Published: June 2, 2026 | By: The Dented Team | Meet Our Technicians
A major storm just moved through your city and your vehicle was outside. You already know what that means. What you do in the next 24–48 hours matters — not just for getting the damage fixed, but for the insurance claim process and the quality of the repair.
Here’s what to do, and what to avoid.
1. Document the Damage Before You Drive
Before you start the vehicle, before you drive it anywhere, take a full walk-around video and photographs. This is the most important thing you can do in the first 10 minutes.
Photograph the roof, hood, trunk lid, and door panels. Get close-up shots of 5–10 individual dents so the size and density are visible. If you have a sunroof, photograph the glass and the surrounding roof panel separately. Check the mirrors — even small impacts on mirror housings can affect camera housings on modern vehicles.
Why this matters: your insurer needs documentation that establishes the damage was caused by this specific storm event, not pre-existing. A walk-around video with a visible date stamp is hard to dispute. Photographing after you’ve driven 50 km isn’t necessarily a problem, but doing it before — while the vehicle is still wet and in its original post-storm condition — is the strongest baseline documentation you can have.
If it’s dark when the storm ends, do it first thing in the morning before moving the vehicle.
2. Move the Vehicle to Cover
Once you have documentation, get the vehicle covered if at all possible. A second storm in the same area within 24–48 hours is common — Alberta and Saskatchewan thunderstorm systems often cluster in the same region over successive days. If your vehicle is already damaged, a second hit can add significantly to the repair scope.
Covered parking in a parkade or underground garage is ideal. A carport provides partial protection. If you can’t find cover, note this in your insurance documentation — some policies treat multiple-event damage differently when there’s a clear explanation of why the vehicle remained exposed.
3. Open an Insurance Claim Promptly
Contact your insurer within 24–48 hours of the storm. You don’t need to have chosen a repair shop, you don’t need to have an estimate, and you don’t need to know the full scope of damage. You just need to report the event.
Alberta drivers: Call your insurer’s claims line — Intact (1-800-463-6228), Aviva (1-800-387-4518), Wawanesa (1-844-929-2637), Co-operators (1-888-265-6227), TD Insurance (1-866-454-8910).
Saskatchewan drivers: Contact SGI at 1-800-667-9868 or file at sgi.sk.ca.
When you report, ask two questions:
- What is my comprehensive deductible?
- Does this insurer have a direct repair program with any shops I should use?
You don’t have to use the insurer’s preferred shop. But knowing the answer saves time later.
4. Get a Certified Estimate Before Authorizing Any Repairs
This is where people make the most costly mistakes. After a major storm, there are always operators — some from out of province — who approach vehicle owners in parking lots with low quotes and pressure to sign immediately. These offers typically come with no written estimate, no fixed address, and no certification.
Get a written estimate from a shop with a permanent location before authorizing any work. A certified estimate from Dented — or any qualified PDR shop — takes 20–30 minutes and is free. It also gives you the number you need to make an informed insurance decision.
If your estimate is $1,800 and your deductible is $1,000, filing the claim makes clear financial sense. If your estimate is $650 and your deductible is $500, you might be better off paying $650 directly rather than filing a claim that could affect your renewal. You can only make that calculation with a real written estimate in hand.
5. Book Your Repair Early — Shops Fill Within Days
After a significant hail event, reputable PDR shops in Calgary, Edmonton, and other Alberta and Saskatchewan cities fill their schedules within 24–72 hours. Not weeks — days.
Getting an estimate and a booking on file early means you’re not waiting two or three weeks when you could have been first in. Even if your insurance claim takes a few days to process, your appointment can be held.
One practical note: most hail jobs take 1–5 days in the shop. The peak booking window after a major Calgary or Edmonton storm is typically the first 2–3 business days. After that, availability stretches out significantly.
What Not to Do
Don’t accept a verbal estimate from anyone. Verbal quotes are not binding and can change dramatically when the vehicle is in the shop.
Don’t drive to multiple shops for estimates the same day if you’ve already found a reputable one. The important thing is getting into a good shop’s queue. More comparison shopping costs you time and booking position, not money.
Don’t assume all damage was caught in the initial walk-around. Hail dents can be subtle on certain colours and in certain light conditions. A qualified PDR technician does a full assessment under inspection lighting and will catch damage that a casual look misses.
Get Your Free Estimate
Our VALE-certified technicians at Dented assess hail damage under controlled lighting and provide written estimates for insurance claims or out-of-pocket repairs. No commitment, no pressure.
For more on the claims process, visit our insurance claims guide. For hail repair in your city:
Hail damage repair Calgary
Hail damage repair Edmonton
Hail damage repair Red Deer
Hail damage repair Saskatoon
Hail damage repair Regina