How the Hail Estimate Calculator Works
Steelie's hail estimating tool walks you through a simple 4-step process to generate accurate, professional hail damage estimates.
Vehicle Info
Enter vehicle details, dealership, and customer info. VIN decoding fills in year, make, and model automatically.
Count Dents
Enter dent counts for each damaged panel. The system maps counts to pricing ranges (1-5, 6-15, 16-30, etc.).
Select Sizes
Choose average dent size per panel - Dime (~18mm), Quarter (~24mm), or Toonie/Half Dollar (~28-30mm).
Review & Create
Review the calculated estimate, toggle surcharges, download the matrix PDF, and create the official estimate.
Hail Estimating Features
Unlimited Named Matrix Presets
Build a separate hail matrix for every scenario you price. Insurance carrier A, insurance carrier B, dealer programs, storm season, retail walk-in. Switch between them in one tap. Duplicate, edit, save, or restore defaults.
Per-Panel, Per-Range, Per-Size Editing
Edit any cell in the matrix: 14 named panels × 8 dent count ranges × 3 dent sizes. Inline-editable pricing. Click, type, save. Defaults restorable per setting if you experiment.
Tap-to-Count Dent Capture
Per-panel tap-to-count interface with large touch targets. Big number display, undo, manual override, and a separate oversized dent counter per panel. Optimized for one-handed use while walking a vehicle.
USD and CAD Native
Each preset stores USD and CAD matrices independently. Canadian pricing uses Toonie (~28mm) as the large dent reference, US pricing uses Half Dollar (~30mm). No conversion math, no per-currency drift.
Configurable Surcharges Per Preset
Roof surcharge for SUV/minivan/truck, aluminum panel multiplier, oversized dent flat price, corrosion protection per panel with configurable maximums. All stored per preset.
Professional PDF Output
Generate detailed hail damage matrix PDFs showing every panel, dent count, size, and price. Branded with your logo and company info. Ready to present to insurance adjusters, dealers, or customers.
Blank Template Export
Download blank matrix templates for field use.
Built-In Surcharges
Hail jobs aren't one-size-fits-all. Steelie's configurable surcharges let you account for vehicle type, panel material, and additional services.
CAD & USD Pricing Support
Steelie supports both Canadian and US dollar pricing with separate default matrices. Canadian pricing uses the Toonie (~28mm) as the large dent reference, while US pricing uses the Half Dollar (~30mm). Your company's billing currency is set during signup and automatically applied across all hail estimates. You can view and edit both CAD and USD matrices from the settings page.
Hail Estimating FAQ
What pricing matrix does Steelie use?
Steelie ships sensible USD and CAD defaults, then lets you build unlimited named pricing presets. Edit any cell. Per panel (14 standard body panels), per dent count range (1-5 through 151-200), per dent size (dime / quarter / large). Build a preset for each insurance carrier, dealer program, or storm event, and switch between them in one tap. Defaults restorable per setting if you want to roll back.
Can I have different matrices for different insurance carriers and dealers?
Yes. That's the core use case. Create a named preset per carrier or per dealer (Allstate, State Farm, Joe's Chrysler, Storm Tour 2026), customize the cells, and save. Switching presets on a new estimate is one tap. No rebuilding from scratch each time.
Can I use it for insurance hail claims?
Yes. Steelie generates professional PDF matrix reports detailing every damaged panel, dent count, dent size, surcharge, and calculated price. The PDFs are suitable for adjusters and claims departments and carry your company branding. You can also track insurance company and claim number per estimate.
What happens for dents over 200 per panel?
For panels with more than 200 dents, Steelie prompts you to enter a custom price since these fall outside standard matrix ranges. This ensures you can still create complete estimates for severely damaged vehicles.
How does dent counting work on mobile?
Each panel opens to a tap-to-count interface: a large dashed-border tap area (minimum 150px tall) increments the dent count by one tap. Big number display, tactile feedback on each tap, undo button, manual entry override, separate oversized dent counter per panel, and per-panel size selection (dime / quarter / large with currency-appropriate labels). Designed for one-handed phone use while walking a vehicle.
Does Steelie support both CAD and USD pricing?
Yes. Each pricing preset stores USD and CAD matrices independently. Different cells, different surcharges, different defaults. Canadian pricing uses the Toonie (~28mm) as the large dent reference, US pricing uses the Half Dollar (~30mm). No conversion math, no drift.