Very unique store. When I need something, these amazing humans have always done a great job helping me finish my project. I have been going to this store for over 20 years. I shoudl have written a review long ago. read more

Efficient, helpful, and responsive; very reasonable pricing too. A pleasure to work with!

My colleague recommended TAP Plastics to me for sourcing some high-density, marine-grade plastic. Steve at the San Rafael store (#26) was very informed on the subsequent phone call that I made, and was able to facilitate a path forward for prepaying for the material and also for arranging for pickup of the same by said colleague. He followed up shortly thereafter acknowledging that he had made the agreed-upon cut and set the material aside for pickup. Professional service! read more

TAP Plastics has been a favorite store of mine for at least 25 years. They have milled a gajillion different custom plastic flat sheet panels for my boats over the years - Jim and company are masters, and he works fast. It's always fun to make a template come to life for some purpose or another. A little custom work is good for the soul!!! read more

TAP Plastics - Brown paper, 3M Blue Tape, and the PLASSSSSSSTIC! - Arts & Crafts Near Me - San Rafael, California

I bought a piece of acrylic months ago and had it cut a little too big for my project. Came in today MONTHS later and Jim cut it for me for free! The staff here is always 10/10. Kathy up front was really friendly too read more

I visited TAP plastics to have them precisely cut an acrylic dowel to various lengths, each a millimeter longer. And they did it to perfection. Cutting a much larger sheet to frame a marquee poster or dozens of sizes for other artwork all were done with the same expertise. The selection of supplies, the courtesy of the staff, the quality of the work cannot be improved upon. read more

This place is fantastic! I needed a piece of plexy to fit inside of a cabinet. In and out in a few minutes. Endless choices of color and thickness, if needed. Great staff, great prices! read more

Thank you for helping me choose the right epoxy and colorant--it turned out perfect! I'll be back soon.

Our two cats love wrestling when they are not napping together in an adorable ball of fur. Unfortunately, that led to a collision with one of the glass doors of a display cabinet in our living room. Finding a glass shop that would replace the door was futile, but TAP plastics came to the rescue. They used the undamaged door to create two copies in clear plastic, and now our cabinet is whole again, as well as safer in a home shared with two rambunctious felines. They carefully made sure the holes for the hinges were exactly the same size of the original. I'm so thankful to have them around. read more

I was blown away by the amazing customer service and quick work at TAP Plastics in San Rafael! As soon as I walked in, Kathy was so helpful and friendly. She took the time to measure everything for me, made recommendations on the right materials to use, and was quick with a quote and payment link via email. The two pieces with custom cuts were ready in one day! And the cost was reasonable as well. In this day of mediocre to sub-par service, I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. Thank you Kathy and the team at TAP Plastics!! read more

I brought a box to TAP plastics in San Rafael, and they custom cut a piece of plexi to fit in the box! They were friendly and fast, and did a great job. Highly recommend. I'll post a picture when the project is done! read more

Helpful staff, nice options within store and with staff good suggestions, friendly and very efficient service. Walked in with a problem and left with a solution -- am a very satisfied customer and had a very good experience today. read more

The team here are so helpful and with "home town" realness and engagement. Mark taught me how to glue plexiglass together via his in person demonstration -- getting the bubbles out of the bottle, and right angle for clean joins. Mark truly went above and beyond in helpfulness and and insight. The backroom cut my pieces to perfection. The woman in the front room shared some of her inspiring projects with me. All this to say: Lovely experience with encouraging people that want your project to come out right. read more

Awsome staff!!!!! Turn around time for my parts was great. They had what I needed and staf is friendly read more

This store is amazing although I wish they update the hours on their website saying that you cannot get any plastic cut after 4 PM.

I went to Tap Plastics to replace a broken glass painting frame. When I went in, they removed the frame and saw that it was a pretty complicated job. They are not in the framing business but in providing plastics. Well they made an exception and at least two very competent people dislodged the glass (without breaking it), then replaced it, and put it back together. Not only did they do this but those two plus the woman at the front were so nice. This way exceeded my expectations. I will always go to them and highly recommend them for all projects that require plastics. read more

