Towing invoices bill a hook fee ($75–$175 light duty) plus per-mile charges ($3–$7/mile loaded), with extras as separate lines: winch-out/recovery $50–$250+, dollies $40–$75, after-hours premiums, and daily storage ($25–$80/day, regulated in most states). Every towing invoice must identify the vehicle (year/make/model, VIN, plate), the tow origin and destination, and odometer-verified mileage. Police-rotation and nonconsensual tows are rate-regulated in most jurisdictions; motor club work bills per the club's rate schedule with the PO/dispatch number.
Towing Invoice Template
Reviewed by the Agiled editorial teamUpdated June 2026
Towing bills under more scrutiny than nearly any service trade: nonconsensual tow rates are capped by regulators, storage charges accrue by statute, motor clubs audit every line against their dispatch records, and the vehicle owner is usually having one of the worst days of their month. The invoice that survives all four audiences is built on identification and itemization — exactly which vehicle, from where to where, hook plus measured miles, every extra as its own labeled line. This template is structured for that standard. Download it in PDF, Word, Excel, Google Docs, or Google Sheets, or generate a pre-filled version below.
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Your Company Name
123 Business St, City, State 12345
billing@yourcompany.com
INVOICE
INV-0001
Bill to
Client Company
Due
Net 30
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard tow (up to 10 miles) | 1 | $125.00 | $125.00 |
| Additional mileage | 15 | $5.00 | $75.00 |
| After-hours surcharge | 1 | $50.00 | $50.00 |
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Create online- Hook fee (light duty)
- $75 – $175
- Per loaded mile
- $3 – $7
- Winch-out / recovery
- $50 – $250+
- Storage
- $25 – $80 / day — state-regulated
What to include on a towing invoice
Vehicle identification, complete
Year, make, model, color, VIN, and plate. On a towing invoice this isn't formality — it's what connects the charge to the car for the owner, the insurer, and the regulator.
Origin, destination, and mileage
"From: I-35 NB mile 214 → To: Eastside Auto, 1420 Commerce — 11 loaded miles @ $5." Tow miles are the most-disputed number; tie them to odometer or GPS.
Hook fee and per-mile as separate lines
The base hook covers dispatch and load; mileage bills movement. Blending them into one number invites both customer disputes and rate-cap problems on regulated tows.
Extras itemized: winch, dollies, labor
"Winch-out, off-shoulder recovery — 30 min — $125. Dollies (AWD) — $60." Each service performed, each its own line. Recovery time documented.
After-hours, weekend, or holiday premium
A labeled premium line rather than silently higher base rates — quoted at dispatch where the tow is consensual.
Storage with daily rate and date math
"Storage: 3 days @ $45 (in 6/2, out 6/5)." Most states regulate storage rates, notice requirements, and gate fees — the date math on the invoice is your compliance record.
Authorization and payer references
Who ordered the tow — owner signature, police incident number on rotation tows, or motor club PO/dispatch number. The reference determines who pays and proves the tow was authorized.
Typical towing pricing (U.S., 2026)
| Service | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hook fee, light duty | $75 – $175 | Medium duty $150 – $300; heavy $250 – $600+ |
| Per loaded mile | $3 – $7 | Heavy duty $8 – $15+ |
| Winch-out (basic) | $50 – $150 | Off-road recovery $150 – $250+ |
| Dollies / skates | $40 – $75 | AWD and locked vehicles |
| After-hours premium | $25 – $75 | Or built into night rates |
| Storage (per day) | $25 – $80 | State-regulated for nonconsensual |
| Heavy recovery (rotator) | $400 – $1,200+ / hr | Documented hourly with equipment list |
Police-rotation and private-property (nonconsensual) tow rates are capped by state or municipal schedules in most jurisdictions — your filed rates govern, not market rates.
How towing billing actually works
Consensual roadside tows: quote, tow, collect
The customer-ordered tow quotes hook-plus-miles at dispatch, confirms the destination, and collects by card on drop. The invoice carries the vehicle ID, route, measured miles, and any extras the driver explained before performing — dollies, winch-out, after-hours. The on-the-spot card receipt plus an emailed itemized invoice is the format insurers reimburse fastest.
