Two shops quote the same Civic in the same week. One says $149, the other says $249, and neither one is lying. The gap is not labour, it is what is inside the box.
This is the guide we wish more people read before they book. Here is what a real tint quote contains, where the money actually goes, and exactly what we charge at our shop in North York.
Four things a legitimate quote names
A good quote fits in a text message and still answers all four of these.
- Film brand and product line. Ceramic is a category, not a product. Ask for the line name printed on the box.
- Which glass gets covered. Two front doors, all around, or glass plus a windshield strip.
- Removal. Old film comes off as its own job with its own labour, and it is never free.
- Warranty. Who honours it, for how long, and whether fading and bubbling are covered.
A quote that reads "full car tint, $149" answers none of them. It gives you a number and leaves you to find out the rest in year three.
Where the price difference lives
Film cost is the variable shops hide, and it is the reason a $149 quote exists at all. Dyed film costs a shop roughly a third of what ceramic costs.
Dyed film blocks light, not heat. It has no layer that rejects infrared, so the cabin still cooks. It also fades from the second summer, turns purple, and bubbles along the defroster lines.
Ceramic film carries a nano-ceramic layer that rejects infrared without metal, blocks over 99% of UV, and holds its shade for a decade or more. It is the only film we install on cars, in any shade you want.
That is the whole price difference. Not skill, not overhead. Film.
Our car prices, out the door
- Two front windows: $99
- Sedan or coupe, all around: $179
- SUV, all around: $199
- Van, all around: $239
Those numbers include installation and they do not move when you arrive. A hatchback prices as a sedan. A wagon prices with the SUVs. If your vehicle is unusual, ask before you drive over and we will tell you which row it belongs in.
Two front doors take about an hour. A full car takes two to three, and the windows stay up for three to five days while the film cures.
Home and office quotes work differently
Residential and commercial film is priced by the square foot of glass, not by the vehicle. Privacy and frosted film runs $7 to $10 per square foot, depending on the film and the access.
Security film, solar film and anything with a custom cut pattern is quoted per project, because the frame, the glass type and the height of the window all change the labour.
Send photos of the glass with rough measurements and you will get a real number, not a range that doubles when we arrive.
Red flags in a cheap quote
No film name. If a shop cannot name the product, it is buying whatever is cheapest that month.
Percentage of darkness as the only spec. Darkness is a look. Heat rejection is a number, and it is printed on every legitimate spec sheet.
No removal line. A shop that ignores the old film on your glass will either tint over it or charge you later.
Cash only, no receipt, no warranty card. The warranty is part of what you are buying.
What the Ontario rules mean for your quote
Ontario sets no tint percentage on car glass. What the Highway Traffic Act requires is that the driver stays visible to a police officer from outside the car.
The two rear doors and the rear glass can go as dark as 5%. We install 35% on the front doors and leave the windshield clear more than anything else, because that cuts glare without giving anyone a reason to pull you over.
35% is what we recommend, not a number the province wrote into law. Any shop that calls it a legal requirement is repeating something they heard.
How to compare two quotes in one minute
- Ask both shops for the film line name and the total solar energy rejected figure.
- Ask whether removal of old film is included.
- Ask what the warranty covers and how many years it runs.
- Ask whether the price changes with the shade you pick. Ours does not.
Frequently asked questions
Is a $99 front window price really ceramic?
Ours is. Two front doors in ceramic is $99 installed. If another shop quotes less, ask for the film line name before you book, because that is where the saving came from.
Do you charge more for darker film?
No. Ceramic is the same price at 50%, 35% or 20%. The film costs us the same and the labour does not change.
Can you quote from a photo?
For home and office glass, yes, photos plus rough measurements are enough for a firm number. For a car we need the make, model and year.
What if I want the old tint taken off first?
We quote removal separately and we do it before we quote the new film, because a rear window with failing film sometimes needs extra time. You will know the full number up front.
If you want a number that holds, call 437-331-5379 or send your photos through our contact page. The full list sits on our pricing page, and you can start with automotive window tinting for car packages or residential window tinting if the glass in question is in your home. For the long version, read our Toronto window tinting cost guide.
Read the quote
Ask for the film line and the heat rejection number. Everything else follows from those two.
