Serving Kent, King County, WA and surrounding areas
Towing in Kent, WA 24/7 tow truck and roadside assistance
Dead on the SR-167 shoulder, nosed into a ditch off Kent-Kangley Road, or locked out behind a warehouse on 84th Avenue. Say where you are and what happened, and a truck is sent with the right gear for it.
A local tow inside Kent typically runs $125 to $185. Jump starts, lockouts and tire changes run $65 to $110. See typical Kent prices or text your location to (253) 243-3079.
Fig. 1 What do you need? Pick the number.
- Hours
- 24 hours, every day
- Primary coverage
- Kent and the Kent Valley
- Trucks sent
- Flatbed or wheel-lift, by job
- Pricing
- Range quoted before dispatch
- Payment
- Card, cash or insurance claim
How much does towing cost in Kent, WA?
A tow bill has two main parts. The hook-up covers sending the truck and loading your vehicle. The mileage covers the loaded trip from where you are to where the vehicle is going. Everything else is an add-on for a specific reason: a winch pull because the car is off the pavement, dollies because a wheel is locked, or a wait at a crash scene.
Three details change the number more than anything else, so have them ready: where the vehicle is, where it is going, and whether it rolls and steers. A sedan that died in a parking space on Central Avenue is a different job from the same sedan with a broken ball joint on the SR-167 shoulder. For the full breakdown, see 24 hour towing prices in Kent.
| Service | Typical range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Hook-up, standard car or small SUV | $95 – $150 | Truck dispatched, vehicle loaded and secured |
| Mileage, per loaded mile | $4 – $7 | Counted from the pickup point to the drop-off |
| Local tow inside Kent, about 5 miles | $125 – $185 | Hook-up plus mileage to a shop or your home |
| Flatbed tow, AWD, EV or low car | $135 – $275 | Rollback carrier, four-point tie-down |
| Accident tow from a crash scene | $175 – $400 | Loading a damaged vehicle, debris sweep, tow to a shop or yard |
| Winch-out, simple pull | $95 – $175 | One truck, short cable run back to pavement |
| Heavy-duty tow, semi or box truck | $350 – $900 | Heavy wrecker, billed hourly plus loaded miles |
| Jump start | $65 – $95 | Jump pack or cables, quick charging check |
| Car lockout | $65 – $110 | Door opened with wedge and reach tools |
| Tire change, your spare | $70 – $110 | Flat off, spare on, lug nuts torqued |
| Fuel delivery | $70 – $110 | A few gallons of gas or diesel, fuel billed at cost |
Ranges are typical for the Kent area and are not a fixed menu or a quote. Your price range is given by phone for your vehicle and location before a truck is sent.
Tell dispatch what happened in one tap.
Pick the problem and your messages app opens with it filled in. Add the nearest cross street or exit, your vehicle, and press send. Nothing is stored on this site. If you are in a live lane or anyone is hurt, call 911 first.
On a freeway, the green milepost sign or the last exit you passed is the fastest way to be found.
What should you do when your car breaks down on SR-167 or I-5?
The Valley Freeway carries a heavy mix of commuter traffic and trucks moving in and out of the Kent Valley warehouses, and its shoulders are narrow in places. The danger in a breakdown is rarely the car. It is standing next to it. A few habits that tow drivers wish everyone had:
- Coast, do not stop short. If the engine quits, you still have steering and some brakes. Use the momentum to reach the right shoulder, an exit ramp or a parking lot.
- Turn the wheels away from traffic. If the car is hit from behind, it goes toward the ditch instead of back into the lane.
- Get out on the passenger side. Or stay belted in if there is no safe place to stand behind a barrier.
- Know your spot. Direction of travel, the last exit, a milepost, or a business you can see. "Northbound 167 just past the 212th exit" is all a driver needs.
Washington's Move Over law requires drivers to change lanes or slow down for tow trucks and other vehicles working on the shoulder with lights on. Many drivers still do not, which is why the truck parks where it does and why you may be asked to wait in the cab while your vehicle is loaded.
While you wait for the truck
- Hazards on, hood down. Flashers make you visible. A raised hood on a narrow shoulder only invites people to stand in front of the car.
- Gather what goes with you. Phone, wallet, house keys, medication, child seat. The car may be at a shop overnight.
- Decide where it is going. A repair shop, a dealer, a tire store or your driveway. If the shop is closed, ask about their key drop.
- Keep the key with the car. The driver needs it to unlock the steering and shift to neutral.
What towing service can you get in Kent?
Prices shown are typical Kent ranges, not quotes. Not sure which one you need? Describe what happened and dispatch will sort it out.
Is it better to call a towing company near you or use a roadside membership?
