coupe
$249*
Mobile Window Tinting in Escondido
Carbon and ceramic film, fitted on your driveway
Rated 5 stars 5.0 1,000+ five-star reviews on
Overview
We install window tint at your place in Escondido, not ours.
Tint is not only about how the car looks. The right film cuts the heat that builds in a parked car, takes the glare out of a commute and keeps UV off your seats and dash. Escondido sits in an inland valley with hills on most sides, and that is exactly the geography that traps summer heat long after the coast has cooled off. A car parked outside here works harder than one parked twenty minutes west.
We fit carbon and ceramic films, from a straightforward carbon tint up to Apex Ultra ceramic at 95% heat rejection, and we will tell you honestly which one is worth the difference for how you actually drive. Every package, price and coverage diagram is set out on this page, so you can decide before you call.
Film needs a clean, covered space to go on well, so a garage or carport is ideal. Our technicians are licensed and fully insured. Family-run since 1994, rated 5.0 across more than 1,000 five-star reviews on Google, Yelp and Facebook.
Packages & pricing
Window tint packages, prices and coverage
Three full-car film tiers, plus front-window and windshield options you can fit on their own. Prices are set by the film you choose and the size of the vehicle, from a coupe up to a full-size SUV or truck, because bigger and more complex glass takes more film and more time.
These are the same prices we charge across San Diego County, unchanged for Escondido. Each package shows what the film does, exactly which glass it covers, the shades you can pick from and the warranty that comes with it.
Bronze Carbon Tint
Choose vehicle type swipe
sedan
$299*
compact suv
$329*
truck
$349*
full-size suv
$399*
What's included
- 50% Heat Rejection + 99% UV Rejection
- Application of GeoShield C2 Carbon Film to All Windows (Excluding Front Windshield & Sunroof)
- Your Choice of 50%, 35%, 20%, or 5% Film
- 3 Year Film Warranty
- Only Available In Shop
The one package we cannot bring to you. C2 Carbon is an indoor-only install, so Bronze is fitted at our San Marcos shop, a short run west on the 78.
Vehicle condition & upgrades
Addons:
- Tint Removal ($90/hr*): Complete removal of existing window tint from the vehicle.
- Tint Front Windshield (Starting at $299*): Application of GeoShield Pro Nano Ceramic Window Tint to the front windshield.
- Tint Sunroof ($100*): Application of GeoShield Pro Nano Ceramic Window Tint on 1 sunroof.
Silver Ceramic Tint
Choose vehicle type swipe
coupe
$349*
sedan
$399*
compact suv
$429*
truck
$449*
full-size suv
$499*
What's included
- 76% Heat Rejection + 99% UV Rejection
- Application of GeoShield Pro Nano Ceramic Film to All Windows (Excluding Front Windshield & Sunroof)
- Your Choice of 70%, 50%, 35%, 20%, or 5% Film
- Low Haze
- Lifetime Film Warranty
The tier we recommend most often in the valley. Pro Nano rejects far more heat than carbon at the same shade, and inland heat is precisely the problem it solves.
Vehicle condition & upgrades
Addons:
- Tint Removal ($90/hr*): Complete removal of existing window tint from the vehicle.
- Tint Front Windshield (Starting at $299*): Application of GeoShield Pro Nano Ceramic Window Tint to the front windshield.
- Tint Sunroof ($100*): Application of GeoShield Pro Nano Ceramic Window Tint on 1 sunroof.
Gold Ceramic Tint
Choose vehicle type swipe
coupe
$549*
sedan
$599*
compact suv
$629*
truck
$649*
full-size suv
$699*
What's included
- 95% Heat Rejection + 99% UV Rejection
- Application of GeoShield Apex Ultra Ceramic Film to All Windows (Excluding Front Windshield & Sunroof)
- Your Choice of 70%, 50%, 35%, 20%, or 5% Film
- Low Haze
- Lifetime Film Warranty
Worth the step up if the car has no garage or you commute the 15. Apex Ultra gives the biggest cut in cabin temperature of anything we fit, which counts most where summer afternoons are hottest.
Vehicle condition & upgrades
Addons:
- Tint Removal ($90/hr*): Complete removal of existing window tint from the vehicle.
- Tint Front Windshield (Starting at $399*): Application of GeoShield Apex Ultra Ceramic Window Tint to the front windshield.
- Tint Sunroof ($200*): Application of GeoShield Apex Ultra Ceramic Window Tint on 1 sunroof.
Front Windows
Choose your film swipe
C2 Carbon
$149*
50% heat rejection · in shop only
Pro Nano Ceramic
$199*
76% heat rejection
Apex Ultra Ceramic
$249*
95% heat rejection
What's included
- Your Choice of GeoShield Film to Front Two Windows
- Your Choice of 70%, 50%, 35%, 20%, or 5% Film
- High Optical Clarity
- Lifetime Film Warranty
Regularly booked on trucks and SUVs that came with factory-tinted rear glass, so the front two windows are brought up to match.
