Window Tint for Midtown Drivers
Midtown is one of the closest neighborhoods to our shop. A lot of what we see from Midtown is younger drivers, sport compacts and first nice cars, parked on the street or in an assigned spot in a garage.
The questions that come with a first nice car are simple: how dark can I go, what does it cost, and will it get me pulled over? Short answers: no darker than 25% on the front doors, $300 to start on a sedan, and a legal front holds up when an officer meters it.
What Midtown does to your glass and cabin
Street parking. A car parked on a Midtown street sits in the sun for hours, and the cabin heats up through every window. Ceramic film rejects far more infrared than dyed film, and quality film blocks up to 99% of UV, which slows cracking and fading on the dash and seats.
The first nice car. If the budget is tight, carbon is the place to start. It has no metal in it, it won't fade to purple the way cheap dyed film does, and it's a real step up in heat rejection. Ceramic is the upgrade when you're ready for it.
Nights out. Very dark film makes it harder to see after dark, especially in your mirrors and when you're backing out of a tight spot. That's why we suggest 35% or lighter up front on a car that's out a lot at night, even though 25% is legal. The back can still go dark.
What it costs
For a sedan, carbon starts at $300, ceramic at $400 and nano ceramic at $550. Send the year, make and model through the free quote form and you'll usually have an exact number the same day.
The window tint page explains the films. The window tint cost guide shows where the money goes furthest, and ceramic tint vs regular tint explains why dark isn't the same as cool.
Getting here from Midtown
We're at 5002 Navigation Blvd in EaDo, just east of downtown. From Midtown it's Bagby or I-45, usually about 7 minutes outside rush hour. Most tint jobs take a few hours, so you can drop the car off in the morning and pick it up later that day. You'll get a firm timeline with your quote. Keep the windows up for three to five days afterward while the film cures.
Midtown FAQ
Is 20% legal on the front windows?
No. The front side windows need 25% or more, measured through the film and the factory glass together, so 20% up front is ticketable. 20% is fine on the back side windows, and on the rear glass if the car has outside mirrors on both sides. The Texas tint law page has every zone.
What does a tint ticket cost?
Illegal tint is a misdemeanor in Texas, with a fine of up to $200. The bigger cost is being told to strip the film and redo it. Paying for tint once is cheaper than paying for it twice.
Will tint mess with my phone signal?
Not carbon or ceramic. Neither has metal in it, so your phone, GPS and radio work the same as before. Metalized film is the kind that can cause trouble, which is one reason we steer most people toward carbon or ceramic.
More for Midtown: ceramic coating · paint protection film · vehicle wraps · everything we do for Midtown. Nearby: Downtown Houston · Montrose · EaDo.
Spec'd Studios · 5002 Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX 77011 · (346) 216-7119 · Mon–Fri 8–6, Sat 9–4