Motor club and insurance dispatches
Club work (AAA, Agero, Urgent.ly and the rest) bills per the club's contracted rate schedule, not your retail rates: the invoice references the dispatch/PO number, matches the authorized services exactly, and documents anything beyond the authorization (extra mileage, a second winch line) with photos and notes before billing it. Clubs audit aggressively and pay on Net 30–45 — clean dispatch-matched invoices are the difference between a profitable club relationship and a write-off pile.
Rotation, impound, and storage billing
Police-rotation and private-property tows bill against the filed rate schedule — exactly, since overcharging a regulated tow is a hearing waiting to happen. The invoice documents the incident or property reference, statutory notices sent, and storage accruing by dated days. When the owner or a lienholder retrieves the vehicle, the invoice's date math, rate citations, and notice record are what stand between you and a rate-dispute complaint.
Invoicing mistakes that cost towing professionals money
Vague vehicle or route data
An invoice that can't prove which car moved from where to where loses every dispute by default. VIN, plate, origin, destination, miles — non-negotiable fields.
Bundled 'tow service' totals
One blended number can't be reconciled against a rate cap, a club schedule, or an insurance reimbursement. Hook, miles, and each extra as separate lines, always.
Unexplained extras after the fact
Dollies and winch charges that first appear on the invoice read as padding. Explain before performing, photograph the conditions, and the line defends itself.
Sloppy storage math
Storage disputes are date-math disputes. In-date, out-date, daily rate, and the statutory notice record — on the invoice, every impound.
Billing clubs off your retail card
Motor clubs pay their contracted schedule; invoices above it get short-paid or flagged in audit. Match the dispatch authorization line for line, and document anything beyond it before billing.
How to use this template
- 01
Download the template in your preferred format, or generate a pre-filled version with the download studio above.
- 02
Add your business details, motor carrier/towing license numbers as required.
- 03
Identify the vehicle completely: year, make, model, VIN, plate.
- 04
Bill hook fee and measured loaded miles as separate lines, with origin and destination stated.
- 05
Itemize extras — winch, dollies, after-hours — explained before performing and documented.
- 06
Record authorization (owner, police incident, or club PO), and run storage with explicit date math at filed rates.
Skip this template if…
- Auto repair shops — diagnostic and parts-and-labor billing belongs on the auto repair template.
- Freight haulers — line-haul, detention, and accessorial billing runs on the freight invoice template.
FAQs
How much does a tow cost?
Light-duty tows run a $75–$175 hook fee plus $3–$7 per loaded mile, so a typical 10-mile tow lands around $110–$245. Winch-outs add $50–$250+, dollies $40–$75, and after-hours service $25–$75. Medium and heavy-duty work runs two to four times light-duty rates.
What should a towing invoice include?
Complete vehicle identification (year/make/model, VIN, plate), origin and destination with measured loaded miles, the hook fee and per-mile charge as separate lines, itemized extras, the authorization reference (owner, police incident number, or motor club PO), and storage with daily rate and in/out dates if the vehicle was held.
Why are hook and mileage billed separately?
The hook fee covers dispatch, response, and loading; mileage covers the move itself. Separating them lets the invoice reconcile against regulated rate caps, motor club schedules, and insurance reimbursement rules — and shows the customer the math instead of one unexplainable number.
Are towing rates regulated?
Nonconsensual tows — police rotation and private-property impounds — are rate-capped by state or municipal schedules in most jurisdictions, including storage rates and notice requirements. Consensual customer-ordered tows price at market. Billing a regulated tow above the filed schedule is the fastest route to a rate hearing.
How does motor club billing work for tow operators?
Clubs dispatch with an authorization covering specific services at contracted rates; the invoice references the PO/dispatch number and matches the authorization exactly, with anything extra documented (photos, notes) before billing. Payment runs Net 30–45 and clubs audit line-by-line — dispatch-matched invoices get paid, creative ones get flagged.
How is vehicle storage billed?
Per day at $25–$80 (your filed rate where regulated), with the invoice showing in-date, out-date, day count, and any statutory notice fees. Most states regulate when storage starts accruing, what notices must be sent to owners and lienholders, and what gate or release fees may be added.
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