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Covered Parking Structures for Car Dealerships

VPS designs, manufactures, and installs hail protection systems and shade structures for auto dealerships in hail-prone regions of the world. If you’re looking for trusted protection for valuable assets on your commercial property, our car canopies for hail can help keep your vehicles secure. Explore how our car dealership canopies can help prevent damage to your inventory if you encounter a storm.

As VPS has expanded and refined our product line to include car dealership canopies and shade structures, our primary goal remains the same: protecting auto dealerships’ fleets from catastrophic losses due to hail events. As a stronger, more appealing alternative to hail nets for auto dealers, we provide a completely modular and permanent system: one that’s designed and engineered to the local building code and fully customizable to each dealership’s location and layout.

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auto dealers keeping cars cool with shaded parking

automobile dealership with shaded parking

The Benefits of Car Dealership Parking Structures

Auto hail protection is a big concern for auto dealers located in hail-prone regions across North America. A sudden storm can produce catastrophic results, wiping out millions of dollars in inventory and assets in minutes. Don’t let that happen to your inventory; ensure it’s well-protected.

Hail can significantly damage cars in dealer lots, and investing in a car canopy for hail can save your business thousands over time. With our sturdy, reliable car dealership canopies, you can provide enhanced security for your inventory and help keep it in top condition for potential buyers.

Car dealership hail canopies can:

Minimize the risk of inclement weather impacting operations: When you invest in auto hail protection, you can help reduce risk and liability while moving forward with day-to-day operations regardless of the weather.
Protect inventory: Car dealership canopies may offer increased security for inventory, helping you have peace of mind that your cars on the lot have more shielding.
Keep customers comfortable in shaded areas: While shopping for cars in summer months, customers can stay cool and comfortable with the shade from your lot canopy.
Keep cars cool: As they shade your inventory from the sun, auto canopies can help prevent cars from getting too hot and make them more accessible for potential buyers during test drives and inspections.

Whatever your requirements and property size, you can work with our expert team at VPS to design and install custom canopies to fit your requirements. We customize our auto hail protection offerings for your unique property and applications to give you the most value for your investment.

Contact Our Team →

Mercedes auto dealership shade structures aerial view

Cars at dealership under shade structures

Chevrolet car dealership blue shade structures

Structure Options for Auto Dealerships

Auto dealership hail protection is one of the most vital features for protecting cars on the lot. VPS creates high-quality solutions designed to withstand hail even in the most intense weather regions of the United States. We have several structure options to meet your lot’s needs.

Covered Walkways

Covered walkways provide a comfortable viewing experience for customers in various weather conditions. The covering is also helpful for preventing slipping hazards since the pavement receives less exposure to rain, hail, and snow and encourages customers to walk around and view the dealership’s selection. In the summer months, they provide comfortable shade.

These structures can keep your customers shopping through every season.

Cantilevers

A cantilever is a unique auto dealership hail protection solution because it saves on parking and maneuvering space. The cantilever is free standing so customers and cars can move about more freely — there are no obstructive supportive bracing, columns, or posts common in other structures. This feature also allows dealerships to store more vehicles in the lot.

VPS cantilevers for dealerships

A VPS cantilever gives your dealership the advantages of lasting protection, economy of space, and freedom of movement.

Mass Coverage

Mass coverage is an option for auto dealerships that need mid- to large-scale hail protection for storage or an oversized parking area. The modular design of the VPS mass coverage structure allows auto dealerships to set the width and length of the structure to match their unique situation. There are also shape options, including the Diamond Protector and Panama Protector to suit any auto dealership layout.

Our mass coverage structures give you peace of mind about your entire lot, so you can forget about the weather and focus on sales.

Solid Membrane

VPS can also fit many of our structures with several types of customizable solid membrane fabrics, including HDPE scrim, PTFE, and PVC. Our team has applied industry-leading expertise to develop specialized fabric patterning, welding, and attachment processes to attach the material. These processes are tailored to your structural needs for superior performance and aesthetics. There are also several color options, although PTFE only has a white option.

Waterproof Fabrics

Along with hail protection, it’s important to secure the valuable assets in your car dealership parking lot from water damage due to heavy rain or melted snow. We can fit our hail protection and car dealership shade structures with waterproof fabrics that ensure lasting shelter from the most torrential rains. Our waterproof fabric options are:

Novashield®: A cost-effective membrane option for hail protection structures.
PVC: A mid-price tier fabric choice that offers versatile design options for hail protection structures.
PTFE: A highly durable and flexible option — PTFE’s life span ensures long-term use.

Our waterproof fabrics offer your auto dealership these outstanding advantages:

Highest quality waterproof fabric
15-25+ year life spans
Fire-resistant fabric choices
Range of colors, weights, and textures
Self-cleaning options

Additionally, each of these materials has its own distinctive characteristics to suit your needs and budget. All offer lasting protection for your vehicles, so you can shelter your customers for a pleasant car shopping experience in any weather. Come rain, hail, snow, or scorching sun, you can keep on making sales with these high-quality fabric options.

These reliable waterproof fabric options will help your car dealership protect cars from hail and rain for years to come.