Vehicle condition & upgrades
Addons:
- Tint Removal ($90/hr*): Complete removal of existing window tint from the vehicle.
- Tint Front Windshield (Starting at $299*): Application of GeoShield Pro Nano or Apex Ultra Ceramic Window Tint to the front windshield.
- Tint Sunroof ($100, 200*): Application of GeoShield Pro Nano Ceramic or GeoShield Apex Ultra Ceramic Window Tint on 1 sunroof.
Windshield Ceramic Tint
Choose vehicle type swipe
coupe
Pro Nano $299*
Apex Ultra $399*
sedan
Pro Nano $299*
Apex Ultra $399*
compact suv
Pro Nano $299*
Apex Ultra $399*
truck
Pro Nano $399*
Apex Ultra $499*
full-size suv
Pro Nano $399*
Apex Ultra $499*
What's included
- Up to 95% Heat Rejection + 99% UV Rejection
- Application of GeoShield Pro Nano Ceramic or Apex Ultra Ceramic Film to The Front Windshield
- Your Choice of 70%, 50%, 35%, 20%, or 5% Film
- High Optical Clarity
- Lifetime Film Warranty
The one for low sun on the 78 heading west out of the valley, and for a car that sits in an open lot all day. Windshield film is separate and can be added to any package above.
Vehicle condition & upgrades
Addons:
- Tint Removal ($90/hr*): Complete removal of existing window tint from the vehicle.
- Tint Sunroof ($100, 200*): Application of GeoShield Pro Nano Ceramic or GeoShield Apex Ultra Ceramic Window Tint on 1 sunroof.
* Plus tax. All prices are estimates and subject to change until the vehicle has been inspected to verify condition and size/complexity of the windows. A covered area is recommended for installation. Additional labor will not be charged without customer approval. By tinting your windows at Smith Bros, you are acknowledging and agreeing to the Window Tint Disclaimer.
All five options can be fitted on-site in Escondido except Bronze C2 Carbon, which is in-shop only. The full technical comparison of every GeoShield film is on the main window tinting service page.
Choosing your shade, and what is legal in California
Every package lets you choose a shade, measured as VLT, or Visible Light Transmission: the share of visible light the film lets through. 70% is very light, 5% is limousine dark. The strip above shows the five shades together.
The rule is set by the state, not by the city, so Escondido is treated the same as everywhere else in California. Front side windows must let at least 70% of visible light through. Rear side windows and the rear windshield can be any shade you like.
Is a 35% tint legal in California?
On the back, yes. A 35% film is legal on rear side windows and the rear windshield and is a popular privacy choice. It is not legal on the front two side windows, which are held to 70%. An installer offering 35% up front is quoting you a fix-it ticket.
Inland, this is the conversation we have most often, because the instinct in hot weather is to go as dark as possible. Darker is not cooler. A 70% Apex Ultra ceramic film rejects far more heat than a dark carbon film, because the heat rejection comes from ceramic particles in the film rather than from the shade. If you want a cooler car, the film matters and the darkness does not.
We will settle the combination with you before anything goes on the glass, so the car is road-legal and actually cooler.
Why we fit GeoShield film
We are a GeoShield dealer and fit their film exclusively across all three tiers. The ceramic films use nano-ceramic particles instead of a metal layer to block heat, so they reject a lot of infrared without interfering with phone signal, GPS or tyre-pressure sensors the way older metallised films could.
They resist surface scratching, hold their colour instead of turning purple after a couple of summers, and both ceramic tiers carry a lifetime film warranty against bubbling, peeling, cracking and colour change. Cheap film is cheap because it does none of that.
Escondido is where that last point earns its keep. Cheap dyed film fades under sustained UV, and an inland valley delivers more of it, for more of the year, than the coast does. Purple windows on a ten-year-old car parked out here are not bad luck, they are what happens to budget film in this kind of sun.
The full film-by-film comparison is on the main window tinting service page.
How mobile window tinting works in Escondido
We come to you: home, workplace, or your own garage. Film wants a clean, covered space, so a garage or carport gives the best result. Wind is what makes an install hard rather than temperature, and the valley is generally more sheltered than the coast, which makes driveway work here fairly predictable. On a genuinely hot afternoon, shade helps us as much as it helps you.
The exception is the C2 Carbon film, which is in-shop only, both as the Bronze full-car tier and as the front-window option. That work happens at our San Marcos shop, a short drive west on the 78, and it is the reason Bronze is priced below the ceramic tiers.
What the appointment looks like
We are out seven days a week, 7am to 7pm, and we cover all of Escondido, from Grand Avenue and the downtown streets out past Kit Carson Park and into the surrounding valley neighbourhoods. Your technician texts on the way and again when the car is finished, so you are not waiting on a window that never opens.
A full-car tint is normally a half-day job. We need the car with us for the whole appointment and enough room around it to open every door.
