Quick answerAfter a hail or wind storm: don't force the door if it binds, photograph every dent and any bent track before anything is touched, and call your insurance agent — storm damage to a garage door is typically part of the dwelling coverage on a standard homeowners policy, subject to your deductible (confirm with your policy). Cosmetic hail dents on one or two sections are a $250–$650 per panel repair; a door that buckled in the wind is usually a replacement at $1,075–$3,500+. We provide the itemized estimate adjusters ask for.
Central Arkansas sits in the middle of spring severe-weather season, and the garage door is the largest, thinnest surface on the house facing the sky. Every April and May we run storm calls for weeks. Here's the sequence that protects both the house and the claim.
Step one: is the door safe to use?
- The door opens and closes normally, just dented. Keep using it. Cosmetic damage is not urgent.
- The door binds, scrapes, or stops partway. Stop. A section or the track is bent, and running the opener will pull the door off the track or strip the opener. Pull the emergency release only if the door is closed, and leave it closed.
- The door is bowed inward or a section is cracked. Do not operate it and do not stand under it. A buckled door can drop when the sections fold. This is an emergency call.
- The door is open and won't close. Call us — securing the house is the priority, and we can often get a damaged door closed and locked the same day even if the full repair comes later.
Step two: document before anyone touches it
Adjusters want to see the damage as it was. Take photos in daylight of:
- Each dented section, straight on and at an angle so the dents show in the light
- Any bent track, broken hinge, or cable off the drum
- The hail itself if it's still on the ground (next to a coin or a hand for scale) and the date/time
- Other hail damage on the property — roof, gutters, siding, vehicles — since the garage door claim is usually part of a larger one
Step three: call your insurance before you sign anything
Storm damage to the structure of the home is typically covered under the dwelling portion of a standard homeowners policy, minus your deductible. Two things to know: many Arkansas policies now carry a separate, higher wind and hail deductible (often a percentage of the dwelling coverage rather than a flat dollar amount), and if the total claim is close to that deductible it may not be worth filing. Ask your agent. We are not insurance advisors — we provide the written estimate, photos and invoice your adjuster needs, and we work with every carrier.
Repair or replace after a storm
Hail dents
Small dents on a steel door don't affect function. If they bother you, the section can be replaced for $250–$650 if the manufacturer still makes it in your style and color — we check availability before quoting. If three or more sections are dented, or the style is discontinued, replacement usually costs about the same as patching and looks right. See panel replacement.
Wind damage
Wind pushes the door in the middle and folds it at the section joints. A folded door is a replacement. When we replace a wind-damaged door we add reinforcement struts on every section, which is the upgrade that keeps the next storm from doing it again. Installed prices on the pricing guide range from $1,075 for a basic single-car steel door to $3,000+ for carriage house styles.
Debris strikes
A limb through the door or a flying trash can usually damages one section and the track. Section plus track realignment ($125–$175) is a repair.
Water and opener damage
Lightning during the same storm often takes out the opener's logic board. If the door is dented and the opener is dead, both go on the same claim.
What we provide for your claim
- A written, itemized estimate with model and section numbers
- Photos from the inspection
- A repair-only option and a replacement option, so you and the adjuster can compare
- A final invoice that matches the estimate
Storm calls are prioritized across Little Rock, Conway, Benton, Bryant, Cabot, Jacksonville, Maumelle and every city we serve. Call (501) 244-3667.
Frequently asked questions
Typically yes, under the dwelling coverage of a standard policy, subject to your deductible — and many Arkansas policies have a separate wind/hail deductible. Confirm with your agent; we provide the estimate and photos the adjuster needs.
Not reliably. Garage door sections are thin steel over foam or an open back, and paintless dent repair techniques don't work well on them. The fix is section replacement or living with the dents.
Two common reasons: the power surge from lightning killed the opener, or a spring broke during the same window. Pull the emergency release and try lifting by hand — if it's very heavy, it's a spring. If it lifts fine, it's the opener.
Doors that won't close are same-day. Cosmetic damage is scheduled as quickly as the parts allow; sections are ordered to match your door and usually arrive within a couple of weeks.
