How much does it cost to get winter tires put on

Winter Tire Cost: What Can You Can Expect to Pay?

November 4, 2022

Photo: iStock

Whether your region requires you to install snow-rated tires during the cold months or you simply want to sport them for added safety, you should know how much a winter tire costs. Many car owners just don’t install winter tires because they believe they’re unaffordable.

While winter tires are typically known to be more expensive, affordable options from growing tire brands like Sailun Tire don’t compromise on the quality and performance drivers expect on the icy roads.

But even the pricer ones are more affordable than your rising insurance premium, likely medical bills, and automotive repairs (not covered in the insurance policy) that you must endure due to an accident in harsh winter conditions.

Here, we will explain the cost of different winter tires and the additional expenses associated with them. If you’re in the market for new winter tires — from value-based to premium — check out our full buying guide here.

So, how much do winter tires cost & what should you expect to pay?

Many factors affect the price of winter tires, including brand, type, quality, and size. Since every brand has its own criteria to evaluate the price for its rubber, we would avoid commenting on it. However, we will specifically discuss type, quality and size to give you a fair idea of winter or snow tires.

For a compact car with a famous 205/55R16 size, below are approximate prices.

Type and Size

The three main types of winters you find in the market include studless, studded, and winter performance.

Studdless Tires

For most people, studdless winter tires are a perfect companion in cold conditions. These incorporate biting edges and soft rubber compounds, making them flexible for winter. A standard studdless tire will cost you anywhere between $60 and $550, each.

On average, for a typical compact car, expect to pay around $100-$150 per tire or $400-$600 for all four. For an SUV or light-duty pickup, the price goes up to $200-$400 each or $800-$1,200 for a set of four.

Studded Tires

For extreme weather conditions like freezing rain, sleet and wet ice, studded tires are ideal for a safe driving experience. The metal studs fixed on these tires bite into ice, giving you improved grip and handling. A studded rubber would cost you around $75-$550 or more per tire. For two pairs, you can expect to pay between $300 and $2,200.

There are also studdable options, like the Sailun Iceblazer WST1 studdable performance winter tire trusted by over 1-million drivers in Canada alone, which won’t break the bank yet designed for drivers that demand maximum traction in severe weather conditions.

Sailun IceBlazer WST1 studdable winter tireSailun IceBlazer WST1 studdable winter tire

Winter Performance Tires

For guys who do not want to leave their sports cars or performance sedans in their garage in winters, they should put on winter performance tires. They are designed to offer excellent traction at high speeds on wet and dry roads. However, they are not your perfect companion for ice or snow-packed roads. A regular high performer is available at around $100-$500 each or $400-$2,000 for all four.

What factors affect the price of winters?

For all the prices we mentioned above, the smaller the size, the lower the cost. However, the price variation also depends on the tire brand, with American tires selling higher than Chinese-made tires.

Other Expenses associated with winter tires

The prices we shared above are purely for snow tires; they do not include installation charges. For installation, you have two choices. You can either mount the winter rubber on the existing wheels or buy a new set of wheels for all tires.

If you go for a semi-annual tire change on your existing wheels, it will generally cost you around $40-$80 for all tires. The cost includes re-mounting and re-balancing. On the other hand, you can buy new wheels for all tires, making it effortless to put on winters when the snow, ice, and slush appear. The four new wheels will set you back $120-$500 or more. You can always try secondhand wheels; they may cost as low as $40-$80.
In the U.S., federal law demands new vehicles to come with Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). According to the news by Consumer Reports, the cars with disabled TPMS can’t have the winter tires installed. So, to install the TPMS sensors, you have to additionally pay $50-$125 for each tire, according to your vehicle’s brand and model.
If you are going to use studdable winter tires, the optional metal studs will cost you an additional $15-$25 per tire.

Tips for shopping winter tires

Before you shop for winter tires, you should know the recommended size, speed rating and load rating for your vehicles. You can find these details in the doorjamb, glove compartment, trunk lid, fuel-filler door, in addition to the car’s manual.