A preemptive TL;DR: Travis, the cutter at TAP sorted me out and got me on the road. He saved my ass in a major way! So let me tell you a little story about my recent adventure that led me finding myself TAP Plastics. I'm currently working on renovating a motorhome and was scheduled to have everything road-worthy enough to begin our first trans-continental journey this morning. It's been quite a saga getting this rig up and running - but in the final hours I was working on all the finishing touches. One of which, was attaching a new window lock to the drivers side sliding window. I grabbed the new lock, and began to attach it. I twisted the screw driver two or three turns and BOOM the entire window exploded. The screw was 1/16th of an inch too long and it pressed JUST the wrong way on the edge of the tempered glass. Once the profanity subsided, I set off trying to find a solution to get us on the road on time to make it to New York. RV windows are basically all custom... it's not like getting a car windshield replaced. I called the manufacturer - I could only get a replacement for the entire window including the frame, shipped freight, to the tune of around $500 and delivered in approximately 2 weeks. I called probably close to 100+ other suppliers all over the country. No dice. I was getting quotes for $400-1200 and lead times up to 8 weeks. Then it hit me like a ton of polycarbonate. Just like in The Graduate, one word: "PLASTICS". I grabbed my measurements, window frame, and some other odds and ends... and drove to San Rafael. Travis is the cutter at this shop and he busted out a PERFECT replacement made from nearly unbreakable, thick polycarbonate in about 20 minutes. I took this piece home, popped it into the frame and it fit like OEM. Even the damn window lock I was originally trying to replace works! It is debatably better than new, but it will be enough to safely get us across the country until I can get a tempered glass panel made/shipped to me. Anyway, here I am on the road and wanted to send some love to the team at TAP, and give Travis a special shout for being such a BOSS! Thank you again read more

TAP Plastics - FIXED! Polycarbonate cut by Travis at TAP - Arts & Crafts Near Me - San Rafael, California

See all

Travis and team did a fantastic job setting a new plastic piece in an old custom window. Highly recommend! Thank you all so much.

I've been taught how to play bridge about a dozen times, tennis maybe 3 times fewer, review credit card statements at least 6 times, and so on and on. It's obvious none of these lessons will ever bear fruit. It's not that people haven't tried their best, but for some reason I just can't learn new ways to waste time. I'm satisfied with the time-wasting I already know how to do thanks, plus... i have learning disabilities: can't learn things I don't care about; can't learn anything you insist I should know. All hunt-and-peck learners are perverse and have to go down blind alleys to find their own answers. On the other hand, wandering around back alleys at night is a sure way to keep from being bored. Of all the time-wasting things I've given up doing, the absolute most hopeless worthless one is trying to make something diy. The problem is I have no respect for tools, hate hammers saws pliars or anything else you buy at Home Depot. Sure I have tools, probably 5 or 6 toolboxes full hanging around unused, well-meant gifts on birthdays or the like. None are functional now: the tools inside rust and some have broken latches so everything falls out when you pick them up. So maybe I can't nail two boards together, but I can design food manufacturing operations: winery tank farms, citrus juice evaporators, dogfood extruders, pectin processing and the like. Odd thing about manufacturing is how much you find out about everyday things, how they actually come to be. Just think: someone like me made it possible for you to buy a bottle of Thunderbird or MD 20/20 whenever you fancy it, you lucky dog! But my few meager talents are more than offset by those broken tool boxes. In fact it's become more obvious over time that mom was right about me. She tried to teach me algebra one year but gave up because, in so many words, I was just a layabout boy (just hip before my time imho) and would come to no good end. As an adult I've become a fully realized pro factotum, but my line of work does require algebra. So where is this particular blind alley leading, eh? Well it's down to: when I need something built, I hire someone who can do it right. Why deny a person skilled in fabricating things the chance to make a living doing what s/he does best? So I will pay you to build a new fence while I go to Bolivia to develop a new ketchup factory (of course other people will fabricate that as well). Where this alley leads us is, where else?, TAP Plastics. Because I had occasion recently to ask them to build something for me and the result was a total fail. Actually even my * rating is a gift considering the full story. My project was simple. Hot air from a floor register in my living room was blocked by a sofa. I wanted a chimney type of thing that attached to the floor to transport hot air up from behind the sofa so it could warm the room better. How many thousands of Btu's had been wasted warming up the small area behind that sofa is anyone's guess. I simply wanted to do good by using fossil fuel more efficiently to heat my house. I only needed someone skilled in plastic engineering technology to build my little chimney out of whatever cheap plastic they chose. So I drew a sketch and presented it to the guy at the TAP counter, together with a short explanation of my issue. He looked at my drawing, then at me, and adamantly announced, "This would not work." Worse even, he said the chimney would either melt or fall apart because plastic isn't heat stable. This seemed strange to me; why not at least go positive on the merits of the plan and do some business: give (and charge) me what I want. But no, this was simply a doomed idea and he had nothing else to offer in the way of solutions. So I politely asked, "So it won't work but let's say you're going to make it for me anyway. It's my risk. How much do you want to make this?" He looked at me funny, like OK Mr Wiseguy. He took out a pen and began an extremely lengthy calculation, then finally turned the page so I could see the total cost: more than $300!!! "OK," I continued, "please write this up into a formal quotation. I'll do some further thinking and get back to you soon." A bit of grumbling ensued but finally I had my quote and was on my way - being very careful that he saw me, after "further thinking" tearing up his quotation on the way to my car. Within a week I found the exact thing I needed online, price $38 delivered. What else can I say to Mr TAP except thank you for encouraging me to keep searching blind alleys for someone else to work with. By the way, it didn't melt. And by the way, you really must see Bolivia someday. read more

