Do You Have to Use the Insurance Company’s Shop After Hail?

After a hailstorm, a lot of drivers hear the same line: “We have a shop we work with. That’s where you need to go.”

It sounds required. In Colorado, it is not.

You can take the vehicle to a licensed shop you choose — including a local hail specialist — and the insurer still has to handle a valid comprehensive claim. They may recommend a preferred shop. They may not treat that list as the only option.

What Colorado law actually says

Colorado Revised Statutes § 10-4-120 is the anti-steering rule for property claims. In plain language it says an insurer or its agent shall not require that repairs be made at a specified shop, and shall not tell you that using or skipping a particular shop may delay or stop payment.

The same statute says they should tell you that you may freely choose any repair business. They are allowed to also hand you a list of shops to consider. A list is not an order.

If the process feels wrong, the Colorado Division of Insurance (DORA) takes written complaints on this section. This page is general information for Colorado Springs drivers, not legal advice for your policy.

Why the preferred-shop call happens

Large carriers run Direct Repair Programs, often called DRPs. A DRP shop agrees in advance to the insurer’s labor rates, parts rules, and workflow. For the carrier that is a cost-control tool: fewer surprises, faster paperwork, a predictable invoice.

That can be convenient. It is also why the recommendation is so consistent after a storm. The network exists to keep claim spend down for the company writing the check. That is a business arrangement between the carrier and the shop. It is not a finding that every other shop is unapproved or unable to fix hail.

A preferred collision shop is also not always a hail shop. Hail is a density job — roofs, hoods, aluminum, paintless repair when the paint is intact. Sending every dented car to the nearest network stall is efficient for the file. It is not always the best match for the metal.

What they can still do

Choosing your own shop does not mean the carrier has to pay any number you name. They can inspect the vehicle, write their own estimate, and pay what they consider reasonable for the covered damage, minus your deductible. Your shop can document missed dents and request a supplement. That back-and-forth is normal. It is not the same thing as being told you are not allowed to be there.

Coverage still depends on your policy. Comprehensive is what usually pays hail. Deductible, limits, and whether the claim is accepted are between you and the carrier.

Phrases that sound required — and usually are not

• “You have to use our shop or we can’t guarantee the work.”
• “If you go somewhere else the claim will be delayed.”
• “That shop isn’t on our list, so we may not pay.”

A calm reply is enough: you are choosing Certified Hail and Dent in Colorado Springs, please note that on the file, and proceed with the claim. If someone implies payment stops because of the shop name, write down who said it and when.

What we do with insurance here

Certified Hail and Dent works with all major carriers. We write the estimate, repair hail with paintless methods when the paint is intact, and stand behind the work with a lifetime warranty for as long as you own the vehicle. Most qualifying comprehensive claims are $0 out of pocket at the shop. We have been local at 1394 South 21st Street since 2006.

You do not need the insurer’s permission to get that estimate. Bring the car in. Open the claim if you plan to use insurance. We will work the file from there.

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