Free tool

Tow and storage fee calculator

Find out what the tow yard's bill is today, what it will be in 7, 14 and 30 days, and when it overtakes your car's value. Then get the next steps and a letter asking the insurer to move the car or accept the storage charges.

A tow yard charges for every day your car sits there. If the other driver's insurer has not decided who was at fault, nobody may authorize a repair, and the bill keeps growing. Storage is usually part of your property damage claim, but only for a reasonable time. This calculator shows the daily cost in dollars, so you can decide when to stop waiting and move the car.

1. The tow and the yard

Date the car was towedCounted as day 1 of storage.Daily storage rate ($)From the invoice or the rate sign at the yard.Tow fee ($)Other fees ($)Gate, release, after-hours or admin fees.Your estimate of the car's value ($)Actual cash value before the crash. Enter 0 to skip.What kind of tow was it?

2. The claim

Liability statusDo you have collision coverage?Date you notified the insurerThe day you reported the claim or asked about storage.

3. For the letter (optional)

Send the letter toDays to respondA short courtesy deadline, 1–30 days. Not a legal deadline.Your nameInsurance companyClaim numberYour vehicle

Storage yard name and address

Loading today's date…

Everything you type stays in this browser tab. Nothing is sent or saved.

By Serdar Arslan, editor · Last reviewed November 3, 2026 · How we research

How the calculator works

Days in storage run from the tow date to today, and the tow date counts as day 1. Many yards bill any part of a day as a full day. Some do not, so check your invoice.
Total to date is the tow fee plus other fees (gate, release, after-hours or administrative) plus the daily rate times the days stored. The projections add 7, 14 and 30 more days at the same rate.
The value warning compares the total with your estimate of the car's actual cash value. It shows the day the bill reaches half the value and the day it passes the full value, and highlights the warning once you are past 50%.
The next steps change with who has accepted liability, whether you have collision coverage and what kind of tow it was.
The letter asks the insurer to move the car, accept storage from the date you notified it, or say what it still needs, by a date you choose. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.

Worked example (hypothetical numbers)

A car is towed from a crash scene on October 20. The yard charges a $350 tow, $150 in gate and release fees, and $65 a day for storage. The other driver's insurer is still investigating fault.

After 15 days: $500 + 15 × $65 = $1,475
After 45 days: $500 + 45 × $65 = $3,425
The owner values the car at $9,000. The bill reaches half of that after 62 days and passes the full value after 131 days.

The owner sends the letter on day 3, asking the insurer to move the car or accept the storage within five days. When no answer comes, the owner uses collision coverage, so the car moves to a shop and the own insurer pursues the other driver's insurer. Every day of delay avoided saves $65.

What the calculator does not do

It does not check whether your yard's rates are legal. Some states and cities cap nonconsent tow and storage rates; others leave them to the market.
It does not decide who pays. That depends on fault, your coverage and your state's law.
The response deadline in the letter is one you choose. It is not a legal deadline.

For the rules behind these steps and the state and city rules we have verified, read tow and storage fees after an accident, or use the storage fees letter template. Related: rental car and loss-of-use calculator, property damage and total loss claims and the accident expense tracker.

Frequently asked questions

›Who pays for towing and storage after a car accident?

Towing and reasonable storage are generally part of the property damage claim against the at-fault driver's insurer. If you have collision coverage, your own insurer may pay them first, minus your deductible, and recover from the other insurer later. The yard will usually still want to be paid before it releases the car, so get the insurer to commit in writing.

›Is there a limit on how long the insurer will pay storage?

There is no single national limit. Insurers usually pay storage for a reasonable time and may refuse days that ran on after you could have moved the car. That is why the letter on this page asks the insurer to move the car or accept the storage in writing by a set date.

›Can storage fees really exceed the value of my car?

Yes. A daily rate that looks small adds up. At $65 a day, a car worth $9,000 is worth less than its bill after about four months. Enter your numbers above to see the date for your car.

›What is a nonconsent tow?

A tow you did not arrange, such as one called by the police from a crash scene or one from private property. Many states and cities regulate the rates, notice and release rules for these tows. Our guide lists the state and city rules we have checked at official sources.

›Can I get my things out of the car before paying?

Many states let owners retrieve personal property, and some require yards to allow it without first paying the tow and storage. Florida and California are two examples. Call the yard, ask when you can come, and bring ID and proof of ownership.