TAP Plastics Cut-to-Size Acrylic
Fourteen West Coast stores where a cut-to-size acrylic order takes minutes at the counter, backed by named-brand cast and extruded sheet and staff who know the material. Not the cheapest, but the fastest and the most helpful.
By Sergio Igartua, Founder & Editor · Updated · How we research
Key facts
- TAP Plastics, founded in 1952 and based in San Leandro, California, runs 14 stores in California, Oregon, and Washington.
- TAP Plastics cuts acrylic to size at the counter, typically in under five minutes.
- TAP Plastics stocks Chemcast, ACRYLITE, and Spartech sheet, both extruded and cast.
- AcrylicWindow.com rates TAP Plastics 4.4 out of 5 as the best place on the West Coast to buy acrylic for a window.
Pros
- Cut-to-size at the counter, often in under five minutes
- Chemcast, ACRYLITE, and Spartech sheet; cast from 1/8 to 3 inches
- Abrasion-resistant sheet, NOVUS polish, and solvent cement on the same shelf
- Staff who will talk you out of the wrong thickness
- Online cut orders ship nationwide in two to three days
Cons
- Stores only in California, Oregon, and Washington
- Quote pricing rather than an instant online calculator
- Generally higher prices than online-only suppliers
- Service quality varies by store
Specifications
| Founded | 1952 as Taylor & Art Plastics, Oakland, CA; first retail store 1961, Hayward |
| Headquarters | San Leandro, California |
| Stores | 14 in California, Oregon, and Washington, plus web store |
| Brands | Chemcast, ACRYLITE, Spartech |
| Extruded | 1/16 to 1/4 in clear |
| Cast | 1/8 to 3 in clear, plus colors and grades |
| Specialty | AR abrasion-resistant sheet, mirror, tints, polycarbonate |
| In-store cutting | Typically under 5 minutes |
| Online cut orders | 2 to 3 business days |
| Also sells | NOVUS polish, restoral kits, solvent cement, fabrication supplies |
TAP Plastics is listed in our directory. See TAP Plastics in the directory →
Our Verdict
If you live within reach of a TAP store, it is the best place on the West Coast to buy a sheet of acrylic for a window. Everyone else should compare its online quote against Acme and ePlastics before ordering.
Overview
TAP Plastics started in 1952 when Art Whitehead and Gilbert Taylor opened a wholesale outlet for fiberglass and acrylic sheet in Oakland and called it Taylor and Art Plastics. The first retail store followed on Foothill Boulevard in Hayward in 1961. Today the company runs 14 stores in California, Oregon, and Washington from a San Leandro headquarters and ships nationwide from a web store. For most people on the West Coast, "the plastics store" means TAP.
What sets it apart from every online supplier is the counter. You walk in with dimensions, pick a sheet, and walk out with it cut, usually in under five minutes. For a replacement pane or a storm-window panel, nothing else is as fast or as forgiving of a measuring mistake you catch at the register.
What you get
TAP stocks clear extruded acrylic from 1/16 to 1/4 inch and premium cast from 1/8 to a full 3 inches, from Chemcast, ACRYLITE, and Spartech, plus colors, tints, mirror, and a broad range of other plastics. It carries abrasion-resistant AR acrylic for marine and high-wear jobs, which most retail sources do not, and it sells the things you need alongside the sheet: NOVUS polishes, the acrylic restoral kit, solvent cement, plastic-scoring knives, and glazing supplies.
Cut-to-size orders placed online currently take two to three business days to process, Monday through Friday, and ship nationwide. Pricing is by quote in store or by contacting the company; there is no instant calculator on the site.
Service
The Yelp record across TAP's stores is mostly positive, with reviewers in San Jose, Portland, Sacramento, Fremont, and San Francisco praising knowledgeable and quick counter staff and workable suggestions for their projects. It is not uniform; at least one reviewer reported poor service at the San Leandro store. That is the nature of a 14-store chain. On balance, TAP's staff are the reason to go there: a counter person who asks what the sheet is for and steers you from 1/8 to 3/16 inch has saved more windows than any data sheet.
Price
TAP is not the low-price option, and it does not pretend to be. A sailboat owner quoting a full hatch-and-portlight refit in cut and finished pieces was quoted about $800 at TAP against $442 in material plus $30 and $150 in cutting and milling at ePlastics. For a single small pane the gap is a few dollars and the convenience wins. For a big multi-panel job, get a second quote.
Who should buy here
Anyone within driving distance of a TAP store who needs a pane cut today, wants a named cast grade, needs AR sheet, or wants to ask a human what to buy. Also anyone who wants the polish and the cement on the same receipt.
Look at Acme Plastics for instant pricing and lower cost on a plain pane, or ePlastics for a big fabricated order with polished edges. Our suppliers roundup compares all of them.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How much does TAP Plastics cut-to-size acrylic cost?
TAP Plastics prices by quote in store or by contacting the company; there is no instant online calculator. TAP is not the low-price option and does not claim to be. One sailboat owner quoting a full hatch-and-portlight refit in cut and finished pieces was quoted about $800 at TAP against $442 in material plus $30 and $150 in cutting and milling at ePlastics. On a single small pane the gap is a few dollars.
What acrylic does TAP Plastics stock?
TAP Plastics stocks clear extruded acrylic from 1/16 to 1/4 inch and premium cast acrylic from 1/8 inch to a full 3 inches, from named brands Chemcast, ACRYLITE, and Spartech, plus colors, tints, and mirror. It also carries abrasion-resistant AR acrylic for marine and high-wear jobs, which most retail sources do not, alongside NOVUS polishes, the acrylic restoral kit, solvent cement, plastic-scoring knives, and glazing supplies.
How fast is TAP Plastics cut-to-size service?
At the counter, a TAP Plastics cut-to-size order typically takes under five minutes: you walk in with dimensions, pick a sheet, and walk out with it cut. That makes it the most forgiving route for a replacement pane or storm-window panel, since a measuring mistake can be caught at the register. Cut-to-size orders placed online currently take two to three business days to process, Monday through Friday, and ship nationwide.
Where are TAP Plastics stores located?
TAP Plastics runs 14 stores across California, Oregon, and Washington from a San Leandro, California headquarters, and ships nationwide from its web store. The company began in 1952 when Art Whitehead and Gilbert Taylor opened a wholesale fiberglass and acrylic outlet in Oakland as Taylor and Art Plastics, with the first retail store following in Hayward in 1961. Outside the West Coast, the web store is the only way in.
Is TAP Plastics service any good?
The Yelp record across TAP Plastics stores is mostly positive, with reviewers in San Jose, Portland, Sacramento, Fremont, and San Francisco praising knowledgeable, quick counter staff and workable project suggestions. It is not uniform: at least one reviewer reported poor service at the San Leandro store, which is the nature of a 14-store chain. On balance the staff are the reason to go, since a counter person who steers you from 1/8 to 3/16 inch saves windows.
Should I buy acrylic from TAP Plastics or an online supplier?
Buy at TAP Plastics if you are within driving distance and need a pane cut today, want a named cast grade, need abrasion-resistant sheet, or want to ask a human what to buy. Compare a quote against Acme Plastics, which offers instant pricing and lower cost on a plain pane, or ePlastics for a large fabricated order with polished edges. For a big multi-panel job, get a second quote before ordering.