Not every dent is the same repair. A shallow door ding with the paint intact is a very different job from a sharp crease across a body line or a dent that has cracked the finish. An I-CAR damage analysis course notes that hail damage can look much like door dings but tends to sit higher on a panel, and that hail generally leaves smooth dents without breaking the paint.

Location matters too. The same course points out that dents at or near a panel edge can be hard to reach, and that a panel with body filler under the finish cannot be repaired with paintless methods because the filler cracks. That is why the first step is an in-person look at the damage.

• Shallow dings, sharp creases and cracked-paint dents are different jobs
• Hail dents tend to sit higher on panels than door dings
• Hail generally leaves smooth dents without chipped paint
• Panel-edge dents can be hard to reach
• Minor and major dent fixes are a listed service

Paintless dent repair, or PDR, removes a dent by pushing or pulling the metal back into shape without damaging the finish, according to I-CAR. Technicians work from behind the panel with specialized tools, reaching it through openings such as lamp mounting areas or under the hood insulation, or pull from the outside with glue tabs where there is little access.

It is not the answer for every dent. GM's service guidance for its steel-paneled cars and trucks rules it out for cracked paint, sharp dents in contoured areas and dents on panel edges, and AAA adds deeply creased, stretched metal to that list. Jenkins Collision Center of Leesburg offers paintless dent repair, and the team will tell you whether your dent is a good candidate or needs conventional work.

• PDR reshapes metal without disturbing the finish
• Access through lamp openings, hood insulation or glue pulling
• Not suited to cracked paint, sharp creases or panel edges
• Stretched metal calls for conventional repair
• Paintless dent repair offered at the Leesburg shop

When the paint is broken or the metal is creased too far, conventional repair takes over. I-CAR describes the toolkit: hammer and dolly work, heat shrinking and stud welding to straighten the panel, followed by body filler applied in several thin layers rather than one thick coat. The area is then primed, painted and blended.

I-CAR training describes combination repair, where larger dents on one panel may be repaired conventionally and smaller ones with paintless methods. Repairs also disturb factory corrosion protection, which I-CAR says must be restored, and the Leesburg shop matches color with computerized paint matching systems.

• Hammer and dolly, heat shrinking and stud welding
• Body filler in thin layers after straightening
• Primer, paint and blending into nearby panels
• I-CAR: restore corrosion protection disturbed by repairs
• Computerized paint matching systems

Hail is not an everyday event here, but it does happen. The National Weather Service office in Melbourne counted 97 hail reports in Lake County from 1991 to 2020, with May the most active month, and says hailstones the size of quarters or larger can dent cars. On April 25, 2023, baseball-size hail was reported near Mascotte in south Lake County.

When a storm is coming, the Weather Service suggests moving vehicles into a garage or under a carport if time and safety allow. If hail does leave dents, the Insurance Information Institute lists hail among the perils covered by comprehensive insurance, and a repair estimate helps you understand the damage before you file.

• 97 Lake County hail reports from 1991 to 2020 (NWS)
• May was the county's most active hail month
• Quarter-size hail or larger can dent cars
• Garages or carports help protect parked vehicles
• Comprehensive coverage typically includes hail

Insurance treats dents differently depending on the cause. According to the Insurance Information Institute, collision coverage pays for damage from hitting another car or an object, while comprehensive covers events such as hail and falling objects. Florida's Department of Financial Services also reminds drivers that they have the right to select the repair shop.

The Leesburg team assists with insurance claims, provides repair estimates and keeps you informed while the work is underway, and the shop offers a lifetime warranty on all repairs performed at Jenkins Collision Centers. For minor damage, ask about self-pay services as well.

• Collision coverage: impacts with vehicles or objects
• Comprehensive coverage: hail, falling objects and more
• Florida DFS: you choose the repair shop
• Help with insurance claims
• Lifetime warranty on all repairs performed at Jenkins Collision Centers