How much does a local tow cost?
A local tow costs $75 to $250 in 2026. What changes your price is below.
Most companies charge a hookup fee of about $35 to $100, then $2.50 to $7 a mile. AAA Classic covers the first 5 miles. Miles after the membership cap are often about $7 each at participating clubs. An impound tow is a different bill: hook plus a daily storage fee.
Estimate your tow truck cost
Pick what you need and add your ZIP. The price updates as you go. Got a price already? Check it in the last step.
Is this price fair?
A fair price is $50 to $135.
Type a price above to check it.
Middle of the range: $90
What you are paying for
How we calculate this
Prices are for the United States in 2026 from published cost guides, checked September 2026. This is an estimate, not a quote.
What goes into the price
| Hookup plus miles | Published 2026 guides put the hook at $35 to $100 and the rolling rate at $2.50 to $7 a mile. A 5-mile tow without a membership is commonly $75 to $150. |
|---|---|
| After hours and weekends | Nights, weekends and holidays often add a flat surcharge or a higher per-mile rate. Ask for the after-hours number before they roll. |
| AAA Classic limit | Classic covers 4 tows a year and the first 5 miles of each. Plus and Premier raise the free miles, often to 100 miles or more depending on the club. Miles past the cap are billed on the spot. Some clubs publish $7 a mile for the extra distance. |
| Impound hook | A police or parking-lot hook is set by the city or county. Published 2026 fee sheets show hooks around $135 to $250 for a normal car, then storage of about $40 to $75 a calendar day. |
| Winch and extra labor | A car in a ditch or a parking garage can add a winch line billed in 15-minute blocks. That is on top of the hook. |
| Cash vs membership | Paying cash is fine for a short, planned tow. Membership wins if you break down more than once a year or you need a long haul to a shop. |
Is your quote fair?
Type the price you were quoted. We compare it to the usual 2026 range of $100 to $175.
The detail a quote hides
The number on the phone is the hook, not the total. Miles, night rates, a dolly, a gate fee at the yard and the first day of storage stack after the truck is moving. AAA changes the math only inside the free-mile cap. Past that cap you pay the club's extra-mile rate in cash at the truck.
Towing cost per mile
Towing cost per mile is $2.50 to $7 in 2026, charged on top of a hookup fee of about $35 to $100. Past an AAA membership cap, extra miles are often about $7 each. The rows below are our math from those two numbers. A company minimum can lift the short tows.
| 5 mile tow | $48 to $135. |
|---|---|
| 10 mile tow | $60 to $170. |
| 25 mile tow | $98 to $275. |
| 40 mile tow | $135 to $380. |
| 100 mile tow | $285 to $800. Ask for a flat long distance rate instead. |
Always ask three things on the phone: the hookup fee, the rate per mile, and which mile the meter starts on.
Why this costs more in 2026
A tow truck is a diesel truck. Fuel is the largest running cost in this business, and it shows up in the per mile rate first.
The short version is oil. Diesel passed $6 a gallon on the AAA national average for the first time on September 11, 2026. A year earlier it was about $3.70 (CBS 8 reporting AAA). That lands in trip charges, deliveries and anything made from petroleum. Quotes are being held open for shorter periods, so ask for the expiry date in writing.
Common questions
How much does a tow truck cost in 2026?
A short local tow is often $75 to $250. The common formula is a $35 to $100 hook plus $2.50 to $7 a mile.
How far does AAA tow for free?
Classic: first 5 miles, 4 tows a year. Higher tiers cover more miles. Extra miles are billed at the club rate, often about $7 a mile.
Why is an impound so expensive?
You pay the hook the city allows, then a storage fee for every day the car sits. A weekend in the yard can cost more than the hook.
Can they take a card?
Ask before they hook. Some trucks are cash or card-on-phone only, especially at night.
Do I have to use the cop's tow?
For a private breakdown, no. For a police impound, the rotation wrecker on scene is usually the one that gets the car.
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