Ask every shop the same seven questions and compare the answers. Who works on the car, how the damage gets counted, whether you get a written estimate with those counts, what happens if a spot needs paint, what the warranty says in writing, who handles the insurance paperwork, and what the timeline realistically looks like. A good shop answers all seven plainly. That includes this one.
The short answer: seven questions for any PDR shop
You do not need to know how to fix a dent to choose someone who does. You need the same questions, asked the same way, at every shop you consider.
- Who will actually work on my car?
- How do you count the damage?
- Will I get a written estimate with the counts on it?
- What happens if a spot needs paint?
- What does your warranty cover, in writing?
- Who handles the insurance paperwork?
- What is a realistic timeline, and what would stretch it?
None of these are trick questions. A shop that does careful work has answered every one of them many times and will not need to think about it. Hesitation, vagueness or a change of subject tells you as much as the answer.
Write the answers down as you go. Two shops can sound equally sure of themselves at the counter and look very different on paper, and the paper is what you will compare later.
Below is what a good answer sounds like for each one, and what should make you keep looking.
1. Who will actually work on my car?
Paintless dent repair is a hands-on trade. The result depends on the person holding the rod, not the name on the building. If you want the background, how paintless dent repair works walks through what that person actually does.
A good answer: specific. The shop does its own PDR, and can tell you who reads and finishes the panels.
Keep looking if: nobody can say who will do the work, or the answer is that it depends who is available that week.
2. How do you count the damage?
Hail dents hide in flat daylight. The count that drives your estimate, your insurance claim and your timeline is only as good as the light it was done under.
A good answer: every panel, including the roof, under a light board or controlled shop lighting, counted panel by panel.
Keep looking if: the count comes from a quick walk around the car outdoors, or the roof never gets looked at.
3. Will I get a written estimate with the counts?
A total on its own cannot be compared with anything. A written estimate that lists each panel, how many dents it has and roughly how big they are can be compared line by line with any other shop's, and with the insurer's.
A good answer: yes, itemized by panel, and you keep a copy whether or not you book. Our hail damage estimate checklist lists what a complete one should include.
Keep looking if: the number is verbal, or it arrives before anyone has looked at the panels.
4. What happens if a spot needs paint?
PDR moves metal. It does not fix broken paint. If hail chipped or cracked the finish anywhere, that spot needs refinishing, and an honest shop checks for it before quoting.
A good answer: they check the paint at the dents, tell you which spots (if any) need paint, and explain how that work gets done and how it appears on the estimate.
Keep looking if: every panel is a paintless job before anyone has looked closely. "We fix everything" is a sales line, not an assessment.
5. What does your warranty cover, in writing?
Warranty terms are only useful when they are written down.
A good answer: a written warranty that says which work is covered, for how long, and what to do if a repaired spot shows again. The terms are worth reading whichever shop you choose, including ours.
Keep looking if: the warranty is a phrase on a sign and nobody can show you the terms.
6. Who handles the insurance paperwork?
Hail is claimed under comprehensive (or all perils) coverage, not collision. Someone has to get the estimate to the adjuster, answer questions, and send an addition to the estimate if more damage turns up once the car is under shop lights.
A good answer: a clear name for each of those jobs, and a plain explanation of what you will still need to do yourself.
Keep looking if: the answer is "the insurance company sorts all that out", with no detail about who talks to whom.
7. What is a realistic timeline?
Hail repair time depends on dent count, access, any glass or trim parts, any paint work, and how busy shops are after a storm.
A good answer: an honest window once they have seen the car, plus what could stretch it.
Keep looking if: you get a firm finish date before anyone has counted a single dent.
Warning signs, whatever the answers
A few things are worth walking away from no matter how the seven questions go:
- Pressure to sign on the spot. A good estimate is still good tomorrow.
- A price before an inspection. Nobody can count dents they have not looked at.
- No paperwork. No written estimate, no written warranty, no written anything.
- A shop that disappears after storm season. You want the people who did the work to still be around if you need the warranty.
Comparing two shops side by side
Once you have answers from more than one shop, line them up. The point is not to find the most confident salesperson. It is to find the shop whose answers you can check.
- Put the written estimates next to each other and compare the counts panel by panel before you look at the totals. A big gap in the count usually explains a big gap in the price.
- Compare what each shop said about paint. If one shop flagged chipped spots and the other did not mention paint at all, ask the second shop to look again.
- Compare the warranty terms, not the word "lifetime" on its own.
- Notice who answered the insurance question in detail. That is the shop you will be relying on when the adjuster calls.
If two shops counted roughly the same damage and gave you written answers to all seven questions, you have two good options, and the choice can come down to whichever one you would rather deal with.
Your insurer's shop or your own?
Your insurer may suggest a shop from its network, and that can be a convenient option. A recommendation is not the same thing as a requirement, though, and your policy wording governs. Ask your insurer plainly whether you are free to choose, and read our guide to choosing your own repair shop in Alberta before you agree to anything.
Then ask the seven questions of every shop on your list, network or not.
Ask us the same seven questions
Bring this list to a free 30-minute scan at the shop in SE Calgary and ask every question on it. Or start with a few photos of the damage taken at a low angle, with light running across the panels, and ask the questions when you hear back. Either way, you will know how your car would be counted, quoted and repaired before you decide anything.
Quick answers
What is the most important thing to ask a PDR shop?
Should I pick the shop with the lowest estimate?
Is it a bad sign if a shop says part of my car needs paint?
Do I have to use the shop my insurer recommends?
How long should a PDR estimate take?
The Hail Yeah Team
Calgary hail repair techs and claim wranglers. We publish what we explain across the counter every day: insurance, PDR, and what a fair repair looks like.