So helpful- great client service and friendly staff. Very knowledgeable as well and fast service.

I've used TAP for inexpensive nonglare plexiglass for pictures and custom window inserts that hold air conditioner vet hoses. Each time, their work is perfect. Friendly people, a fun-for-nerdy/crafty folks, I wish I had more frequent needs. read more

i was hoping that they would be able to replace a broken door on a plexiglass cabinet. I was politely told that while they did not do repairs, if I could explain the problem they could probably sell me what I needed and explain how to reattach the door. I was skeptical that I could handle it myself-having already spent hours trying to figure out which little clip went where. I carried the cabinet inside. The great guy at the front desk (should have asked his name-long beard) fiddled with all the parts and tried them every which way. Yes, one clip had broken off and disappeared. However, it did not prevent the closure. He quickly reattached the door. Smiled graciously and carried to my car. Presto, all done and a restoration of faith for a usually very jaded, elderly senior! read more

I wanted a protective lid for a spiffy new (to me) turntable that had been gifted to me. I went to TAP in San Rafael with a poor sketch and a list of dimensions. Everybody was professional and cordial. The person who took my order was thorough and attended to my details. I was advised to go with a different type of plastic than i initially suggested, one more resistant to scratches and scuffs. My lid was completed a few days before the scheduled time. It looks GREAT, and was extremely reasonable cost wise, considering the quality of the construction. Really good craft work. I'm so pleased. Thank you. read more

Just wanted to say thanks again for all the help. Tap plastic San Rafael has highly educated people who have always helped me avoid mistakes and grow with my skills in epoxy / polyurethane laminations. read more

I went in looking for a simple, but sturdy plastic board to support the end of a cage that was an inch longer than the end of the counter. Sam made sure I chose the right kind of plastic (I didn't know there was even a difference) to survive what this board would be exposed to (bleach, cleansers). Well, the board is perfect and thank you, Sam, for suggesting one corner be rounded. I could not think of anything I would have done differently. It's perfect. read more

I wanted to make a small table out of a mosaic tiled vase. We measured the diameter of the imagined tabletop, chose a color and contacted TAP in San Rafael to get a quote for them to cut the circular blue plastic. Once we determined the exact dimension and provided a credit card, the jwas done the very same day! Thank you, TAP Plastics! And special kudos to Virginia there who was so helpful during emails and phone calls! read more

I came into this store to replace a piece of plastic to place in my sliding glass door for the air conditioning exhaust. I walked into the store and was immediately greeted by a sales associate who showed me all the sample materials and widths that would be appropriate. I gave her the old piece I brought with me and ordered the new piece. She said it would be ready in 30 minutes ! I chose a piece made out of poly carbonate which would not break if bent, fitted the piece to my sliding door and my air conditioning exhaust and everything was perfect ! I would definitely recommend TAP Plastics! read more

Ordered a lamp shade diffuser online, it didn't fit. Went to Tap plastics, custom made and half the price. Great customer service too.

