How to tell if I need an alignment vs just tire balancing?

Pulling + off-center steering wheel after hitting a pothole = alignment, 100%. Balancing fixes vibrations at speed (steering wheel shake at 60-70 mph). Alignment fixes pull and uneven tire wear. After a pothole impact, you may have knocked the toe or camber out of spec.  for a 4-wheel alignment is standard pricing. Get it done before it chews up your tires — uneven wear from bad alignment can ruin a set of tires in 10k miles.

Ask for a printout of the before/after alignment specs. This tells you exactly what was out and by how much. If only the front toe was off, the pothole just nudged the tie rod. If camber or caster is off, you might have a bent component (control arm, knuckle) that alignment alone won't permanently fix.