Nearly all tire manufacturers create winter and snow tires, so it is entirely up to you to pick a tire that suits your needs and budget. It is wise to compare prices of different tires, keeping in view “out the door” and “all in” costs. The latter comprises everything from the valve stem, tire installation, and wheel balancing. However, some workshops ask for an extra $2-$25 per tire for these services.

If you have to buy under a tight budget, you can consider used winter tires. However, you need to be very careful with certain things like tread depth. It is prudent to measure the tread depth and make sure not to buy a tire with less than 5/32″ (4 mm) depth. Furthermore, if you find any cuts or ruptures in the sidewall, swells, blisters or tread distortion, do not buy them. Last but not least, do not buy tires that have extensive exposure to the sun, rain or high temperature.

Many tire manufacturers offer discounts throughout the year. Some retailers provide direct discounts, while others may give you mail-in rebates. You may find them in the shape of gift cards or prepaid cards. The discount amount may vary as per size and model.

Ensure you buy new snow tires for all the wheels. For a two-wheel-drive car, if you think two new tires would be enough, you can’t be more wrong. With only two wheels gripping properly, the vehicle can simply pinwheel out of control.

Do not buy studded tires unless your state or province allows them.

Takeaway

Consumer Reports says that winters tires increase the snow traction by 34%, thus making it easy for you to stop and maneuver the vehicle. These tires actually cut the braking distance by around six feet. That six feet distance is often the gap between you rear-ending a car or drifting into a crossing against carefully coming to a halt without causing a mishap.

Buying the snow tires also enables you to enjoy insurance savings as well as better fuel mileage (if you maintain them well).

Of note, 76% of all Canadians change their all-season tires with snow tires to enjoy better traction and control. Most car owners say that these tires have saved them a possibly dangerous condition.

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.

Read also >> Mavis Tire Installation Cost (Mount & Balance 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.

Read also >> Does Walmart Balance Tires? (Cost + More)

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/

Tire fitting and wheel balancing

Is it time to switch from winter to summer tires? Come to our car service to change tires by prior online appointment.

Shesteryonka car services are equipped with modern Italian balancing equipment RAVAGLIOLIM and a tire changer CORCHI , which allows tire fitting for wheels ranging in size from 12 "to 30", including low-profile tires and Run Flat tires.

In addition to tire fitting and wheel balancing, you will receive high-quality services for all types of repairs, including puncture and side cut repair, as well as washing and cleaning wheels. Service centers "Shesterenka" have the status of certified services that have the right to perform tire fitting and wheel balancing.

Name of work	Cost of works
	R12-14	R15		R16		R17-18		R19+ comm. transport
	R12-14	light	implemented	easy	implemented	easy	off-road	R19+ comm. transport
Wheel - remove/attach	90	100	120	110	150	140	170	170
Wheel - balancing	90	100	120	110	150	140	170	170
Wheel assembly	80	90	100	90	130	120	130	150
Wheel - removal	80	90	100	90	130	120	130	150
Wash wheel	50	50	50	50	70	70	70	70
Wheel - inflation	25	25	25	25	25	25	25	25
Chamber - repair	50	50	50	50	50	-	-	-
One wheel conversion (excl. freight cost)	340	380	440	400	560	520	600	640
4 / 6 wheel conversion (without cost of freight)	1360	1520	1760	1600	2240	2080	2400	2560/3840
Tire - repair (harness installation)	150	150	150	150	150	150	150	150
Tire - repair (mushroom installation)	150	150	150	150	150	150	150	150
Tire - repair (installation of cord patch)	250	250	250	250	250	250	250	250
Tire - repair (side cut up to 3 cm)	250	250	250	250	250	300	300	300
Seat - cleaning	25	25	25	25	25	50	50	50
Seat - sealing	40	40	40	40	40	60	60	60
Disc check (balance)	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50
Copper grease treatment of the hub (1 wheel)	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50
Installing a non-return valve	25	25	25	25	25	25	25	25
Pressure sensor installation	200	200	200	200	200	200	200	200

Please note that the price is indicated in rubles and is valid at the time of publication. You can get more complete information by contacting the managers of the Shesteryonka service centers.

