About car insurance for hail damage
Getting caught on the road during a hailstorm—or knowing your car is parked in the open and about to be hit by hail—can be extremely stressful. With climate change, hailstorms in Australia are expected to become more frequent and severe, making it important to check if your car insurance covers hail damage.
Use the table at the top of this page to compare policies that offer the option of hail insurance. Change the filters to suit your requirements.
Does my car insurance policy cover hail damage?
If you’re looking for hail damage car insurance, you’re most likely to find it with comprehensive car insurance. This is the top-level car cover option in Australia, and though it tends to be more expensive than other types of car insurance, it offers more protection. Comprehensive cover is generally the only type of car insurance that covers hail damage.
Other types of insurance include:
These other types of insurance generally won’t cover hail damage. Some insurers may offer optional add-ons or extras, so it may be a good idea to check with your insurer to see what’s included in your policy.
How car insurance for hail damage works
If you have a comprehensive car insurance policy, you’re likely to be covered for hail damage. This type of policy typically protects your car against natural events such as hailstorms, floods, and fires—not just accidents or theft. However, make sure you read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) carefully to be sure about what’s included in your coverage.
If hail damage is covered, your policy should pay for the cost of repairs as outlined in your cover. This can include dents, smashed windows, or, in severe cases, a total write-off if the damage is beyond repair.
Once you lodge a claim, your insurer may send an assessor to inspect the hail damage. Based on their report, your vehicle may be either repaired or replaced.
Do I need to pay excess for hail damage claims?
Yes, you’ll generally need to pay an excess—this is the amount you agreed to when you took out or last renewed your policy.
Choosing a higher excess can help reduce your premiums, but make sure it’s an amount you could afford to pay out of pocket if needed. If that’s not manageable, you may prefer to pay a slightly higher premium instead.
Are there situations where hail damage may not be covered?
Even if hail damage is included in your policy, your claim could be denied in certain situations, such as:
- You didn’t disclose pre-existing damage
- The damage occurred before your policy started
- You ignored weather alerts and left your vehicle exposed—insurers may view this as avoidable damage due to negligence
Exclusions like these may vary between insurers. That’s why it’s essential to read the fine print carefully, so you know what’s covered and whether the policy suits your needs.
How do I check if my car is insured for hail damage?
The best way to know if your comprehensive car insurance includes hail or storm damage cover, is to check the PDS and the certificate of insurance for your policy.
All insurers are required to provide a PDS, which sets out the terms and conditions of their policies, including what’s covered and any limitations or exclusions. You can usually download a PDS from your car insurance provider’s website. It’s a good idea to read this carefully to double-check that your policy will definitely cover you for hail damage as well as flood and storm damage, as these extreme weather events can go hand-in-hand.
In the PDS, it could be worthwhile to take a look at details such as:
- Whether or not cover for hail, storm and flood damage is automatically included, or if it’s an optional extra (that could cost more to add on to the policy).
- The definitions the insurer uses when considering claims. For example, the term “flood damage” may mean something different to “water damage”.
- What is required of you to be eligible to make a claim, such as not driving into flood waters.
- If any waiting period applies on new policies before making flood, storm or hail damage claims.
Can I insure a car that already has hail damage?
Yes and no—it depends on the insurer. Some insurers may agree to cover a vehicle that has existing hail damage, particularly if the damage isn’t too severe. However, you may only be able to insure the car for its market value, rather than an agreed value. And even if the policy is approved, it may not cover repairs for any hail damage that happened before the insurance started.
Some insurers may refuse cover altogether for vehicles with pre-existing damage, while others might offer comprehensive insurance but exclude cover for that existing damage.
It’s important to disclose any pre-existing damage to your insurer when applying for cover. You’re legally required to be honest about the car’s condition. If the insurer later finds out that damage was not declared, they could deny your claims or cancel the policy.
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