We do not publish a price list, and there is a reason for that which is not evasive. A jump start on a driveway two miles away at four in the afternoon and a jump start in a stacked car park at three in the morning on the far edge of the patch are different jobs, and pretending otherwise means quoting one and charging the other.
What we do instead is give you a firm figure on the phone once we know four things. This page explains what those four things are and why each one moves the number, so you can judge whether a quote you are given, by us or anybody else, is reasonable.
The four things that decide the figure
Give us these on the phone and the quote you are given is the quote you pay.
- Time of day: nights, weekends and bank holidays carry more than a weekday afternoon
- Distance and access: how far from the patch, and whether the vehicle can be reached
- Vehicle type: a small petrol car and a large diesel van are not the same job
- Scope: a boost alone, or a boost with a test, or a test with a battery supplied and fitted
Access is the hidden one
People expect the hour and the mileage to matter. What surprises them is access. A car nose in against a wall in a multi storey with a dead battery cannot be reached by a donor vehicle at all, so the job needs different equipment and more time. A car on an open driveway is the quickest job we do. Telling us honestly where the vehicle is parked keeps the quote accurate.
Where a boost is poor value
If the battery has failed, a boost buys you a day and you pay again later in the week. We would rather test it and tell you, so the money goes on the thing that fixes it. That is why testing is part of the callout rather than an upsell, and why we carry batteries on the van instead of coming back a second time.
- A battery past five years old that fails a load test is not worth boosting repeatedly
- Repeat boosts wear the starter motor as well as your patience
- A charging fault will flatten a brand new battery just as fast
- One visit that tests and replaces costs less than three that only boost
How much does a jump start cost?
The honest answer to how much to jumpstart a car is that it depends on four things: when you call, where the car is, how easy it is to reach and what the vehicle is. A car jump start service price for a small petrol hatchback on a driveway in the afternoon will not be the same as a large diesel van in a multi-storey in the early hours.
That is why we quote each job on the phone before setting off. Tell us the vehicle, the full postcode and where it is parked, and the figure you are given is the one you pay.
Getting the most from the cost of a jump start
A jump start is good value when the battery is healthy and has simply been drained, for example by lights left on or a car standing for a week. It is poor value if the battery has failed, because the car will be flat again soon. Each callout includes a check of the battery and charging system, so you know whether the jump start has solved the problem.
If the battery needs replacing, a new one can be supplied and fitted on the same visit, which usually costs less than paying for repeated callouts.
What moves a callout quote up or down
Each factor and the reason it changes the job rather than just the price.
| Factor | Why it matters | Effect on the quote |
|---|---|---|
| Middle of the night or bank holiday | Out of hours cover has to be staffed and paid for | Higher than a weekday daytime call |
| Edge of the coverage area | Travel time each way, particularly at busy hours | Higher the further out you are |
| Blocked in, stacked car park, no access | More time and different equipment on site | Higher, and worth telling us up front |
| Large diesel van versus a small petrol car | Bigger cranking demand, heavier equipment | Higher for the van |
| Straightforward driveway job in daylight | Quick in, quick out | The most economical scenario |
Questions
Q.How much does it cost to jump start a car?
It depends on the time of day, where the car is, how easy it is to reach and the vehicle. Call with those details and you get a firm quote before we set off.
Q.Why is there no fixed jump start price online?
Because the same jump start can be a quick driveway job or a long, awkward one in a car park at night. Quoting on the phone means the price fits your actual job.
Q.Why will you not publish a fixed jump start price?
Because a two mile daytime driveway job and a night call to a blocked in van at the edge of the patch are genuinely different pieces of work. We quote on the phone once we know the hour, the location, the access and the vehicle, and that figure is what you pay.
Q.Is a night callout more than a daytime one?
Yes. Being available at three in the morning has a cost behind it, and that is reflected in the out of hours rate. You will be told the figure before anybody sets off.
Q.Do I pay more if the battery needs replacing as well?
The battery itself is an additional cost, and it depends on the type your vehicle needs. Fitting it during the same visit avoids a second callout, which is why we carry stock rather than booking a return trip.
Q.Will you tell me if a boost is a waste of money?
Yes. If the test says the battery has failed, we will say so rather than take payment for a boost that leaves you stuck again tomorrow.
Ring for a firm figure before we set off
Tell us the hour, the postcode, the access and the vehicle, and you get a quote on the call rather than a surprise at the roadside.
Quotes given on the phone before we set off, 24 hours a day.