Costs and cover · Nottingham
How much does car recovery cost in Nottingham?
Broken down right now? Your safety comes before the price. If anyone is in danger, call 999. If you can get out safely, leave by the side away from the traffic and wait well away from the vehicle and the road, behind a barrier where there is one. If you cannot safely leave the vehicle and get well away from moving traffic, stay inside with your seatbelt and hazard lights on, call 999 and ask for the police. See the Highway Code breakdown rules. Our guide to being broken down without breakdown cover covers what to do first.
The short answer: recovery call-outs with Breakdown Recovery Nottingham start from £70. That's a starting price, not a fixed charge. What you pay depends on the job, and we confirm the full price for your job before a truck is sent.
The rest of this guide explains what moves the price, what a proper quote should tell you, and what to check before you pay anyone, whether that's us or another firm.
What "from £70" means, and what it doesn't
"From £70" is where Breakdown Recovery Nottingham's call-out prices start. It isn't a flat rate, an average or an estimate of what your recovery will cost.
The number that matters is the total price for your job: the figure you agree to and pay. Under the Competition and Markets Authority's price transparency guidance, you must be given the total price, and a "from" price is acceptable only as long as it includes all applicable mandatory charges and does not mislead customers about what the price covers. Where a charge can't reasonably be worked out in advance, the business must give you prominent information about how it will be calculated. Unavoidable charges shouldn't be added as you go along ("drip pricing"). Before dispatch, we confirm the full price for your job, covering the collection point, the destination and the services agreed. Our terms and conditions set this out in section 5.
For a consumer service contract, section 51 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says you must pay "a reasonable price… and no more" where you haven't already paid, the contract doesn't fix the price or say how it will be fixed, and no binding information given beforehand fixes it either. What's reasonable depends on the facts, and can be argued over afterwards, so it's far clearer to agree the total before the work starts.
What changes the price of car recovery
Online cost guides publish very different figures for a "typical" recovery, because each firm prices its work its own way. Rather than add another number, here's what affects a Breakdown Recovery Nottingham quote, and what to tell us so it's accurate first time.
| What affects the price | Why it can change the price | What to tell us |
|---|---|---|
| Distance, to you and on to the destination | More time on the road for the truck and driver | Your exact location (postcode, what3words or a WhatsApp pin) and where the vehicle is going |
| Vehicle type and size: car, van, motorbike, 4×4 or electric | It can need a bigger truck or different loading equipment | Make and model; for a van, whether it's loaded |
| Condition: whether it rolls, steers and brakes | A vehicle that won't roll takes more time and kit to load | Does it roll? Are any wheels locked? Do you have the keys? |
| Location and access: motorway, car park, verge, gated site | Safe access can need extra time or equipment | Height barriers, gates, narrow access, or whether it's off the road |
| Destination | Distance, and whether someone can receive the vehicle | The garage or address, and whether it's open |
| Waiting time or extra stops | Time the truck and driver are tied up | Any likely delay, or more than one drop-off |
| Storage | Charged separately, by agreement | Whether the garage can take the vehicle today |
For vans and motorbikes, our van recovery and motorcycle recovery pages list the extra details we ask for. Waiting time and extra stops come up most on planned vehicle transport.
Roadside fix or recovery?
A jump start, wheel change or fuel delivery can sometimes get you going without moving the vehicle at all. These are priced as roadside jobs, not as recovery. Before we set off, Breakdown Recovery Nottingham tells you what you'd pay if the roadside fix doesn't work and what recovery would cost from there, so a failed jump start doesn't become a surprise bill. See roadside assistance for what each involves.
Whole-job price or per-mile rate?
Some firms charge per mile, some price by zone and some quote for the whole job, and published per-mile rates vary a lot between firms. A mileage figure on its own tells you little. Breakdown Recovery Nottingham confirms one total for the whole agreed job, from where the vehicle is to where it's going, before dispatch.
Why recovery can cost more than people expect
A recovery isn't just the miles with your car on the back. A truck and a driver are committed to your job from the moment they set off towards you until your vehicle is unloaded: the drive to reach you, the time to load and secure it safely, and any equipment needed for a car that won't roll. When you compare prices, compare the total for the whole job, not the starting figure.
What a full quote should include, and what to ask
Before you pay any recovery firm, check that the quote covers these:
- ☐ The total price for this job, not just the starting price, and whether VAT is included if the firm charges it.
- ☐ What it includes: where the vehicle is collected from, where it's going, loading, and any roadside attempt.
- ☐ What could add to it, and confirmation that any change will be agreed with you first.
