A tow is priced as 2 numbers added together, and the one people forget is the hook-up fee. There is a charge for attaching the vehicle at all, which commonly covers the first 5 to 10 miles, and then a per-mile rate on top of that. It is why a short tow and a long one are quoted so differently, and why asking only for a per-mile figure tells you very little about what the bill will actually be.
| Service | Typical |
|---|---|
| Local tow, 5 to 10 milesNational range | $50 to $125 per tow |
| Tow, 50 milesNational range | $165 to $300 per tow |
Ranges last checked September 2026. They come down automatically when they are due to be rechecked.
Every figure above comes from a named source we can link to, with the date we last checked it. We publish ranges rather than single prices because a range is what a provider will actually give you: the same job moves with what is being worked on, the materials, how hard it is to get at and how busy the trade is locally. Treat these as the order of magnitude to expect before you call, not as a quote.
The figures here are national. Where a source publishes figures state by state, the state pages carry that local figure instead of this one. We do not scale a national number by a multiplier of our own invention.
Every range carries a review date. When that date passes the number comes down until it is rechecked, rather than sitting here undated.
Ask a towing company what they charge and the answer is usually a per-mile rate, because it is the smaller number and it sounds like the whole price. It is not. There is a separate charge for attaching the vehicle and getting it onto the truck, and on most local jobs that fee is the larger half of the bill. It normally covers the first several miles, so a tow across town and a tow of three blocks often cost the same. Get both numbers, in that order, before the truck is dispatched.
A flatbed carries the vehicle; a wheel-lift drags it with two wheels still on the road. All-wheel-drive vehicles, lowered cars, and anything with a damaged axle or a locked transmission need a flatbed, and putting one of them on a wheel-lift can do real damage on the way to the shop. Say what you drive and what is wrong with it when you call, and ask which truck is coming. A company that sends the wrong one and shrugs is telling you something.
After an accident, or when a vehicle is parked somewhere it should not be, the tow is arranged by someone else and the vehicle goes to a lot you did not choose. The charges follow a different set of rules, storage begins accruing daily from the moment it arrives, and release usually requires proof of ownership and photo identification in person. The expensive mistake here is leaving the vehicle sitting in the lot over a weekend while the paperwork gets sorted out.
Most people call whoever answers first, at the worst possible moment, from the shoulder of a road. That is the whole problem, and the fix is to have chosen one before you need one. Save a number in your phone now.
Check that the company is licensed in your state and carries on-hook insurance, which covers your vehicle while it is on their truck. General liability does not. Ask it in one sentence: do you carry on-hook coverage, and for how much. A dispatcher who has to go find out is not the one to use tonight.
Look for a quote in writing or by text before dispatch, a storage rate stated up front, and a company willing to say where the truck is coming from. Response time is a real cost when you are standing somewhere unsafe. Be wary of any truck that arrives at a crash you did not call it to, because unrequested tows at accident scenes are a common route into inflated bills and storage disputes.
If your vehicle is under warranty, or you carry roadside assistance through your insurer or a motor club, the tow may already be covered up to a set distance. Check before you pay out of pocket. Getting reimbursed afterward is harder than having it authorized first.
The table above carries the current ranges. A tow is priced as a hook-up fee plus a per-mile rate, and the hook-up fee usually covers the first 5 to 10 miles, so mileage only starts to matter after that.
Because most of the price is the hook-up fee, which is charged for attaching the vehicle at all. Mileage is added on top of it. A two-mile tow and an eight-mile tow often land on the same number.
Often, up to a set distance or to the nearest qualified repair shop. Call the number on your card before you authorize the tow, because having it billed directly is much easier than claiming it back afterward.
Storage is charged by the day and starts the day it arrives. Releasing it usually takes proof of ownership and photo identification in person, and lot hours are often short, so collect it as quickly as you can.
Yes. All-wheel-drive vehicles, lowered cars and anything with a damaged axle or locked wheels should go on a flatbed. A wheel-lift used on the wrong vehicle can cause drivetrain damage that costs more to fix than the tow did.