After we leave
Leave the windows up for three days while the film cures. Some haze, small bubbles or trapped moisture is normal straight after an install and clears on its own. Out here the warm, dry air generally sorts it inside one to two weeks, quicker than the same job would clear on the coast. We walk you through it before we go.
Real reviews
What Escondido drivers say
Today Sam did our car detail. He was on time, very polite, and had a great attitude. He completed the job within the time he promised. The car looked amazing and he even explained what he did and what he applied. I noticed that he is very knowledgeable!
I recently had my windows tinted and couldn't be happier. From start to finish, Gavin was professional, efficient, and detail-oriented. The quality of the work really stands out: no bubbles, no uneven edges, just a clean, flawless finish. I immediately noticed a difference in temperature inside my car, and the added privacy is a huge bonus. I highly recommend this place.
Decided to get a ceramic coating and interior detail on my Tesla Model S and I am glad I chose Smith Bros! I couldn't believe how awesome my car looked after they came to my house and worked on it for hours. I got the Silver package and it is highly recommended. The interior detail add on was crucial. It looks brand new. Thanks Smith Bros!
Rated 5.0 across more than 1,000 five-star reviews on Google, Yelp and Facebook. Get a free quote for your vehicle.
Recent work
Recent window tint work
More finished cars, tint and everything else we do, are in our work.
Can I add ceramic coating, PPF or detailing?
A ceramic coating does for your paint what ceramic film does for your glass: it rejects UV, sheds water and keeps the finish from dulling. Inland sun is hard on clear coat, so it is a sensible pairing here. We are an authorized Opti-Coat installer, with tiers from $599. See the tiers and pricing.
Paint protection film takes the rock chips and road debris a coating cannot stop, with packages from $1,000 using self-healing Autobahn film. See PPF packages.
Booking more than one at a time saves you an appointment, since the car only has to be free once. We also fit mobile auto detailing in Escondido, ceramic coating in Escondido, paint protection film in Escondido and overspray removal in Escondido.
We cover the surrounding area too, including San Marcos, Valley Center, Vista, Rancho Bernardo and Ramona. The full list of what we do is on the services page.
Good to know
Escondido window tinting FAQs
How much does window tinting cost in Escondido?
Full-car film runs from $249 for Bronze carbon on a coupe up to $699 for Gold ceramic on a full-size SUV, plus tax. Front windows on their own start at $149, and a windshield runs $299 to $499 depending on the film and the vehicle.
Every price is broken out by vehicle type in the packages above, so you can price your own car instead of working from a range. Escondido is charged at the same rates as the rest of the county.
Which tint is best for inland heat?
Heat rejection is the number that matters, not the shade. Pro Nano Ceramic rejects about 76% of heat and Apex Ultra Ceramic about 95%, against roughly 50% for C2 Carbon.
Both ceramic films are available at a light 70% shade, so you can have the heat rejection without a dark car, which is also what keeps the front windows legal.
What tint is legal in California?
Front side windows must let at least 70% of visible light through. Rear side windows and the rear windshield can be any shade you want.
We will walk you through a combination that stays legal, and a 70% ceramic film at the front still rejects a lot of heat.
Is a 35% tint legal in California?
On the rear side windows and rear windshield, yes. On the front two side windows, no. Those are held to 70% VLT, so a 35% film up front is not road-legal in California.
Can you tint at my house in Escondido?
Yes, and that is how most of our tint work happens. Film wants a clean, covered space, so a garage or carport is ideal, and shade helps on a hot afternoon.
The C2 Carbon film is the exception and is in-shop only, whether you take it as the Bronze full-car tier or the front-window option. That is fitted at our San Marcos shop, west along the 78.
Can you remove my old tint first?
Yes. Tint removal is $90 per hour and covers stripping the existing film off the vehicle before the new film goes on. How long it takes depends on the film and how long it has been on the car.
Purple, bubbling film is the slowest to remove, and inland sun produces plenty of it. We will give you a realistic estimate once we have seen the car.
How long before I can roll my windows down?
Three days. The film needs that time to adhere fully, and rolling a window down early can damage it.
Why does my tint look hazy or bubbled?
That is trapped moisture and it is normal straight after an install. It clears as the film cures, usually within one to two weeks, and warm inland air tends to get it done at the faster end of that.
Does ceramic tint really block more heat?
Yes, and measurably so. C2 Carbon rejects about 50% of heat, Pro Nano Ceramic about 76%, and Apex Ultra Ceramic about 95%. All three block 99% of UV.
If a hot parked car is what you want to fix, that difference is what you are paying for, and it matters more than how dark the film looks.
Is the tint covered by a warranty?
The Silver and Gold ceramic packages carry a lifetime warranty on the film, as do the ceramic front-window and windshield options. The Bronze Carbon option carries a 3-year film warranty.
The warranty covers the film against bubbling, peeling, cracking and colour change.
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Mon–Sun · 7AM – 7PM · San Diego County & Southern California