Hail Damage Repair in Ontario
Hail damage is repaired with paintless dent repair, which pushes each dent out from behind the panel and keeps your factory paint. Most hail vehicles are finished in one to three days, we bill your insurer directly, and in Ontario you choose the repair shop — not your insurer.
A hail storm produces a very specific kind of damage: dozens to hundreds of shallow dents concentrated on the horizontal panels — hood, roof, trunk and the tops of the fenders — with the paint almost always intact. That combination is the textbook case for paintless dent repair.
A collision shop faced with the same car has one tool: replace or refinish the panels. That means a repainted hood, roof and trunk on an otherwise original vehicle, a week or more out of your hands, and a claim value that can push a repairable car toward a write-off.
We do it the other way. Every dent is worked out individually and the car leaves with the paint it was born with. Our teams have handled catastrophe deployments across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, working out of local body shops and dealerships when a storm creates more damage than a region can absorb.
Your insurer cannot force you to use their shop
This is the single most important thing to know after a hail storm. When you call your insurance company they will almost always recommend a shop from their preferred network. That is a recommendation, not a requirement. In Ontario and across Canada you have the right to choose who repairs your vehicle, and the insurer still pays the claim.
Preferred networks exist because the insurer has negotiated rates with those shops. Their interest is claim cost. Yours is the condition of your car afterwards — original paint, no respray, correct repair method. Those are not always the same thing.
Tell your adjuster you are using Precision Dent Repair. We handle the rest, including the supplement paperwork if the adjuster's initial dent count comes in low, which is common because hail is very hard to count without proper lighting.
How the claim works with us
- Free hail inspection at either shop under reflective lighting, with a real dent count
- We document the damage and produce an estimate in the format your insurer expects
- You tell your insurer you have chosen us — we take it from there
- We bill the insurer directly; you pay only your deductible
- If the adjuster's numbers are short, we file the supplement and negotiate it
- If the repair is close to your deductible, we will tell you so you can decide not to claim
Catastrophe deployment across Canada
When a major hail event hits a city, local capacity disappears within days and vehicles sit for months waiting on a booking. That is when our catastrophe teams fly out. We have worked storms in Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon and across southern Ontario, operating from partner body shops, dealership lots and temporary facilities.
We work both insurance claims and direct-pay customers on deployment, and we work with dealerships whose entire inventory has been hit — hundreds of units that need to be back on the lot as sellable, original-paint vehicles.
If you are a dealership, body shop or fleet manager dealing with a hail event and you need capacity, contact either shop and ask for the catastrophe team.
Hail repair versus body shop refinishing
| Paintless dent repair | Body shop refinish | |
|---|---|---|
| Factory paint | Kept, untouched | Sanded and resprayed |
| Typical time | 1–3 days | 1–3 weeks |
| Colour match risk | None | Real, and worsens with age |
| Panel condition | Factory paint kept | Sanded, filled and resprayed |
| Resale impact | Minimal | Appraisers discount repainted panels |
| Claim cost | Substantially lower | Higher, can trigger a write-off |
What this looks like on a real vehicle
Every photo is a Precision Dent Repair job from our Burlington or Hamilton shop. See the full gallery →
What customers say
"When my vehicle was recently damaged by a severe hailstorm, it ended up with a significant number of dents across the body. After contacting my insurance company, I was initially referred to a general body shop. However, since this was strictly dent-related damage, I wanted to find a shop that truly specializes in paintless dent repair. That's when I came across Precision Dent Burlington."
"I had my brand new car destroyed by hail damage back in August. The car was covered in dents in pretty much all areas — roof, hood, rails, doors, trunk, quarter panel, fenders. I researched a few places and even went to another highly reviewed shop to get an estimate. The other shop started mentioning paint and parts."
"Andreas and his team were great! Very quick and transparent! Andreas was especially helpful in dealing with my difficult insurance in the process of getting the repair approved. Despite heavy hail damage, the car looks brand new now!"
"Great experience dealing with these guys. Very friendly and accommodative and their work is very impressive. Had them repair two BMW's with hail damage and they both looked new when they were done."
"I had several dents in my Yukon Denali after a major hail storm. Thanks to the efficient service of Precision Dent Repair, my vehicle looks as good as new again. I would highly recommend this company!"
"Great experience from start to finish, they accommodated my schedule and took care of everything through insurance. Easy process and repaired a ton of damage from a hail storm. Highly recommend."
We bill every major Canadian insurer directly
You do not have to use the shop your insurer suggests. Ontario law lets you choose your repair facility — we handle the claim paperwork either way.
Five consecutive award years
Consumer Choice Award winners for paintless dent repair, plus ARC-certified technicians at both shops.
ARC-Certified Technicians
Consumer Choice Award Winner
Recognized for outstanding customer service & technical proficiency
Common questions
Does insurance cover hail damage in Canada?
Comprehensive coverage covers hail. Collision-only or liability-only policies do not. Hail is treated as a comprehensive claim, which in most cases does not affect your premium the way an at-fault collision does — check your specific policy with your broker.
Do I have to use the shop my insurance company recommends?
No. Their list is a recommendation. You have the right to choose your repair facility, and the insurer pays the claim regardless. Say clearly which shop you are using.
How many dents can PDR remove?
There is no fixed limit. We regularly repair vehicles with several hundred hail dents. The dent count drives the price and the time, not whether it can be done.
How long does hail repair take?
Most vehicles are one to three days. Heavy damage with significant panel disassembly can run longer. That compares with one to three weeks at a shop that plans to refinish the panels.
Will hail damage lower my car's resale value?
Unrepaired hail damage absolutely does. A PDR repair does not, because nothing is added to the vehicle and no refinish work is recorded. A body-shop repaint of the hood and roof, on the other hand, is a permanent value hit.
Can you come to me?
For fleets, dealerships and multi-vehicle claims, yes. For individual vehicles, shop repair gives a better result because we need controlled lighting and full access to the panels.
Related pages
Two shops. Same craft.
Burlington
Burlington, ON L7L 5Z7
Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Hamilton
Hamilton, ON L8W 3N7
Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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