Mixed experience. TAP was great when I needed an automobile-model case for Monterey car week. It was done on time and I made it to the show. TAP saved me after the glass case I ordered from Amazon showed up in a hundred different pieces. Other times, they just fall down. I built barn doors for my garage a few years ago with cellular polycarbonate panels. No one mentioned that only one side was UV protected or that the ends should be sealed with venting tape. Now I have all sorts of spiders and webs in my translucent garage doors. (The new panels have much bigger text on the protective skin indicating which is the UV protected side, as in one doesn't need to put on glasses to see the warning.) I contrast this with my local hardware store where the staff offers plenty of information when I tell them of my intentions. A new project to make awnings with the same polycarbonate panels was problematic from the start. I called up and asked if they usually stocked 12' panels. The woman answered in the affirmative. I went down a couple of days later to buy some. Corporate policy transitions the price from a complete sheet price to by the square foot price if the sheets are cut by them. So, my panel price went from about $120 to over $200 to make 3 equal length cuts. Literally, a one minute job on their table saw for them. Not happy with the pricing, I went home and got my truck and returned only to be told they didn't have the panels in stock. Grrr. Not happy. Kevin, the manager, searched inventory in other stores and found me a single 12' panel in another store and had it transferred. Good job. More than a month later, the vendor is still out of stock and so is the store. I went in today, bought four 8' panels, (as I couldn't wait any longer to put my house on the market with new awnings), and was told I was allowed one free cut per panel although I wanted a second cut with the same dimension; corporate rules. I purchased $380 worth of panels and joints and they wouldn't make the second cut per panel without an exorbitant fee for a 30-second operation per panel. TAP Plastics corporate needs to do research on empowering employees by studying Edwards Deming as their policies lose them money and customers in the long run. I want to support my local brick-and-mortar shop but with TAP's lackluster commitment to customer service, in the future, I'm going to make my larger purchases online. read more

Very helpful local service; I walked in with a general problem/idea, and walked out with the right piece of plexiglass cut to the right size. I love it when things work! The only problem is the chemical smells in there bother me, but that's true at a lot of places. I just have to get out of there in a few minutes. read more

This place is the greatest. Have used them many times throughout the years. The last two times were to have them fabricate custom cut plexiglass pieces to fit atypical non-sash windows to install portable air conditioner vent hoses through. The pieces were cut with precision to my exact measurements. The hole for the vent to go through was placed in exactly where it needed to go in both instances and the circles were accurately cut with no jagged edges or discernible places where you could see the starting point. Fabrication was very fast and they are super friendly. Very reasonable priced. Such a pleasure to have a merchant be fast, accurate, friendly and fairly priced all at the same time. Thanks for the wonderful work. Really appreciate it. read more

Everyone's very nice and very helpful. They are always happy to answer any questions that you may have about the materials or chemicals they have. read more

We ordered sneeze guards for our dental office and TAP did a stellar job! Ours were custom fabricated because we had a certain style we wanted, and they got it exactly right. Pricing was very competitive for custom work, and we got the unit in three days, woohoo! read more

Granted, I am the only person I know who could get totally stoked over a plastics store, but I *love* this place - and Sam the manager makes the place even better. Plastic squeeze bottles that are $2.50-$5.00 other places are $1.00. Jars with lids, epoxies, various storage containers...and Sam really knows the products to help you find the right solution. Yes, I'll admit it. I love the plastics store. read more

Excellent service! I walked into TAP plastics today in San Rafael looking to have two custom acrylic table top protectors made. They have a large selection of thicknesses, colors as well as edge details. I literally placed my order a bit after 1 PM and the custom sheets were ready by 5 PM. Thank you, Sharon for your knowledge and the on-site shop's expertise. These were also half the price I would have paid had I opted for glass. ~Karen Reynolds Acupuncture, Corte Madera read more

Popped in just now, I expected to drop an order off and pick it up in a few days... They were cutting the plexy glass as they were ringing me up. I had the piece I needed in minutes. Great service! Quick easy and knowledgeable! Thanks! read more

Sometimes you have a dream...Tap Plastics in San Rafael was responsible for making it a reality last week. We have two wire metal shelving units in our kitchen. They're super functional and were an extremely nice Ikea price. The only problem is that I have tendency of putting food related things on top and, on occasion, they'll fall through getting the pots and pans dirty. So I went to Tap Plastics in San Rafael with my sketch in hand. They quickly educated me on the thickness and strength desired for the purpose, providing me with a very reasonable estimate. I waited while they worked. Exceeded all my expectations by finishing in half the time specified. Super happy customer! Now I'm thinking about a shoe rack for the hall closet... read more

I feel out of place in a plastics store - but if I call it an artists supplier I feel much classier TAP dudes know their artistic techniques with Plexiglas -- helping me learn how to integrate it in wood sculpture. read more

I went to find clear plastic tubing that my 9-year old son needed for a project and I had looked for it several places. Sure enough they had it. At first the manager Sam was not very friendly at all, actually quite snooty, but he warmed up after a little small talk and I was in and out of there in no time and made my kid very happy. read more

TAP Plastics - Arts & Crafts Near Me - San Rafael, California

Everytime I go in here, the staff is more than knowledgable with every question I have. Freindly too. Plus they have every kind of crazy plastic item you could be looking for. Little 1 oz. bottles to tiny boxes to colored tubes that fit around flourescent lights. All sorts of stuff to tint windows too. read more