Demystifying Shutter Pricing: Factors and Considerations

If you are thinking about purchasing wood shutters you may be wondering how much it is going to cost. At Bison Blinds we get this question a lot, so we wanted to attempt to answer this question and provide you some information to help you make an educated purchasing decision.

First let me address the difference between wood and composite shutter pricing. In years past composite shutters would save you a little money. Post Covid, that is no longer true. At Bison Blinds we sell primarily wood shutters for the interior of homes. We will only use composite shutters for garages and sometimes in bathrooms due to the additional weight associated with this type of construction. You can find more information about the differences between wood and composite shutters in another article. For the sake of this discussion, we will be discussing Wood shutters however pricing for Composite shutters will be nearly identical.

When considering wood shutters several factors play a role in determining price. Those factors are as follows.

  • Where the shutters are produced:
    • We purchase shutters from manufacturers in the USA and China. The USA shutter will have a slightly higher cost but you will receive it much faster. Shutters produced in the USA can be installed in 4-6 weeks from the time an order is placed. Chinese shutters will be 12-15 weeks from the time your order is placed to installation.
  • The shape of a window has a big impact on the cost of a shutter:
    • Squares and rectangles are calculated on a square foot price. If you have windows with arches or angle tops, there will be a surcharge to produce the arch panel. These surcharges can run between $125 and $175 per panel. All windows wider than 36 inches will need to be oriented as two panel shutters.
  • Paint Vs Stain:
    • Painted shutters are less expensive than stained shutters. Stained shutters will usually cost between $5 and $8 more per square foot.
  • Tilt type:
    • Chinese produced shutters will not have a surcharge for hidden tilt.
    • USA produced shutters with the hidden tilt feature will add approximately $3.50 per square foot.
  • Frame type.
    • This can vary by manufacturer, some of the wider profile frames can cost a little more than smaller profile frames.

Things that do not impact price are as follows.

  • Louver (slat) size.
    • Shutters can be made with 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5-inch slats. All of these are the same price.
  • Paint color:
    • All paint colors are the same price.
    • All stain colors are the same price.
    • Your color selection will not impact the price of the shutter.
  • The number of panels does not impact shutter pricing
    • Unless there is an arch involved
  • Divider rails do not add any cost to the price
  • Split tilt does not impact pricing.

So what does a wood shutter cost?

It depends, but on a high level to help you with budgeting here are some ranges for a 36 X 72 standard window and a 72 X 72 standard window

Price for standard or hidden tilt no arches and includes installation:
* Painted shutter 36 X 72 from China $540.00 (price does not include taxes)
* Stained shutter 36 X 72 from China $630.00 (price does not include taxes)
* Painted shutter 72 X 72 From China $1,080.00 (price does not include taxes)
* Stained shutter 72 X 72 from China $1260.00 (price does not include taxes)

Price for standard tilt no arches and includes installation *Add 10% for hidden tilt option:
* Painted shutter 36 X 72 from U.S.A. $630.00
* Stained Shutter 36 X 72 from U.S.A $810.00
* Painted shutter 72 X 72 from U.S.A $1,260.00
* Stained shutter 72 X 72 from U.S.A. $1620.00

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