Will Sam’s Club Install Tires Purchased Elsewhere

A cost-conscious shopper might be inclined to order tires online through a discount site and bring them, with the vehicle in need of new tires, to a shop for installation. This strategy may work well with local mechanics and tire dealers, but does Sam’s Club install tires purchased elsewhere?

While they have great prices on the tires they sell and offer various in-shop services, Sam’s Club does not install tires purchased elsewhere. Additionally, they will not install tires purchased at other Sam’s Club locations, either.

The reason large retailers like this won’t do this is usually due to cost calculations. Labor fees associated with tire installations are not all that profitable, and more money is made on the sale of tires. It’s difficult for a shop connected to a big retailer to maintain profitability if they are installing too many tires purchased elsewhere.

Should I Buy Tires from Sam’s Club?

Sam’s Club has great prices and deals on a variety of items, so it’s reasonable to think they also have good deals on tires as well. It turns out that it makes a lot of sense to buy tires from Sam’s Club and have them install them.

The store charges a flat rate of $20 per tire for members, which gets you the “All-in tire installation package.” The Sam’s Club website lists some great perks that come with this package:

• Emergency roadside assistance for three years from the date of purchase, which includes towing assistance, flat tire assistance, fuel delivery service, lock-out service, jump start, and any necessary winching/extraction for a stuck vehicle.
• Road hazard protection that covers damage to your tire not caused by you.
• Lifetime balance, rotation, and free flat repair for the lifetime of the tire
• New valve stem for any newly mounted tires
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) reset and calibration
• Disposal of any used or waste tires

Note that the flat repair service is a membership benefit that ALL Sam’s Club members get, regardless of where their tires were purchased or installed. Any Sam’s Club member can take advantage of this; they just need to make an appointment with the shop.

There are also some important restrictions to these services due to the equipment they have available. RVs, fleet vehicles, anything in tow, large trucks over a certain capacity, and commercial vehicles are not eligible, and other caveats apply. Make sure to check the fine print before committing to anything.

The Typical Cost Of Tires

Tires are expensive. We estimate the average cost for a set of 4 tires to be around $600. Pricing on tires can vary dramatically, though, depending on size and performance. For example, a tire for a larger vehicle like an SUV or pickup truck will cost roughly twice as much as a standard 15-inch tire that can be found on a typical sedan.

It makes sense, then, that people try to find the best deal possible when it comes time to replace the tires on their vehicle.

	Cheap And Inexpensive	Mid-Range	Luxury Quality
Per Tire (avg.)	$60-$150	$120-$300	$325-$1,000
Set Of 4 (avg.)	$220-$600	$430-$1,200	$1,250-$4,000

Are Tires Priced Well at Sam’s Club?

Sam’s Club has excellent prices on tires because they are able to offer member-only discounts that lower the cost if you were to purchase the exact same tire elsewhere. Goodyear, Pirelli, and BF Goodrich tires are all available, and an $80 discount is available every day to members if they purchase a set of 4.

Additional seasonal and rotating offers also come and go: Michelin tires are $70 off if you buy a set of 4 right now, but this deal ends next month.

You can shop online and be able to see any potential discounts you’ll receive as a Sam’s Club member. This can make it easy to compare the price of tires at Sam’s Club versus the price you’d pay if you were to source the tires on your own.

Where Can I Have 3rd Party Tires Installed?

As noted earlier, most large retail companies with auto services have policies against installing tires purchased elsewhere. In addition to Sam’s Club, Costco also has a policy of not installing tires purchased elsewhere. If you already have some 3rd party tires in hand or don’t want to purchase directly from Sam’s Club, you can take your tires to Walmart. Walmart will install and balance tires purchased elsewhere for an additional fee.

Note from the table above that the standard fee at Walmart is $15 per tire, which comes with a valve stem/TPMS service pack, lifetime balance and rotation every 7,500 miles, and a 50-mile lug re-torque – standard package.

If you’re bringing in tires you purchased somewhere else, though, the fee goes up to $25 – so $100 for a set of 4 instead of $60. Walmart offers some additional protections and perks for Walmart-purchased tires, which you cannot obtain with 3rd party tires, incentivizing you to buy and install entirely with them.

Concluding Remarks

Overall, Sam’s Club is a great place to go for new tires and installation services. You’ll likely be pleased with the experience and receive a good deal. If you already have tires in hand and are looking for a good deal on having them installed, however, your options are limited.

Sam’s Club won’t be able to help you get those new tires on your car. Walmart is an option, but be aware of the additional services and perks you leave on the table by going this route. If you’re able to make the cost savings on the tire purchase make sense, a quick and cheap installation might actually be the best way to go.