Before your tint appointment

Before you book

The quote is built from the car, so the more exact the details, the more exact the number. Send:

• Year, make, model and body style. Crew cab or extended cab, two-row or three-row, and whether it’s a long-wheelbase version.
• The windows you want filmed. Two front doors to match factory rear glass, the whole car, the windshield, a sunroof or a glass roof.
• The film and shade, if you know them. If you don’t, say where the car parks and whether heat, glare or privacy is the main complaint, and the shop will recommend a film.
• Any old film on the car, and what it looks like. Removal adds about 30 to 60 minutes and belongs in the quote.
• Whether the car was shipped from the mainland. Front tint from another state often reads darker than Hawaii allows, and the shop meters it at drop-off. See Shipped to Maui?.

Use the quote form or call (808) 707-7064. The shop confirms the price and takes the deposit when you book.

The week before

• Check the glass. Note any chips, cracks or deep scratches, and make sure the rear defroster works. Mention anything you find at drop-off, so it’s on record before film goes on.
• Leave old film alone. Peeling it yourself, especially off the back glass, can break defroster lines. If it’s coming off, let it be part of the job.
• Decide on the rear shade. The front side windows must read at least 35% through film and glass on every vehicle. On sedans, vans, minivans, trucks and buses with mirrors on both sides, the rear can be any shade. On an SUV, coupe or hatchback, the shop confirms the rear shade with you. The Hawaii window tint law page has the rest.

The day before

• Clear the windows. Empty the door pockets, the rear deck behind the back seat and the cargo area, so every pane can be reached from inside.
• Take things off the glass. Parking passes, suction-cup mounts, sunshades and stickers on the inside of the windows. If you’re getting windshield film, mention a dash camera mounted to the glass.
• Child seats. If one sits against a door, say so when you book. It may need to come out so the film can be laid on that window.
• Washing. You don’t need to detail the car. Every window gets an ammonia-free clean before film goes on. If the car is caked in red dirt or beach sand, a rinse of the outside keeps grit away from the door seals and the film edges.

At drop-off

The shop is at 430 Hookahi St in Wailuku. You and the shop go over the car together: the film, the shade and the window list are confirmed against Hawaii law, the front glass is metered, and any old film, camera or rain sensor is noted. Then you leave the car. Most tint is done the same day with a morning drop-off. The timing guide breaks it down by vehicle, and a windshield, glass roof or old film removal adds time.

While the car is in the shop

Every window is cleaned. Old film comes off if there is any. The film is computer-cut to your glass before it goes on, so nothing is cut on the window itself. Each pane is laid wet, squeegeed flat and heat-shrunk to the curve of the glass, and every window is inspected before you’re called to pick up.

At pickup

• Look at every window with the installer. A light haze or a few small water pockets are normal at this stage.
• Take the certificate. Hawaii requires the installer to give you a certificate that the film complies, and it stays in the vehicle. Offshore gives one with every vehicle install. Keep it with your registration; the annual safety inspection meters the tint.
• Take the care notes and ask anything you’re unsure about.

The first days after

• Windows up for 3 to 5 days while the moisture under the film evaporates.
• Don’t press on the water pockets. They clear on their own, which can take most of the first week.
• Don’t clean the inside of the glass until the film has cured. After that, use an ammonia-free cleaner and a soft cloth.
• Wash the outside whenever you like. The film is on the inside.

Shop hours

Hours are Hawaii time (HST, no daylight saving):

• Monday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Wednesday and Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon
• Sunday, closed

From the shop, Kahului is about 8 minutes, Pukalani about 20, Kihei about 25, Wailea about 35 and Lahaina about 45. If you’re driving in from farther out, ask for the first slot of the morning. To book, use the quote form or call (808) 707-7064.