How Much Will It Cost to Tint Your Vehicle?
If you check on Angie's List, you'll quickly discover that most shops charge a minimum of $99 and up to $400 for a whole car depending on the grade of film you choose and the type of vehicle you own. One word of warning though about the ninety-nine dollar tint jobs: you get what you pay for. In addition to shops, you can also buy precut tint kits online such as Rtint and others. Prices here vary widely as well but you can get a complete kit from most sites for under $75.
Does Professionally Installed Tint Cost More?
Having your window tints installed by a shop or mobile tinter will certainly
cost you more. Naturally, you're paying for a service so you can expect to pay
more for the know-how and the time of the person installing your tint.
Generally you can expect to pay between $25 to $50 per window but this usually
includes the cost of basic 1-ply tint film. In general, you can usually get a
discounted rate if you have all of your windows tinted at once so be sure to
keep that in mind when considering having your windows tinted.
Other Factors to Consider When Tinting
Other factors to consider are the type of tint to be use. For example, will
you be going for the cheapest, dyed window tint or are you going to insist on
metallic or ceramic heat-rejection tint? Expect to pay up to 3 to 4 times more
for specialty tint but, in these cases, we certainly do recommend having a pro
install your tints.
Pros of Do-It-Yourself Window Tinting
If your budget is your primary concern but you still need the privacy and
heat rejection of precut auto tints then buying a tint kit online is the way to
go. There are literally dozens of sites you can find who will sell you precut
partial or complete kits for pennies on the dollar when compared to professional
tinted car window installation. At Rvinyl we offer an easy to understand, order
by picture interface so you know exactly which windows you're getting and can
even choose the darkness of your window tinting visually. Other common ways to
order window tints online are by filling out text boxes with your vehicle's
information although you'd better hope that whoever is cutting your tint is as
good a reader as they are a tinter!
Cons of DIY Tints
The biggest downside about buying your own precut kits online is that it is
no easy task. Installing window tint well takes time and patience, things which
may seem to be in short supply these days. Another con to DIY kits is that you
really need to be sure of the legality of window
tint in your state. When you buy from a shop you're buying their knowledge
too. When you do it yourself you need to be sure to check your local laws.
Pros Professional Window Tinting
When you have your car's windows tinted professionally you can expect that
the job will be done better than you could have done it or, at the very least,
it will be done while you're doing something else. In addition, most shops will
warranty their work and tints so if you experience any problems you usually have
some recourse. Probably the best reason to get your windows tinted by a local
shop is for legal issues. A local shop will know your local jurisdiction's laws
regarding the VLT (darkness) of the window tint so you can either ask them to go
as dark as is legal or they can tell you your options face to face.
Cons of Local Window Tint Installation
Of course, price is always going to be the number one con of having your
windows tinted locally. When it comes to any service you want to be sure to
check their reviews online and by word of mouth. Does your local shop use only
the cheapest tint? How many years have they been in business? Finally, local
window tinters may not offer every type of film on the market. Don't expect your
local mom and pop tint shop to carry every brand of carbon, ceramic, metallic
and dyed film out there. It's simply not possible for them to do so and most
shops usually buy from one brand or distributor so if you have your heart set
on a specific type of film, online DIY tint is the way to go.
The Final Analysis
When it comes down t it, the question of DIY versus professionally installed
precut tint is a function of budget and time. If you have the time but no the
budget then a complete vehicle tint that costs less than $75 total is the
way to go and can be had from a number of sellers online. If, however, money is
no object and you're short on time then it only makes sense to choose a local
shop to have your windows tinted.