- Low-clearance trucks for parkades, underground garages and covered lots.
- Tell us the building, the level, the stall and the posted clearance at the entrance.
- Ask your strata or property manager about gate access and fobs before we come.
- Cars that won't roll can be moved out of a stall on wheel dollies.
- The price is confirmed on the phone before hookup.
Why underground towing in East Cambie needs a different truck
A standard tow truck is tall. Its boom, light bar and deck sit well above a typical car's roof, and many parkade entrances are built with a low header, a sloped ramp and a sharp turn at the bottom. That is why underground towing uses a low-profile truck: a short wheelbase to make the turns, a low cab and lift to clear the ceiling, and a wheel-lift that can reach a car nose-in to a wall. We don't guess at a building's height. We ask you to read the posted clearance sign at the entrance, and we match the truck to it.
Parkades also have pipes, sprinkler heads, signs and speed bumps that a tall vehicle can catch. Tell us if there is a second, lower clearance bar further in, or if the ramp curves between levels. If the car is in a covered surface lot rather than below ground, regular car towing may be all it needs.
- Building name or address and which entrance to use.
- The level and stall number.
- The clearance posted at the entrance, in metres or feet.
- Whether the car is nose-in or backed in.
Getting into a condo or townhouse parkade
Access is often the slowest part of the job. Most parkades are gated, and a fob or remote opens them. Before we come, arrange for someone to let us in: you, a neighbour, the concierge or the property manager. If the gate is timed, tell us, because we may need it held open on the way out with the car on the lift.
Strata buildings run on their own bylaws and rules. The province's guide to strata bylaws and rules explains that rules can govern the use, safety and condition of common property, and that the strata council enforces them. So check whether your building restricts work in the parkade at certain hours, and let the council or manager know a tow is booked. The same applies whether your building is in California Pointe, King George Park or another part of East Cambie.
Moving a car that won't roll out of a tight stall
Cars die in parkades for the usual reasons: a flat battery after a long trip, a seized brake after weeks of sitting, a flat tire, or a gearbox that won't come out of park. A car that rolls in neutral can be pulled out of the stall and lifted. One that won't roll goes on wheel dollies first, so it can be moved sideways out of a stall boxed in by pillars and other cars. If an electric car's 12 volt battery is flat, its park lock may hold, and our EV towing page explains how we handle that.
Plenty of parkade calls never need a tow. If the battery is the problem, a jump start in the stall often gets the car going, and a flat tire may be handled with a flat tire change on the spot if there is room to lift the car. We tell you which one it sounds like when you call.
Working with strata councils and property managers
Some underground tows are booked by the building, not the car owner: a car left in a visitor stall, a vehicle blocking a drive aisle, or a car that has to go before parkade cleaning or a membrane repair. The province's page on living in a strata notes that a strata council may be assisted by a strata property manager, and that owners, residents and the council share responsibility for following strata legislation. In practice that means the manager or council member who books the tow should confirm the building's own rules allow it.
Tows of unauthorised vehicles from private lots follow separate rules, which our private property impound page covers. For a planned move, such as clearing a level before maintenance, give us the list of stalls, the date and who will hold the gate, and we confirm the price for the whole job up front.
It also helps to warn residents. A note at the elevator or a message from the manager the day before means fewer cars are moving in the drive aisle while we work, and nobody is surprised to see a tow truck on their level. We keep the aisle clear as much as we can and work one car at a time.
Where the car goes after an underground tow
Once the car is out and up the ramp, it can go anywhere you choose: a mechanic or dealer, the Richmond Auto Mall, a body shop after an ICBC claim, or another parking spot. If the car was damaged in the parkade, our ICBC towing page explains the claim side. A car that is finished for good can go with scrap car removal.
For a parkade in Jacombs or anywhere else in the neighbourhood, give us as much detail as you can. Everything we do in the neighbourhood is on our East Cambie towing homepage, and you can send the building and level with a photo of the clearance sign.