Motor clubs and insurance roadside plans do not own tow trucks in Kent. They take your call, then offer the job to tow companies in the area. That works well on a quiet weekday. On a wet Friday at rush hour, or the first icy morning of the winter, the job can sit in a queue while you sit on the shoulder.
Calling a tow line directly costs money out of pocket, but you find out right away whether a truck is free and roughly where it is. Many plans reimburse a tow you paid for yourself, up to their limit, if you send them the receipt. Check your plan before you need it.
| Factor | Local towing company | Motor club or insurance plan | Police-called tow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who you talk to | Local dispatch | A national phone line | The officer at the scene |
| Who picks the truck | You do | The plan's network | The agency's rotation list |
| Where the vehicle goes | Anywhere you choose | Your choice, within the plan's mileage | Often the tow company's yard |
| What you pay at the time | The tow bill, by card or cash | Nothing, up to the plan limit | The tow bill, plus storage if it sits |
| Wait on a busy night | You are told up front | Varies with the network | Usually short, the road has to clear |
| Best for | Urgent tows and specific drop-offs | Non-urgent help when you can wait | Blocked lanes and injury crashes |
Which parts of Kent and the Kent Valley do you cover?
Serving Kent, King County, WA and surrounding areas. Kent is three different places to tow in. The valley floor is flat, busy and full of semi traffic. East Hill and West Hill are residential, with steep grades connecting them to the valley that turn slick in rain and close in snow.
- Downtown KentKent Station, the accesso ShoWare Center, Central Avenue, Meeker and Smith streets.
- Kent Valley warehouse district84th Avenue South, West Valley Highway, South 212th and South 228th streets.
- East Hill104th Avenue SE, SE 240th and SE 256th streets, Kent-Kangley Road, Lake Meridian and Panther Lake.
- West HillPacific Highway South, Military Road, Reith Road and the Kent-Des Moines Road ramps to I-5.
- Freeways and highwaysSR-167 between Auburn and Renton, I-5 through Des Moines and SeaTac, SR-516 and SR-18.
- Auburn and CovingtonSouth on SR-167 and east on Kent-Kangley Road toward SR-18.
- Renton, Tukwila, Des Moines and SeaTacNorth up the valley and west over the hill toward the airport.
Does insurance pay for towing in Washington?
The two situations work differently. Roadside coverage is an add-on you buy, usually for a few dollars a month, with a dollar or mileage cap per tow. A crash tow is part of the claim itself. If the other driver was at fault, their liability coverage owes you the reasonable cost of the tow and storage.
Breakdown tow
Pay the driver, keep the itemized receipt, and submit it to your insurer or motor club if your plan reimburses. Ask for the mileage and the addresses to be written on it.
Crash tow
Give your insurer the tow receipt and the location of the vehicle the same day. Storage is charged by the day, so the sooner the adjuster knows where the car is, the smaller the bill.
After a collision you can usually name your own tow company and your own body shop, unless the road has to be cleared immediately. See emergency towing after an accident in Kent for how that works at the scene.
What else do Kent drivers ask about towing?
How fast can a tow truck near me get here in Kent?
It depends on where the nearest free truck is and what traffic is doing, so no honest tow line gives a fixed number. Mid-day in the valley is usually quicker than rush hour on SR-167 or the first icy morning. Dispatch tells you the current estimate when you call, and you decide.
Can you ride in the tow truck?
Usually one or two passengers can ride in the cab to the drop-off, as long as there is a seat belt for each person. Tell dispatch how many people are with you, and whether there are children who need car seats or pets, so the right truck is sent or a ride can be arranged.
Does an all-wheel-drive car have to go on a flatbed?
Yes, in nearly all cases. Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with two wheels on the road can damage the center differential or transfer case. The safe choices are a flatbed, or a wheel-lift truck with dollies under the other axle. Say it is all-wheel drive when you call.
How do you pay for a tow?
Most tows are paid by card or cash when the vehicle is dropped off. You get an itemized receipt showing the hook-up, the mileage and any extras, which is what an insurer or motor club needs if you are claiming it back. Ask about payment types when you call.
What if the repair shop is closed when the tow truck gets there?
The vehicle can be left in the shop's lot and the key put in its night drop box, if it has one. Call or email the shop so they know why it is there. If the shop has no drop box, the car can go to your home and be towed again later.
Related services: heavy-duty towing in Kent, jump start and tire change, car lockout service and roadside assistance in Kent.
Stuck, crashed or broken down in Kent?
(253) 243-3079Say where you are, what you drive and what happened. You get a price range and an honest estimate of when a truck can reach you before anything rolls. Can't talk? Text your location.