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Storm and hail damage insurance
We looked at 32 comprehensive car insurance policies – they all covered storm damage. Third party insurance typically doesn’t include cover for storm or hail damage.
Most car insurers won’t cover pre-existing-hail-damage but you can still take out a policy – many funds don’t ask about pre-existing damage during the quote process.
9 car insurance policies that cover hail and storm damage
Finder survey: What feature of comprehensive car insurance do Australians value the most?
Response
Cover for damage to my own car
83.57%
Choice of agreed or market value
39.19%
New car replacement
26.22%
Hail and weather damage
23.63%
Choice of repairer
22.05%
No excess windscreen cover
19.74%
Towing
18.88%
Other
1.73%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1006 Australians, December 2023
Is hail damage covered by car insurance?
Third party car insurance
If you have a lower tier of car insurance cover, like third party or third party fire and theft, – consider upgrading to a comprehensive policy. Otherwise, it’s unlikely you'll be covered for any damage that the storm or hail caused.
Comprehensive car insurance
Most comprehensive car insurance policies will allow you to claim for hail damage. However, there's usually a waiting period for any damage that is caused by storms, bushfires, floods, or cyclones. It can vary between insurers, but usually you'll have to have bought your policy a couple of days before the storm hit.
How do I make a car insurance claim for hail damage?
Lodging an insurance claim doesn't have to be anxiety-inducing. Follow these five simple steps for a stress-free experience.
Contact your insurer
Do this as soon as possible. If your area has been hit badly by a hail storm, it's likely there'll be thousands of other people claiming too. The sooner you get in touch, the sooner they can get started on your claim.
Gather evidence
Take photos of any damage to your car, as well as any damage in the surrounding area. Make notes about what happened, including the time and date.
Cooperate with your insurer
Provide the detailed evidence you gathered after your car was damaged. Agree to meet with any experts or claims assessors your insurance company assigns. Don't make any repairs until you have your insurer's permission.
Submit your claim
Depending on the insurer your claim options may be to submit online, via an app, mail or in-person. Your insurer will explain their preferred method.
Wait for a response
Your insurer has 10 business days to respond with their decision or to let you know if they need more time. If they do need more time, they have to let you know what else they need from you, and to give you updates on how your claim is progressing.
What should I expect in the claim process?
Although your car insurance company has 10 business days to respond to your claim, don't be surprised if it takes a little longer. This is because, when a major hail storm hits, it's usually followed by a huge influx in claims – which leads to a backlog for insurers.
Never carry out repairs to the car without your insurer's authorisation. In some cases, to allow the car to be driven immediately after an accident, your insurer may agree to essential repairs.
If your claim is accepted, your car insurer may:
Manage the entire process on your behalf
Appoint a repairer of their choice
Allow you to nominate your preferred repairer (if you added the 'Choice of Repairer' option to your policy).
You can also contact the Insurance Council of Australia if you have any general inquiries about the claims process. It's likely the organisation will activate its risk and disaster response helpline - 1800 734 621 - to answer any questions people might have.
If you're unhappy with how your insurer is treating you, get in touch with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) on 1800 931 678.
Did you know?
Comprehensive car insurance can give you a hire car if your car is too damaged to drive. Insurance companies will sometimes authorise this before deciding on your claim, so ask about this option when you first contact the helpline.
What type of storm damage does car insurance cover you for?
Storm damage can include the following:
Thunderstorms
Lightning
Hail or snow
Rainwater e.g. water overflowing from stormwater drains
Runoff e.g. overflow from swimming pools and tanks as a result of excess rainwater
Storm surge e.g. strong winds or sea movements resulting in seawater onshore (storm surges are sometimes excluded, except when they occur at the same time as a storm so read your PDS)
Rain showers alone are usually not enough to be classed as a storm. It needs to be accompanied by an 'atmospheric event' like a thunderstorm or strong wind.
Our expert says
"Policy wording on storms can differ from one insurer to another. So, it's a good idea to open policy and hit 'control + f' or 'command + f' and then 'storm' or 'hail' to see exactly what an insurer will and won't provide coverage for. A general point to keep in mind: you'll need to have taken reasonable care during a storm or hail storm. For example, if you drive through deep water after heavy rain, it'll likely to be seen as reckless behaviour and an insurer may refuse your claim."
Does car insurance cover pre-existing hail damage?