- ☐ What you pay if a roadside fix doesn't work.
- ☐ Storage, if it's needed: where, the rate, when charges start and how they stop.
- ☐ When payment is taken, and how you can pay.
- ☐ What happens if you cancel, before and after the truck sets off.
- ☐ An estimated arrival time. It's an estimate, not a promise.
- ☐ Who you're dealing with: check the firm's name and phone number match the firm you meant to call. Ours are Breakdown Recovery Nottingham, 0115 646 9746.
Payment, cancellation and changes to the job
Payment. Breakdown Recovery Nottingham takes full payment for the agreed job before dispatch, and explains how you can pay when confirming the booking.
If the job changes when the truck arrives. A quote is only as accurate as the information it's based on. If the vehicle, its condition or the access turns out to be materially different from what was described, for example it won't roll or it's behind a height barrier, we explain the options and any extra cost, and nothing goes ahead until you've agreed. We won't charge extra to correct a mistake that's ours. The best way to avoid a change on the day is to give as much detail as you can when you first call.
If you cancel. Our terms and conditions (sections 12 to 20) set out the detail. In summary:
- Before dispatch: we refund your payment in full where no work has started and no justified loss has been incurred. If we've had unavoidable costs, we explain any deduction and how we worked it out.
- After dispatch or arrival: a cancellation charge may apply. It covers work already done and evidenced losses, and we refund the balance of what you paid.
- If we can't provide the agreed recovery: we refund the amount paid for the service we didn't provide.
- Refunds are issued within 14 days of cancellation. These terms don't replace your legal cancellation rights.
What if you don't have breakdown cover?
Do not buy an ordinary breakdown policy online expecting it to cover a breakdown that has already happened. Phone the provider and explain the situation; any emergency assistance, charges and membership requirements depend on its terms. Our guide to being broken down without breakdown cover explains how to check what you're covered for, and what to do if you aren't covered.
Police recovery charges and council parking removals
Private recovery bookings and official vehicle removals are priced differently. The table below shows the statutory road-traffic recovery charges set in 2023 for a vehicle with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3.5 tonnes (other than a two-wheeled vehicle), for the removal circumstances listed. It doesn't cover every police or council removal, and it isn't a guide to private recovery prices.
| Police or authority removal | Fee |
|---|---|
| On the road, upright and not substantially damaged | £192 |
| On the road, not upright or substantially damaged | £320 |
| Off the road, upright and not substantially damaged | £256 |
| Off the road, not upright or substantially damaged | £384 |
| Storage, for each 24 hours or part of 24 hours | £26 |
| Disposal, where the applicable statutory regime provides for this charge | £96 |
These charges have applied since 6 April 2023, under the Removal, Storage and Disposal of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Regulations 2023 and Home Office Circular 003/2023.
Council parking removals use a different tariff. For vehicles removed for parking contraventions, Nottingham City Council's vehicle pound publishes a £105 removal fee plus the Penalty Charge Notice, with storage at £12 a day once the vehicle has been held for more than 24 hours. Check your removal notice and the relevant authority's vehicle pound information to see which charges apply to you. If you've been in an accident, see our accident recovery page.
Get a price for your recovery
Call or WhatsApp Breakdown Recovery Nottingham with where the vehicle is, what it is, what's wrong with it and where it needs to go. Our call-outs start from £70, and we'll confirm the full price for your job before a truck is sent.
For questions that aren't urgent, use our contact page.
Questions about recovery costs
Is there a call-out charge for breakdown recovery?
Breakdown Recovery Nottingham's call-outs start from £70. Rather than quoting a call-out fee and a mileage charge separately, we confirm one full price for the agreed job before dispatch, covering the collection, the destination and the services agreed. With any firm, ask for the total, not just the call-out figure.
How much does police vehicle recovery cost?
Under the 2023 statutory road-traffic recovery charges, removing a vehicle of up to 3.5 tonnes maximum authorised mass (other than a two-wheeled vehicle) from the road costs £192 if it's upright and not substantially damaged, or £320 if it isn't. Storage is £26 for each 24 hours or part of 24 hours. Other removals, including council parking removals, can have different charges: Nottingham City Council publishes a £105 removal fee plus the Penalty Charge Notice. None of these figures apply to private recovery bookings.
Sources checked 12 October 2026: Home Office Circular 003/2023; SI 2023/331, Schedule; CMA price transparency guidance (CMA209); Nottingham City Council vehicle pound; Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 51; Highway Code, breakdowns and incidents; our terms and conditions. This guide is general information, not legal advice.