Updated · Costs and coverage
The service price
This covers the work: a jump start, a lockout, a tire change using your spare, a plug and patch, removing a wheel lock. When a part is involved, such as a new battery or a replacement tire, the price depends on the part your car needs, which is why dispatch asks for the year, make and model.
Different services carry different prices because they take different tools, parts and time.
The trip charge
A one-time trip or dispatch charge covers getting a technician and an equipped vehicle to wherever you are, day or night. It's a single charge for the trip, separate from the work itself.
Keeping the two apart makes the price easier to read: you can see what the work costs and what getting someone to you costs.
Get the total before anyone is sent
Before a technician is dispatched, you should hear the full amount: the service plus the trip charge. If you need two things at once, say a lockout and a jump start, ask for the total for both on the same call.
- Which service is this total for?
- Does the total include the trip charge?
- Which payment methods do you take?
- What happens if the job turns out to be different?
What can change the price
The total depends on the job matching what was described. If a tire can't be repaired because the damage is in the sidewall, or a battery fails its test and needs replacing instead of a jump, it's a different job. The technician should explain why and confirm the new total with you before doing any extra work.
Describing the problem carefully on the call, including which tire and whether you have a usable spare, is the simplest way to keep the first total the final one.
What a clear quote looks like
A clear quote comes before dispatch, names the service, includes the trip charge, and doesn't change unless you agree to different work. If a quote sounds vague, or a price only comes up after the technician arrives, ask more questions before you say yes.