How much to swap tires

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

January 2, 2022

Updated: November 4, 2022

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.

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.

Featured

How long does it take to change the wheels of a car at a tire fitting from summer tires to winter tires

The procedure for servicing cars at tire change stations can take a different amount of time. The exact figure depends on the equipment present and the professionalism of the master. On average, changing the wheels of a car at a tire fitting stretches for 20-30 minutes, in the absence of a serious workload of personnel.

Contents

• 1 How long does it take to change winter tires
• 2 How long does it take to change tires for summer
• 3 Life hack to speed up the tire change procedure

In some cases, the installation procedure can take an hour or more. The exact figure will depend on the type of work performed.

1. Simple reversal of complete wheels. The lightest version for a mechanic. Experienced specialists take no more than 5-10 minutes for the entire car.
2. Re-shoeing of new skates without balancing. In standard mode, changing tires takes up to 10 minutes / piece.
3. A full range of services, including balancing, takes 10-15 minutes per wheel.

If you put new skates on the wheels, you need to count on at least an hour. The usual replacement of finished wheels is faster. A savvy master can change all discs in a few minutes.
The need for repairs also affects the efficiency of work. In some situations (vulcanization is required), the procedure may take a day.

How long does it take to change winter tires

Service stations and tire shops in Russia always try to work as quickly as possible. The salary of the master directly depends on the number of clients. Usually the procedure for changing a set of tires from summer to winter does not take more than one hour.

Waiting time can be increased by factors that do not affect the immediate speed of the specialist's work - this is the queue and customer requirements.

How long does it take to change summer tires

Installation of summer tires is more difficult for the master than winter tires. This is argued by the increased rigidity of the rubber. Dense sidewalls are difficult to put on discs, which requires great physical effort.

This difference will not be noticeable to the user. Experienced technicians know how to properly place a product on the machine for fast assembly.

Life hack to speed up the tire change procedure

To facilitate the process of changing tires and speed up service, you can foresee a few points in advance and not wait in a huge queue.

1. Arrange in advance with the foremen about the time of arrival and the amount of work. If the mechanic is warned about the visit, a window prepared for a specific car is formed at the service station. For complete confidence, you can give the mechanics an advance payment of 30-50% of the total cost of service.
2. Surcharge for urgency. If you need to change tires immediately, specialists may charge double the rate for high speed work. This works when repairing out of turn. However, in this case, the possible dissatisfaction of other customers can lead to a scandal or even fights.
3. Pre-replacement. With a sharp change in the weather in the autumn-spring period, a complete emergency occurs at tire shops. At this time, some workshops work around the clock due to many hours of queues. You can avoid this by changing the wheels in advance.

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Tire fitting and wheel balancing

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

Shesterenka 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 for low profile tires and type 9 tires0029 Run Flat.

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 work
	R12-14	R15		R16		R17-18		R19+ comm. transport
		light	implemented	easy	implemented	easy	off-road
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 a 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 test (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.

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