How Much Does Car Recovery Cost in the UK?

How car recovery pricing works

Snap arranges recovery through independent operators, who set their own prices. When you send a request, Snap assesses the job, checks prices and availability with suitable operators covering the area, and sends you one quote. It's the total for the job, with Snap's booking fee and the operator's charge shown separately. Nothing is booked until you accept, and if you're not happy with the quote, ask and Snap will look again.

Your quote is a fixed price for the job as you describe it, so the more you tell us, the more accurate it is. If the car or the pickup turns out different (a different vehicle, a car that won't roll or steer, a spot the truck can't reach, extra weight or a load), the price may change or the operator may not be able to do the job.

The work is carried out by the operator, not by Snap. Snap checks operators' insurance, and relevant standards and inspections where they hold them, when they join. It's still sensible to ask the operator for ID and insurance details when they arrive. Read how operators are checked.

What changes the price of car recovery

• Pickup and drop-off. The distance and route between them. Up to 10 miles is a local job; beyond that, recovery is quoted for the route and the vehicle.
• Whether the car starts, rolls and steers. A car that won't roll, has locked wheels or is stuck in park may need a flatbed, wheel skates or a winch, and more time.
• Access. A multi-storey height bar, an underground level, a private road, a narrow drive, a verge or a ditch can change which truck can reach the car.
• Operator availability and timing. Evenings, weekends, bank holidays and remote areas can affect operator availability, and operators set their own charges. A planned move gives more room to arrange: choose a date in the quote form, or say you're flexible.
• The vehicle. Size and weight decide which truck can carry it. Many electric and hybrid cars should be moved with their wheels off the ground; your handbook says which.
• Passengers. Tell us how many people are with the car, including children.
• Waiting, storage or an onward move. Tell us your preferred destination and check it can accept the car. Confirm any waiting, storage or onward move before booking.

How much does towing a car to a garage cost?

Towing a car to a garage within 10 miles has an indicative range of £50 to £150. A garage further away is quoted for the route and the vehicle. The destination being a garage doesn't change the range; the distance, the car's condition and the access do.

Car recovery isn't only for the roadside. If the car is at home or at one garage and needs to reach another, including one in another town, you can request a quote for a planned move. In the quote form, choose "On or by a specific date" and pick the day that suits the garage from the calendar, or say you're flexible. Before booking, check the garage's opening hours and that it can take the car when it arrives. See car recovery and towing for how the move works.

Car recovery cost by service

Towing and recovery

A local tow up to 10 miles has an indicative range of £50 to £150. Longer-distance recovery is quoted for the route and the vehicle. This is the job for a car that can't be driven safely to where it needs to go, whether it's broken down, a non-runner at home or waiting for a garage slot. You choose the drop-off.

Jump start

A jump start has an indicative range of £50 to £100. A jump start may restart a car with a discharged battery. If the car won't start for another reason, it may need recovery instead. The car won't start and flat battery guides help you describe what the car is doing.

Breakdown recovery

A breakdown is priced as either a jump start or a recovery, depending on what the car is doing and where it needs to go. Describe the symptoms and whether it rolls, and your quote is for the job that fits. With wrong fuel in the tank, don't start the engine and read the wrong fuel guide first.

Accident recovery

Accident recovery is quoted for the damage, access and journey. Speak to your insurer before booking; who pays is covered in the questions below.

Does car recovery cost more in some areas?

It can. Operators can price the same job differently from one area to another, and availability varies by place and time. Your quote is set for where your car actually is.

For pickup notes by city, see car recovery in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Leicester, Bristol, Sheffield, Leeds or Coventry, or the car recovery areas page.

Two example scenarios, and the cost factors in each

These are example scenarios, not real jobs and not quotes. They show which factors from the list above apply.

Example scenario, not a real job: a car that won't start, going to a local garage

A car won't start on a driveway on a weekday morning. It rolls and steers, the truck can park alongside, and the owner's garage is 6 miles away and ready to take it. That is a local tow, so the indicative range is £50 to £150. The factors that apply are short distance, a car that rolls, easy access and a destination that's open. None of them points to extra work.

Example scenario, not a real job: a planned move to a garage in another town

A car that won't roll has been parked in an underground car park for a week, waiting for a repair slot at a specialist garage 40 miles away. The owner wants it moved on the day the garage can accept it. That is longer-distance recovery, so it is quoted for the route and the vehicle. The factors that apply are distance, a car that won't roll, underground access with a height limit and a planned date. The request should include the car park's name, the level, the entrance height and a photo of the access point.

Paying for the job

• Your quote shows Snap's booking fee and the operator's charge separately.
• Once you accept, you pay the booking fee to Snap by bank transfer, using the details on your tracking page. You get a receipt for your booking fee.
• You pay the operator's charge to the operator when the job is done.
• We don't take card payments on this website or ask for your card details.
• Cancel within 15 minutes of confirming, or before an operator is assigned (whichever comes first), and the booking fee is refunded in full. See how paying works, and cancelling and refunds.

Breakdown cover or paying per job

Check what you already have first. Some bank accounts, car insurance policies and new-car warranties include breakdown cover, sometimes limited to local recovery, help at home or a mileage limit. If yours covers the job, use it.

With Snap there's no membership. You request a quote when you need a job done and pay only for that job. It fits if you have no cover, or your cover doesn't stretch to the move you need, such as a planned move to a garage in another town.

Car recovery cost questions

Is there a separate call-out charge?

Your quote is the total for the job, with the booking fee and the operator's charge shown separately. If you cancel once the operator is on the way or has arrived, the operator may charge a call-out fee under their own terms, and you're told what it is before the cancellation is processed.

Does recovery cost more at night or at weekends?

It can. Evenings, weekends and bank holidays can affect operator availability, and each operator sets its own charge. Say when you need the job done, or choose a date in the quote form if the car can wait, and your quote reflects it.

Who pays for recovery after an accident?

Contact your motor insurer first, using the details in your policy documents. Ask whether they arrange recovery. If your insurer asks you to arrange recovery yourself, request a quote.

Does car insurance cover recovery?

Some car insurance policies include breakdown cover or recovery, and some don't. Check your policy documents, your bank account and any new-car warranty, including any mileage limit. If your cover doesn't stretch to what you need, you can request a quote with no membership.

Are there hidden charges?

No. The total you're shown is the total you pay, unless the job turns out different from what you described, such as a car that won't roll or a spot the truck can't reach. Waiting, storage or an onward move should be confirmed before booking.

Can I get a quote without booking?

Yes. Asking for a quote does not book the job. If you're only checking the cost, say so in your request, and decide once you've seen the total.

Related help

• Car won't start: possible causes and the next step.
• Flat battery, and when a jump start may help.
• Wrong fuel in the car, and what to do first.
• The four recovery services Snap arranges.
• Car breakdown help and recovery guides.