Hail damage repair cost calculator

How this calculator works

Choose the damage pattern closest to what you can see. The calculator uses four retail budget bands from DG Collision’s price sheet, updated October 6, 2026, for its Lewisville, Texas market. These are a named shop’s reference ranges, not a survey of Seattle prices or an estimate for your vehicle. The date identifies the source; it does not turn the figures into a forecast for 2027.

We also reviewed June 1, 2026 guidance from The Dent Dude in the Washington, DC region and October 9, 2026 guidance from Waxman Collision in Jersey City, New Jersey. Their categories use different dent counts and panel coverage. They help check the broad scale of the budgets, but we have not averaged them into the calculation. All four selectable bands come from the same Texas reference so the damage categories stay consistent.

“Several panels” follows the source’s description; it is not a precise panel count. The tool does not multiply a per-dent rate by your vehicle or assign a Seattle labor premium. If your damage does not fit a listed pattern, get a specialist estimate instead of forcing it into a category.

Adding separate costs and tax

The optional fields let you compare a known addition with the selected reference. Leave them at zero to see the source band alone. Add only work that a written estimate separately prices and excludes from that band. An access charge already included in an estimate should not be added again.

Each endpoint = (selected retail reference + separately quoted additions) × (1 + illustrative tax rate ÷ 100).

The calculator rounds displayed dollar amounts to the nearest $10. For the three closed bands, it also shows the arithmetic midpoint. That figure is not an average customer bill, a most likely price or a quote. The severe band keeps its “+” after additions and tax, and has no midpoint because its upper end is open.

The tax field applies your entered rate to the whole subtotal for comparison. It cannot determine the actual tax rate or taxable items. Confirm those on the written estimate; the default of zero means no tax has been added, not that the repair is tax exempt.

A worked budget example

For light dents on one or two panels, the reference is $750 to $1,500. Its arithmetic midpoint is $1,125, displayed as $1,130. Suppose you have a separate $200 quote for work outside that band and enter a hypothetical 10% tax rate. The lower endpoint becomes ($750 + $200) × 1.10 = $1,045; the upper endpoint becomes ($1,500 + $200) × 1.10 = $1,870. The displayed range is $1,050 to $1,870, with a midpoint of $1,460 after rounding.

For the severe pattern, the same addition and tax assumption produce $7,920 to $16,720+. A specialist’s price may exceed that upper figure. Even the closed reference bands are not guaranteed limits: the vehicle, damage and local scope can put an actual quote outside them.

What can change the repair budget?

Paintless dent repair, or PDR, reshapes suitable dents without refinishing the panel. A specialist must assess paint condition and the shape and location of the damage. Cracked paint, difficult access, different panel materials or a replacement recommendation can change the repair plan. The severe reference allows for a broader job; it does not promise that any particular paint or replacement operation is included.

The calculator does not automatically price broken glass, headliner or trim removal, replacement panels, refinishing, calibration, towing or a rental vehicle. Ask which of these applies and which charges the estimate already includes. Photographs can help describe visible damage, but they cannot establish every operation needed to repair it.

For broader context, CCC’s 2026 Crash Course report discusses collision repair costs and vehicle complexity. Its general collision figures are not used as hail prices here. For comparing estimates and authorizing additional work, see the FTC’s auto repair guidance.

Questions about hail damage costs

Are these current Seattle hail repair prices?

The figures come from a retail price sheet updated October 6, 2026 in Lewisville, Texas. They provide a recent regional budget reference. We have not verified equivalent Seattle quotes or applied a local multiplier. Ask a Seattle-area body or PDR specialist for a written estimate based on your vehicle and damage.

Why choose a damage pattern instead of counting every dent?

The retail source groups damage by severity and affected panels. Keeping those categories together avoids inventing a per-dent price. Depth, paint condition and access also matter, so counting dents alone would give false precision. If your damage falls between the patterns or affects a different scope, a specialist needs to assess it.

Does the highest result cap the repair cost?

No. The severe category is $7,000 to $15,000+ before optional additions and tax. The plus sign means the upper end is open, so the calculator does not show a midpoint for it. Actual estimates can also fall outside the other bands; those bands describe the source’s examples, not guaranteed prices.

What if the paint or windshield is damaged?

Request an estimate that identifies the paint or glass work separately and explains the repair method. The deep-damage category does not establish a glass replacement price or confirm which refinishing operations are included. Add a separate quote only after checking that it is outside the selected band and has not already been counted.

Does this show what insurance will pay?

No. This is a retail budget reference. It does not check your policy, deductible, coverage limits or claim approval, and it does not calculate a payout. Ask your insurer what documentation it needs and compare its assessment with the actual repair scope. The result is not advice about whether to file a claim.

Does Seattle WA Mobile Mechanic repair hail dents?

Hail body repair and PDR are not advertised services on this site. Arrange that assessment with a body or PDR specialist. If the vehicle also has a mechanical problem, describe it separately when contacting us. Our mobile mechanic service list explains the work currently advertised and helps you confirm the scope before arranging a visit.

Mechanical concerns and used-car checks

If a warning light or running problem accompanies the visible damage, our diagnostic service overview explains the mechanical investigation. For a hail-damaged used car, a pre-purchase mechanical inspection covers a different part of the buying decision. Ask a body specialist to assess the hail damage as well, then compare both scopes with the asking price.

Maintained by Seattle WA Mobile Mechanic. References reviewed October 17, 2026.