Straight Answers
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE IN HOUSTON, ANSWERED IN ONE PARAGRAPH EACHWho To Call, How Long It Takes, What It Costs, What We Can And Cannot Do
The questions drivers type into their phone from the side of the road, answered without the sales pitch. If you are stranded right now, call (346) 820-0931 and skip the reading.
Who do I call for roadside assistance in Houston if I have no membership?
Call (346) 820-0931. You do not need AAA, an insurance add-on or any plan. A Houston dispatcher answers, quotes a flat price for the job, and sends a technician from the nearest of our six hubs around the city. See the prices.
My car won't start. Do I need a jump or a tow?
Clicking, dimming lights or silence when you turn the key is a battery, and a jump start fixes it. A strong crank that never catches is fuel or spark and a jump will not help; we tell you that on the spot rather than charge for a jump that will not work. Jump start service.
I locked my keys in my car. Who do I call?
A roadside lockout service, not the dealer and not 911, unless a child or pet is inside a hot car, in which case call 911 first. We open every make without damage, including push-button cars with the fob inside. Car lockout service.
How long does roadside assistance take in Katy?
It depends on where in Katy you are and what time it is, so the dispatcher gives you a real estimate for your cross street when you call instead of a number we cannot keep. Katy and Cinco Ranch are covered from our West Houston hub out the Katy Freeway. West Houston.
How long does roadside assistance take in The Woodlands?
The Woodlands and Conroe are the far end of our North Houston area, so the honest answer is a per-call estimate from the dispatcher. Trucks start from Greenspoint and cover Aldine to Conroe along I-45 and the Hardy. North Houston.
How long does roadside assistance take in Pearland?
Pearland sits between our Southwest and Southeast hubs, so the dispatcher sends whichever technician is closer and tells you the estimate for your location before you wait. Southeast Houston.
Can you come to a parking garage?
Yes, if the garage lets us in and the clearance fits a service vehicle. Jump starts, lockouts and tire changes are done in downtown, Medical Center and Galleria garages every day. Tell the dispatcher the garage name and level.
Can you come to my driveway, an office park or a store lot?
Yes. Roadside is the name, but most battery and lockout calls in Houston happen in driveways, office parking lots and in front of apartment complexes, not on the road.
Can you stop on I-10, I-45, 610 or Beltway 8?
Freeway mainlanes inside Houston are cleared under the city's SafeClear program and patrolled by the Motorist Assistance Program, and stopping a second vehicle on a mainlane shoulder is often unsafe or not allowed. Almost every Houston freeway has a feeder road alongside it, so we meet you on the feeder at the next exit the dispatcher names, and we tell you that before you wait. Freeways, feeders and toll roads.
What about the Ship Channel bridges and the Washburn Tunnel?
TxDOT, Harris County and HCTRA clear their own spans and the tunnel. Once you are off the bridge, we take it from there at the first safe spot. Our bridges page lists each crossing and where that spot usually is. Bridges, tunnels and the Ship Channel.
Is there an extra charge at night or on holidays?
No. The price is the same at 3 a.m. on a holiday as on a weekday afternoon. Pricing.
How do I pay?
Card at the vehicle, or a secure payment link texted to you by dispatch. The price is confirmed on the phone before anyone is dispatched.
Do you replace batteries on the spot?
Yes. Technicians carry common group sizes. You hear the battery price before we roll, and the old one is taken away. In Houston, heat is what kills batteries, so a three-year-old battery that struggled all summer is a replacement, not a jump. Battery replacement.
I ran out of gas. How much fuel do you bring?
Enough to reach a station, delivered to the car. The fuel itself and the delivery are both in the quote you hear on the phone. Fuel delivery.
I have a flat and no spare. Can you help?
If there is a spare, we change it. If there is no spare, we tell you honestly that it needs a plug at a shop or a tow, and we do not charge you for a tire change we cannot do. Flat tire change.
Do you help electric and hybrid cars?
Yes for the 12-volt battery, which is what fails and leaves an EV dark, for lockouts and for flat tires. We do not charge the high-voltage pack on the roadside.
Can you jump a box truck or a work van?
Yes. Commercial batteries and 24-volt systems are a separate service with the right equipment. Truck battery jump start.
Will a jump start hurt my car's electronics?
Not when it is done with a regulated booster on the correct terminals. That is what the technician carries. It is the improvised cable jump from a stranger's car that causes the damage people worry about.
The car started after the jump. Can I just drive?
Drive it for at least 20 minutes so the alternator recharges the battery. If it dies again that day, the battery is not holding a charge and needs replacing.
Do you cover Sugar Land and Missouri City?
Yes, from our Southwest Houston hub down the Southwest Freeway, along with Stafford and Richmond. Southwest Houston.
Do you cover The Woodlands, Spring and Conroe?
Yes, the whole I-45 North corridor from Greenspoint through Spring and The Woodlands to Conroe, plus Humble, Kingwood and Atascocita. North Houston.
Do you cover Clear Lake, League City and Baytown?
Yes. Clear Lake, Webster, League City, Friendswood and Pearland are covered down the Gulf Freeway, and Pasadena, Deer Park, La Porte and Baytown along SH-225 and the East Freeway. Southeast Houston and the Bay Area.
Is roadside assistance cheaper than AAA?
For a driver who needs help once or twice a year, paying a flat price for the call is usually cheaper than a yearly membership. If you break down monthly, a membership may win. We charge only on the day you use us.
Can someone else call for me?
Yes. A family member, an apartment manager or a co-worker can call and give your location. The technician calls the number on the job when they arrive.
What should I do while I wait in the Houston heat?
If you are on a road, get out on the side away from traffic and stand behind a barrier if there is one, hazards on. In a lot or a driveway, find shade, drink water and keep your phone charged. On a freeway feeder, stay out of the car and well back from the mainlanes.
What if you can't fix it on the spot?
You are told that as soon as the technician knows, and you are not charged for work that was not done. We help you decide on a tow or a shop.
Are your technicians employees?
They are our dispatched technicians, sent and tracked by our own dispatch, with the price agreed before they leave. We are hiring drivers too. Careers.
Can I schedule for later instead of right now?
Yes. Call (346) 820-0931 and tell dispatch the time and place, which is useful for a battery replacement at your office or a car that has been sitting in the airport lot.
What if the price changes when the technician gets there?
It does not. If the job turns out to be something different, the technician calls dispatch and you hear the new quote before any work starts, and you can say no.
Do you tow?
Our core services are the roadside fixes: jump start, lockout, flat tire, fuel, battery. When a tow is the right answer we say so and help you arrange it rather than sell you a fix that will not hold.
What areas inside the 610 Loop do you cover?
All of it, from Downtown and Midtown to Montrose, the Heights, the Museum District and the East End, including garages, which is where most inner-loop calls happen. Central Houston.
What areas of Northwest Houston do you cover?
Oak Forest and Garden Oaks out US-290 to Jersey Village, Cypress and Bridgeland, and up SH-249 through Willowbrook, Champions, Klein and Tomball, where we meet you on the feeder at the exit. Northwest Houston.