What is hail damage dent repair?
Hailstones create many shallow, round dents of similar size in a short time. Repainting a hail-damaged car would mean refinishing nearly every upper panel; PDR removes the dents individually while keeping all of the factory paint.
The vehicle is first mapped: each panel is counted under the light and categorised by dent size (small, medium, large, oversized). Roof and bonnet dents are reached by lowering the headliner or through bonnet access holes; boot lids and doors through their inner openings. Glue pulling is used where a brace blocks rear access. The job is complete when every panel reads clean under the light from several angles.
Dents suitable for this service
- Hail dents on roofs, bonnets, boot lids and upper doors
- Mixed dent sizes on the same panel
- Roof dents behind headliner areas (headliner lowered, not removed)
- Hail damage on steel and aluminium bonnets
When PDR may not be suitable
- Hail large enough to crack paint or break glass seals (rare)
- Roof rails and panel edges with no access and no glue-pull room
- Panels previously repainted with thick filler
Benefits
- Entire vehicle restored without repainting any panel
- Original paint means no colour differences between panels
- Usually far less expensive than conventional repair of multiple panels
- No disassembly beyond trims and headliner lowering
How Dry Denter assesses the damage
For hail we prefer to inspect the vehicle in person under our lights because photos hide small dents. If you can, send photos of each panel with the reflection of a straight edge (a building line or the sky) across it, and tell us roughly how many dents you can see on the roof and bonnet. We then give a per-panel estimate range and a time plan.
Repair process
- Panel-by-panel dent count under PDR lighting
- Written estimate by panel and dent size
- Headliner lowered, bonnet insulation and trims removed as needed
- Each dent repaired from behind; glue pulling where braces block access
- Panels re-checked, trims and headliner refitted
- Final walk-around inspection with you
How long does it take?
Light hail (under 50 dents) can be finished in a day; moderate to heavy hail takes 2–5 days. The roof is the slowest panel because access is through the headliner and roof metal is thin, so each push must be gentle.
Common questions about hail damage dent repair
Can hail damage be repaired without repainting?
Yes — that is exactly what PDR is used for. Hail rarely breaks paint, so each dent is removed from behind and the panels keep their factory finish.
How is hail damage priced?
By panel, based on the number and size of dents counted under our lights. We give you a written per-panel estimate before work begins.
Do you remove the headliner to fix roof dents?
The headliner is usually lowered at the edges rather than fully removed, which gives access to the roof skin without damaging the trim.