Winter Tire Installation Cost (Mount & Balance Price)

Do you know how much winter tire installation costs? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question.

In many places in the United States, when winter rolls around, it is time to pull out the winter tires. Of course, this does mean a trip to the local garage.

So, how much is this going to set you back? Is it something that you are able to do yourself?

The answer to these questions, and a whole lot more, will be covered right here on this page.

Table of Contents

The Cost Of The Winter Tires (Not a Yearly Expense)

We are going to throw a lot of information at you. We are going to give you a rough guide to the pricing for swapping out your standard vehicle tires for winter tires. However, we do want to point out that this really is going to be nothing more than a guideline.

No matter what section you read here, you do have to remember that the price can vary quite drastically depending on the type of tire that you have, as well as your vehicle model. For example, balancing on certain vehicle models can take a lot longer, and thus you can expect the price to be higher.

If you want to know exactly how much you can expect to pay for your winter tires swap, then you have little choice but to talk to your local garage.

Let’s start with the heftiest price of the lot, though. This will be the cost of your tires. Thankfully, this is an expense that you do not have to pay for every single year.

Unless something happens to your tires during the winter months, then you can easily pack them away and use them the following year.

You can expect the price of a good-quality set of winter tires to be roughly around $300-$400. You may need to shop around for the best possible price.

The Cost Of Mounting Winter Tires

This is where things can start to vary quite drastically, and you will need to shop around for the best prices.

During the winter months, many garages start to offer promotions on mounting winter tires. This is because they are hoping that the low prices for mounting will draw customers in, and they will be able to score a few extra sales on winter tires.

Generally speaking, it is going to be much, much cheaper if you have winter tires already attached to wheel rims. For the garages, this is pretty much going to be a straight swap out.

You may find that the cost is going to be from $15 to $30 per tire, depending on your vehicle. So, you are looking at a minimum of $60 to $120.

If the winter tires need to be attached to your existing wheel rims, then the price is going to be a little bit more expensive.

You are looking at around $25 to $50 per tire. Again, this is going to be completely dependent on the vehicle that you own. You may need to shop around for the best prices here.

The Cost Of Balancing Winter Tires

With most garages, the cost of balancing should be included with the mounting of the winter tires.

However, there are some that may charge a little bit extra if you have a vehicle that is a little bit more complicated to deal with e.g. Mercedes vehicles are known for being incredibly difficult to balance tires on. Therefore, most garages will charge a little bit extra for this.

The cost of getting your winter tires balanced will cost roughly $10-$15 extra per tire. This means That you are looking at $40 to $60. As we said, the price may be a little bit higher with some vehicle models.

Extra Accessories

At the same time, you are probably going to want to purchase some new valve stems for your vehicle’s tires. This certainly won’t be expensive. Even the highest quality valve stems probably wouldn’t cost you more than $10 to $20 for all four tires.

If your vehicle has a Tire Pressuring Monitoring System (TPMS) that has been switched off (as it is in some models of vehicle), then you may need to pay $25 to have it switched on.

In many cases, it is going to be a legal requirement to have a TPMS on your vehicle. Newer vehicle models cannot legally operate without one, at least if they have winter tires. You can pay around $400 to $600 for all of your tires to have a sensor installed.

However, you will want to check whether this is a necessary expense. Chances are that it isn’t.

Can You Save Money By Installing Winter Tires Yourself?

While it is possible to install your own winter tires, you should probably avoid it. It can take a massive amount of time to do, particularly if you have no experience.

It isn’t really worth it for the sake of saving $120 (assuming that you would have to purchase brand new tires whether you are heading to a garage or installing yourself)

The main reason why we would suggest that you avoid installing your own winter tires, however, is due to the fact that you may damage sensors on your vehicle. As we said, most modern vehicles will have a TPMS installed.

If you damage one of these sensors, then you will need to pay somewhere between $100 and $150 to have it replaced. This is why it is so important that you always choose to work with a qualified vehicle technician.

When Is The Best Time To Get Your Winter Tires Changed?

Sadly, you don’t really have a whole lot of choice when it comes to selecting when your winter tires get swapped over.

Most states will have rules about when the switch needs to be made. This means that you really have to do it as close as possible to that switchover date.

Of course, if your state does not have any requirements about when you can use winter tires, you can get them switched over whenever you like. You should try and switch them over just before the snow hits. There is no sense in waiting.

Some people have found that they can save a little bit of money if they wait until the middle of the winter months for the swi5tchover.

However, we are talking a few dollars here and there. It isn’t worth it, particularly because your vehicle will be virtually undrivable if there is snow and ice on the road.

Conclusion

The cost of having winter tires installed can vary quite a bit. If you do not have tires, then you are looking to pay around $400 for them.

This is an expense that will only need to be covered every few years. The actual mounting and balancing part is likely to cost somewhere between $120 and $300, depending on the vehicle that you own. If you need to have a TPMS activated, then you can expect to pay another $25 or so.

If you need a TPMS installed, then it could be $400. However, assuming that you have the tires, expect to be paying around $150, on average. Speak to various garages to get the best price.

References

https://tractionlife.com/winter-tire-cost-expectations-and-options/