Getting your car out of a tow yard? Enter the fees the yard or impound lot quoted you and this estimator adds them up, including storage for the number of days the car has been held. It does not guess any fees for you: the numbers come from you, so the total is only as accurate as the figures you enter.
Disclaimer: TowCars.com is a nationwide towing information and referral service. We don’t tow, dispatch, or store vehicles, and we aren’t responsible for the work, prices, or conduct of any towing company. If you send us a request, we pass it to independent providers who set their own prices and terms. See our disclosure.
Impound release cost estimator
The per-day storage rate the yard quoted or posted.
Ask how the yard counts days. Some charge per calendar day, others per 24 hours.
Based only on the numbers you entered. Confirm the final amount with the yard.
| Storage (0 days) | $0.00 |
| Tow fee | $0.00 |
| Admin / release fee | $0.00 |
| After-hours gate fee | $0.00 |
| Other charges | $0.00 |
| Each extra day adds | $0.00 |
TowCars passes requests to independent providers. We don’t tow or store vehicles.
How to use the estimator
- Find the fees on your tow notice, the yard’s posted rate sign, or the official impound page for your city. You can also call the yard and ask for each charge separately.
- Enter the daily storage rate and the number of days you expect the car to be held when you pick it up, not just the days so far.
- Add the tow fee, any admin or release fee, and an after-hours gate fee only if you plan to pick up outside office hours.
- Use “Other charges” for anything else the yard says must be paid before release, such as unpaid parking tickets on some city tows.
Why the total grows every day
Storage is usually billed per day or per 24-hour period, so the single most effective way to lower an impound bill is to pick the car up as soon as you can. The “each extra day adds” line shows how much one more day would cost at the rate you entered. Some states and cities cap storage or tow charges; our guide to tow yard storage fees per day explains where limits exist, and our tow bill checker helps you compare a bill against official limits.
Before you go to the yard
- Confirm the lot’s hours and whether after-hours release is offered.
- Ask which payment methods it accepts. See Do tow trucks and tow yards take credit cards?
- Bring ID, proof of ownership and proof of insurance if you plan to drive the car out.
- If the car can’t be driven, arrange a tow out of the yard in advance so you don’t pay for another day of storage.
Not sure where your car is? Start with our impound lot directory and the impound lot guide. If you think the tow was improper, see how to get your money back.
Note: TowCars is a free referral service, not a tow or storage company. We don’t set or collect impound fees. This estimator is a simple calculator for your own numbers and is not a quote or legal advice.