provide you with a basic estimate in under 3 minutes and a comprehensive one within an hour.

We're committed to providing you with cost-effective service, so we work with all insurance companies to get you the best possible price. Schedule a custom estimate to learn how much paintless dent repair will cost you.

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