In most circumstances, your car insurance will not cover pre-existing hail damage. This is because insurance is designed to cover unforseen events – not ones you were already aware of when you took out cover.
Some insurance companies, such as NRMA, provide market value insurance so long as the car is in a registrable condition. However, they won't if it was previously considered a write off.
Similarly, providers such as Bingle will not insure your car under a cmprehensive insurance policy if it has any existing damage. They will only offer third party property damage insurance cover as long as your car is still roadworthy and registered.
If this is the case, keep in mind that third party policies don't cover hail damage; they only cover other cars and property damaged as a result of your accident.
Other providers may offer cover at an increased rate.
Protect future you with comprehensive car insurance
1 - 9 of 25
Finder Score for car insurance
We analyse over 100 car insurance products and rate each one on price and features. What we get out the other end is a nice round number between 1 and 10 to help you start comparing.
To make sure we're comparing apples with apples, we collect quotes for 8 different personas, then work out the value of 19 different car insurance features. Our team then does some fancy maths to get the Finder Score, taking both price and features into account.
You'll probably have to pay an excess in order to make a claim on your insurance policy - but the amount will vary depending on your insurance provider and your specific policy conditions.
Usually, the excess amount is subtracted from the final repair bill. So if you have a $600 excess and the hail damage bill came to $5,000, you would pay $600 and your insurer would pay $4,400. Keep in mind that an additional excess may apply for specific drivers, such as those under 25 years of age.
While you may have to pay an excess, your No Claim Discount (NCD) might not be affected if you make a claim for damage caused directly by storm, wind or hail - but, again, this varies between different insurance companies.
If you try to buy insurance immediately before, during, or just after a hailstorm has occurred, you won't be covered for any damage caused as a result of the storm.
Putting your car in harm's way
If your insurer investigates and finds you intentionally put your car in harm's way - for example, you moved it from the garage to the street, while the storm was underway, your claim could be denied.
Lack of evidence
Storms aren't always newsworthy so your insurer might not know it happened. Make sure to take photos of other damage around your car, or hailstones nearby, and note the date and time of the storm so your insurance company can check weather records.
Comprehensive car insurance will cover for any damage that comes as a result of a hail storm – often, this can be smashed windows or dented bodywork but it could even be a total loss, if the damage is bad enough.
You might also be able to claim for the cost of a tow truck and transport home – for example, if your car windscreen is smashed and it's unsafe to drive. You might even be able to claim for the cost of any damaged items in your car, like a baby seat.
To find out exactly what you're covered for, check out your car insurers product disclosure statement (PDS) or call your insurer.
Unfortunately, if you have a third party or third party fire and theft policy, it's unlikely that you'll be covered for hail damage.
This is because both third party and third party fire and theft , do not cover you for accidental damage to your car. You'll only get cover for storms if you take out comprehensive car insurance.
Even if you've got the best insurance policy on the market, most people would prefer to avoid making a claim if possible - and there are measures you can take to minimise the risk of hail damage to your home and car.
Stay on top of forecasts, particularly during storm season. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has up-to-date weather warnings and some insurance companies will have an app or a text alert system, like Budget Direct's Hail Hero.
If you sign up, you might get some advance warning and be able to move your car to a safe spot before the storm hits.
If you can't move your car to a safe spot, try covering it with thick blankets or even your car's floor mats. While it's not as effective as a garage, it can help absorb some of the impact.
You can even buy car covers which have been specially designed to protect against hail stones, so it might be worth investing in one if your car is usually out in the open.
If you're driving when the hail hits, pull into a safe spot as soon as possible to wait it out. If you can't reach cover easily, try to angle your car so the hail is hitting your windshield - they're usually reinforced, while your other windows might not be.
Remember, heavy hail can bring down trees and branches, so stay out of their path. If possible, lie down and keep your back to the windows. You can also cover yourself with a blanket, to give yourself further protection against any glass or debris.
Don't be tempted to make a mad dash to reach cover - filing an insurance claim for dented bodywork might be annoying, but it's nothing compared to sitting in hospital for six weeks because you skidded off the road while racing to reach an underground garage.
Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio
Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 655 Finder guides across topics including:
James Martin was the insurance editor at Finder. He has written on a range of insurance and finance topics for over 7 years. James often shares his insurance expertise as a media spokesperson and has appeared on Prime 7 News, WIN News, Insurance News, 7NEWS and The Guardian. He holds a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification, both of which meet the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio
James's expertise
James has written 221 Finder guides across topics including:
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