Certificates of Shesterenka service centers

How much does it cost to change the shoes of a car

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Interesting0002 November 26, 2020

When it is worth changing summer tires to winter tires, the weather forecast always tells drivers. Since there are no legal norms at what time to do this. And although we are not promised snow yet, I would not recommend waiting for it in order to change the shoes of your car. It is a bad idea. After all, on a slippery road it is very easy to lose control of the car. And then you have to go to the service station not only to replace tires, but also to repair the body.

Everyone knows that it's time to change tires when the average daily temperature has reached 7 degrees. It was then that summer tires no longer “work”. It is very dangerous to ride them. So how much does it cost to change a car in 2020? How much will you have to pay for replacing summer tires with winter ones in Kyiv, Dnipro, Lvov, Vinnitsa, Zaporozhye and other cities of our country. From this article you will find out the prices in each region.

Pick up tires and rims for car

Usually, car owners turn to tire fitting when they have one set of wheels and two sets of tires. That is, the tires need to be reboarded. This procedure implies that the tire fitting worker will remove the summer kit and put on the winter one. It also needs to be balanced. This is standard procedure. It happens that even the disks need some kind of repair or cleaning. You will have to pay extra for this separately. If you only stopped by to “change shoes”, be prepared to spend about 40 minutes of your time. True, if you come by appointment. On a first-come, first-served basis, time can stretch for several hours.

Is there a price difference depending on the tire diameter?

Yes. I will give statistics on the example of Vinnitsa car services. Having taken an interest in prices, I can say that on average it turns out like this:

13-14 sizes - 320 UAH,
15-17 sizes - 360 UAH,
18-19 sizes - 460 UAH,
20-22 sizes - 520 UAH.

Statistics given for passenger cars - tire change on light alloy wheels (R16) plus balancing.

By the way, the price also depends on the class of the car. For SUVs, SUVs, minivans will be more expensive. It turns out that the larger the car and the size of the wheels itself, the more expensive. But from the type of disks - casting or steel - the price practically does not change. If your tires are on steel rims, the price remains either the same, or the difference fluctuates around minus 20-50 hryvnia.

Below on the chart you will see the prices in the regional centers of Ukraine. They are average for passenger cars on alloy wheels (R16). That is, you need to understand what can be a little cheaper or a little more expensive. There are cities that stand out with the highest prices. But in principle, plus or minus is the same throughout Ukraine.

Somehow, unexpectedly for me, it turned out to be the most expensive thing to wear a winter set in Lviv and Zhytomyr - 500 UAH and 490 UAH, respectively. Khmelnitsky also stood out - 460 UAH, Kyiv - 450 UAH, Dnipro - 430 UAH. The cheapest is in Chernihiv - 340 UAH and Sumy - 350 UAH. However, see for yourself:

City	Price (UAH)
Vinnitsa	380
Dnipro	430
Zhytomyr	490
Uzhhorod	360
Zaporozhye	370
Ivano-Frankivsk	380
Kyiv	450
Kropyvnytsky	360
Lviv	500
Lutsk	360
Nikolaev	370
Odessa	410
Poltava	360
Rivne	400
Sumy	350
Ternopil	370
Kharkiv	400
Kherson	380
Khmelnitsky	460
Cherkasy	370
Chernivtsi	400
Chernihiv	340

When calling service stations, some immediately offered discounts or some related services. For example - a 20% discount on air conditioning maintenance in the spring, if they have their tires rebuilt now. And several tire shops said they could keep the winter tires for storage. In Vinnitsa, it costs about 100 UAH per month for 4 wheels without discs. Very handy if you have nowhere to store them at home. Because storage conditions are very important. It must be dry and clean. Tires must be laid in the correct position so that they do not experience uneven pressure and do not deform during downtime. And before that, they need to be washed and dried.