Your car insurance will cover hail damage as long your policy includes comprehensive coverage, which covers damage that’s not caused by a collision. This includes hail, along with theft, other falling objects, flooding, and more.
But if the hail damage isn’t extensive, it might be better to pay for it yourself. Making claims can raise your rates, so minor damage may not be worth higher costs in the future.
Is hail damage covered by car insurance?
Yes, hail damage is covered by car insurance, as you have a policy with comprehensive coverage. Comprehensive coverage isn’t required by law, like liability coverage, but it’s usually required if you lease or finance your car.
Comprehensive coverage, sometimes called other-than-collision, is what covers damage from falling objects and extreme weather (along with fire, vandalism, and theft). Along with collision coverage, it’s what makes up a full-coverage policy.
Does car insurance pay for windshield damage from hail?
Some car insurance policies include glass coverage, which covers damage to your windshield — and usually with no deductible required, unlike comprehensive coverage.
If your windshield is cracked or damaged by hail and you have full glass coverage, you can file a claim and have it repaired without having to pay a deductible. There are also a handful of states where insurance companies have to cover safety glass repairs without a deductible, so if you live in Florida, Kentucky, or South Carolina, you won’t have to pay out of pocket to fix windshield damage.
When does full coverage cover hail damage?
Assuming you have full coverage, your car insurance will cover hail damage no matter where it happens. Although comprehensive insurance usually applies to damage that happens while your car is parked, it can still cover hail damage that happens during a drive.
Even if you left your car outdoors during a hailstorm, full-coverage car insurance will still cover hail damage, assuming you pay any required deductible.
When you should use your insurance to cover hail damage
Comprehensive coverage requires a per-claim deductible that you have to pay out of pocket — meaning that amount, often set at $500 or $1,000, will be subtracted from any claim settlement. That means that if the damage from the hail costs less than your deductible amount, it’s not worth filing a claim.
Even if the hail that damages your car causes damage that’s greater than your deductible, it’s not always the best idea to use your insurance to cover hail damage, since filing a claim means risking a rate increase.
Let’s say that you drive through a hail storm and your car is dented. Your deductible is only $500, and the estimate to fix the dent comes out to $600. In this situation (and others like it), it’s probably better to pay for the damage yourself.
If you factor in the cost of the deductible in this situation, insurance will cover just $100 in hail damage:
Cost of hail damage | $600 |
Comprehensive deductible | $500 |
Total covered by insurance | $100 |
Spending the entire $600 out of pocket might be better (and more affordable in the long term) than using insurance to cover $100 in repair costs and having your rates go up because of your claim later on.
Does hail damage claim raise your car insurance rates?
Yes, a hail damage claim can raise your car insurance rates, just like any other claim. But the good news is that your rates probably won’t go up by very much after a claim for hail damage.
Car insurance usually doesn’t go up very much for drivers who make comprehensive claims because the damage was out of their control. If your car was hit by hail, it doesn’t mean that you’re a riskier driver who’s at a higher risk of making another claim later on. It just means that you were unlucky.
Bottom line: While you should think about how a claim for hail damage will affect your rates, your premiums probably won’t go up by that much. If the damage is significantly more than your deductible amount, it’s probably worth making the claim.
How to file hail damage claim on car
You can file a hail damage claim the same way that you would file a claim for other types of damage. The claims process can vary slightly by company, but generally you’ll have to:
Report the hail damage to your company right away: Your insurance policy likely requires you to report damage as soon as you’re aware of it. You don’t have to start a claim, but at this point you should take the opportunity to ask about whether you’re covered and about your deductible if you’re unsure.
Document the damage that the hail caused: When you make a claim your insurance company will want to know everything about the incident that you can tell. You should take pictures of your car’s hail damage to show your insurance provider (sometimes you can do this right in your car insurance company’s app).
Work with your insurance company: When you make a claim for hail damage, make sure you follow your insurance company’s claims process. Keep up with deadlines and cooperate with your company’s adjuster. Since no other drivers were involved, the claim will probably be resolved quickly.
Accept your settlement offer: Once your claim is settled, you can choose to accept or reject it. You may get a check if you accept the settlement, but your insurance company may send the check directly to the repair shop instead. If you choose to reject the offer, you’ll have to follow your company’s claims dispute process.
Where is hail damage most common?
Hail damage can happen in any state, but it’s more common in some places than others. Based on data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, we found that in 2021 Texas had the highest number of hail storms with 1,214 incidents. [1]
No other state saw at least 1,000 hail storms in 2021, but there were at least 200 incidents in Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Minnesota that same year.
State | Number hail reports | Average car insurance rate |
|---|---|---|
1,214 | $1,840 | |
537 | $1,604 | |
333 | $1,735 | |
326 | $1,618 | |
268 | $1,751 | |
259 | $1,928 | |
253 | $1,062 | |
246 | $1,418 | |
198 | $1,152 | |
180 | $1,397 | |
167 | $1,568 | |
153 | $1,772 | |
138 | $1,888 | |
138 | $1,329 | |
134 | $1,726 | |
129 | $1,009 | |
121 | $1,480 | |
111 | $1,398 | |
102 | $1,314 | |
100 | $1,605 | |
99 | $1,403 | |
87 | $1,864 | |
84 | $1,710 | |
80 | $2,377 | |
78 | $2,914 | |
78 | $1,674 | |
76 | $1,219 | |
72 | $2,172 | |
62 | $2,259 | |
61 | $2,906 | |
52 | $2,158 | |
51 | $1,038 | |
49 | $1,565 | |
42 | $1,224 | |
35 | $1,681 | |
29 | $1,798 | |
25 | $1,614 | |
21 | $1,503 | |
16 | $1,857 | |
13 | $1,147 | |
11 | $1,109 | |
7 | $1,461 | |
5 | $1,790 | |
4 | $2,137 | |
3 | $2,110 | |
3 | $1,860 | |
3 | $1,651 | |
2 | $1,124 | |
1 | $1,200 |
Policygenius analysis of data from NOAA and Quadrant Information Services.
If you live in any of the states where hail storms are common, you should make sure you have comprehensive coverage. You can compare rates from multiple companies to find your best rates for a full-coverage policy.
Frequently asked questions
Is hail damage covered by auto insurance?
Auto insurance does cover hail damage, but only if you have comprehensive coverage and the cost to repair the damage is greater than your policy’s deductible. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay for the cost of repairing your car by yourself.
How does hail insurance work?
Your insurance will pay for the cost of repairing your car after it’s damaged by hail. If you decide to use your insurance to cover the hail damage, you’ll make a claim and receive a settlement (minus your deductible) for the cost of the damage.
When should you make a claim for hail damage?
You should make a claim for hail damage if you can’t afford to pay for the damage yourself. But it might be better to cover the cost of repairs yourself if you can afford to. Your insurance costs will go up after you make a hail claim (though probably only slightly), so make sure that the cost of using your insurance will be worth it.
Methodology
We found the cost of full-coverage car insurance by analyzing rates provided by Quadrant Information Services. These rates were for every ZIP code in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Our data experts analyzed combined rates for a full-coverage policy for 30, 35, and 45-year-old drivers of a 2017 Toyota Camry with a clean record. The rates we analyzed were for a policy with the following limits:
Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
Property damage liability: $50,000 per accident
Uninsured/underinsured motorist: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
Comprehensive: $500 deductible
Collision: $500 deductible
In some cases, additional coverages were added where required by the state or insurer. Some carriers may be represented by affiliates or subsidiaries. Rates provided are a sample of insurance costs. Your actual quotes may differ.