Learn About Waterproof Shade Structures →

Solar Integrated Hail Protection

VPS combines the hail protection of shading structure with solar panel technology to create a multi-purpose solution for auto dealerships. These shade structures allow dealerships to promote renewable energy and help to keep their merchandise safe from hail.

Our auto dealership solar shade structures extend the value of your hail protection investment by helping you take advantage of federal and state tax credits to offset utility and asset protection costs. Now, you can protect your vehicles and improve customer experience while doing business that makes sustainable sense.

Learn About Solar Covered Parking →

Ways to Protect Your Car Dealership From Hail

If you’re seeking effective hail protection for auto dealerships, consider VPS permanent hail structures as an excellent solution. Our durable, maintenance-free, and visually appealing car dealership canopies offer reliable protection for your inventory. Whether you have a small or large dealership, our commercial hail protection for cars can be custom-designed to cover thousands of vehicles.

Key advantages of our custom hail protection structures for car dealerships include:

Tailored solutions: Our hail protection structures are fully customizable, ensuring that your business receives a precise solution tailored to your specific needs.
Scalability and versatility: No project is too big or small for us. Our modular structures can be joined or custom-designed to fit your available space.
Brand enhancement: Choose from our range of color options to complement your dealership branding and enhance the exterior aesthetics.
Low maintenance: Our permanent structures are designed for hassle-free maintenance, allowing you to focus on your dealership operations.
Balanced lighting: While solid, permanent coverings require additional lighting, our strong fabrics allow sufficient light penetration during the day, ensuring visibility.
Additional accessories: Customize your hail protection structure with accessories such as lighting, surveillance, post pads, signage, and logos.
Superior service: Our service standards are as solid as our structures. Our expert team’s prompt replies to calls and emails will address questions and provide guidance through the structure selection process.

Join the ranks of leading dealer groups and regional dealers across the Hail Belt who trust VPS to safeguard their inventory. Explore our range of car dealership hail protection structures and experience the peace of mind that comes with reliable and customized solutions.

Work With VPS for Car Dealership Hail Protection

VPS hail protection structures not only protect your assets, but they also ensure customers, visitors and employees get the best experience possible at your dealership location. Our experts help your business minimize operational disruptions and delays with our products.

If your auto dealership is serious about protecting inventory, contact VPS to talk about what auto hail protection solutions would work best for you.

As the pioneer, innovator, and leader in the vehicle protection market, VPS offers many advantages for auto dealerships of any size, including:

Proven and effective hail, heat, and UV protection
Waterproof and fire-resistant fabric choices
Eliminates operational disruptions caused by hail
Customized design for each individual location
Widest selection of structural design options

Our experts are a phone call away. We are always ready to provide free support and answer any questions you have about protective structure solutions for your auto dealership.

VPS is the global industry leader in asset protection structures. We understand your needs and provide world-class service along with our top-quality structures. Request more information today to gain the VPS advantage for your car dealership.

Proven and effective hail, heat, and UV protection

Eliminates operational disruptions caused by hail

Customized design for each individual location

Widest selection of structural design options

Contact Our Team →

FAQs

Automotive dealerships require sufficient hail protection to safeguard new and used vehicles. We answer some of our most frequently asked questions about car dealership hail protection below.

Car dealership hail protection structures from VPS are engineered to withstand extreme weather conditions, including severe hailstorms. The industrial HDPE mesh fabric has achieved UL-2218 Class 4 certification, representing the highest level of protection for roofing materials in hail-prone regions.

These structures have proven storm survivability in extreme weather events, including direct hits from Category 5 Hurricane Michael in 2018 and Category 4 Hurricane Ian in 2022. VPS designs structures with some of the largest structural steel and foundation systems in the industry for durability and longevity.

VPS does not offer financing for auto dealership canopies. Tax credits may be available depending on the project type and location. Discuss your options with a VPS representative prior to the design phase.

Yes. VPS works with clients to develop structures that meet design aesthetics and branding preferences. The design team regularly collaborates with architects and design-build firms to develop custom auto dealership canopies.

Steel finish options include raw powder coat (standard), pre-powder primer, hot-dip galvanization, and in-the-field wet painting, enabling auto dealerships to select finishes and colors that complement branding.

A dealership hail canopy from VPS is a permanent and modular system that can be made to adapt to different property layouts for scalability and versatility down the road. The modular design of VPS mass coverage structures allows auto dealerships to set the width and length to match unique situations. These structures can be joined or custom-designed to fit available space.

Every project is priced differently according to property specifications, the selected structural design, and the scope of work. For small to midsize projects, pricing can often be calculated within days following an approved structural layout.

The installation timeline for a car dealership hail protection project varies based on multiple factors. The process includes new client onboarding and credit review, site surveying, design and engineering, and fabrication.

Building permit timelines can range from a few weeks to months. Construction duration depends on location, project scope, and weather conditions.

Auto dealership canopies from VPS are designed with straightforward maintenance in mind. While not maintenance-free, the structures use durable materials selected for longevity and performance, allowing dealerships to focus on operations rather than frequent upkeep. It is best practice to clear buildups of snow, leaves, and debris as needed.