Hail damage repair in Biel/Bienne and the Seeland

Hail damage: what you should do in the first few days

After a hailstorm it is worth taking a calm look at the car in daylight. Photograph the roof, bonnet, tailgate and sides from several angles, ideally at a slant against the light so that the dents become visible. Note the date, time and place of the storm. Also check windows, mirror housings, trim strips and lights for cracks. If a window is broken or water is getting in, cover the spot and contact us quickly.

Then report the hail damage to your insurer. As a rule, partial comprehensive cover is responsible, and the exact reporting deadlines and conditions are set out in your policy. Do not wait for weeks: after major hail events insurers often organise group inspections, and workshop appointments fill up fast. With our online damage report form you can upload the vehicle registration and photos of the affected surfaces. On request we support you with the claim and arrange the inspection directly with the insurer’s assessor.

How hail dents are assessed and removed with paintless dent repair

Hail dents are often barely visible in normal light. For the assessment we therefore place the vehicle under special striped lighting: every dent distorts the lines and so becomes visible. We count the dents per panel, that is on the roof, bonnet, wings, doors and tailgate, and record their size and depth. The insurers’ assessors work on the same basis. This shows which parts can be repaired with dent removal techniques and where more is needed.

The repair itself is carried out, wherever possible, by pushing the dents out, a method known as paintless dent repair (PDR). The dent technician, colloquially called the dent doctor, reaches behind the metal with long PDR rods and massages each dent outwards step by step. Where there is no access, for example on roof pillars, the dent is pulled from the outside using glue pulling. Depending on the vehicle, the headliner or trim panels are removed for this. This method needs neither filler nor paint.

When painting or replacing a part is still necessary after hail

Not every hail dent can be pushed out. If the paint has chipped or cracked, the spot must be painted after the dent has been removed, otherwise rust will set in later. Sharp creases, dents right on edges and swage lines or badly overstretched metal also limit what dent removal can achieve. Aluminium bonnets and aluminium roofs are stiffer and crack more quickly, so here our panel beater decides after the assessment whether pushing, repair with painting or a replacement part is the cleaner solution.

Where there are a great many deep dents, replacing a bonnet or a roof can be more economical than hours of pushing out dents. Then there are parts that cannot be repaired at all: cracked windscreens, glass roofs, roof trim strips, mirror caps or light housings are replaced. Which option is chosen is decided together with your insurer’s assessor. Before work starts you know what will be pushed out, what will be painted and what will be replaced, and how long your vehicle is likely to stay with us.

How much does a hail repair cost, and how long does it take?

What a hail repair costs can only be said once the dents have been counted. Five factors determine the price: first, the number of dents on each panel; second, their size and depth; third, the material, because aluminium takes more work to push out than sheet steel; fourth, access, meaning whether the headlining or trim has to be removed; and fifth, the condition of the paint. If the paint is intact, paintless dent repair is enough. If paintwork or replacement parts such as trim strips, mirror caps or glass are needed, the amount of work increases. Quoting a figure without seeing the car would therefore not be honest.

This is how you get a figure from Carrosserie K.I.: you upload the vehicle registration and photos of the affected areas in the online damage report. Within 24 hours on working days you receive an indicative quote including VAT; the final price is set after the assessment under special lighting. The hail damage assessment is free of charge. If the claim goes through your partial comprehensive cover, we bill the insurer directly and you generally pay only the excess under your policy. Without partial comprehensive cover you pay for the repair yourself; in that case we discuss which panels are worth doing and which can wait.

The duration follows the same factors. A vehicle with a few dents that can all be pushed out is often finished after one working day. Badly hit cars with the headlining removed take several working days. It takes longer if parts are painted, because of drying times, or if replacement parts have to be ordered. Before the repair itself, the insurer’s approval is also needed. We give you a firm date after the assessment and, on request, a courtesy car for the duration of the repair.

Write-off after hail or cash settlement instead of repair: what applies?

Hail damage becomes an economic write-off when the repair costs more than the car was worth before the storm. This hardly ever affects a newer vehicle, but it does affect older cars with a low current value whose roof, bonnet and sides are densely covered in dents. Technically the car is usually still sound; it is a matter of arithmetic. Where the threshold lies, and whether the current value or a higher amount is paid, is governed by your policy; the classification is generally made by the insurer’s assessor. With our indicative quote you know roughly what the repair would cost before that conversation.

Instead of repairing, you can, depending on the insurer, take a cash settlement. Do the sums soberly: the settlement is generally below the repair costs, the dents stay, and when you sell or trade in the car you have to disclose the hail damage. If the same panel is damaged again later, the insurer usually deducts the earlier unrepaired damage. For leased vehicles the leasing company normally requires the repair. Whether a settlement is possible, and on what terms, is set out in your policy. We explain both routes on the basis of the quote; the decision is yours.

Hail season in the Seeland and at the southern foot of the Jura: reporting early pays off

Summer thunderstorms can be severe in the Seeland and at the southern foot of the Jura. When a hailstorm hits the region, many vehicles are affected within minutes, in Biel and Nidau just as in Lyss, Grenchen, La Neuveville or Tavannes. Demand for dent technicians is correspondingly high in all workshops afterwards. If you report your damage early, you will generally get an earlier repair appointment and will not be driving around for months with dents on the roof and bonnet.

Reporting takes just a few minutes with us: photograph the vehicle registration, upload photos of the damage, name your insurer. You receive our reply within 24 hours on working days. For the duration of the repair we provide a courtesy car on request, and if you are tied up at work we collect the vehicle on request. We bill your insurer directly, and as a rule you pay only the excess under your policy.