THE 2026 HOUSTON PRICING GUIDE
Plantation Shutter Pricing: The Most Detailed Guide for 2026
Real numbers from 9 years of real Houston projects — not industry averages from national databases, and not “teaser” estimates that leave out the costs covered below.
Our goal is simple: bring pricing clarity to an industry that has traditionally shielded its prices. Below you'll find our exact formula, every add-on fee — ours and our competitors' — and worked examples you can check our math on.
How shutter pricing works
Every shutter quote comes down to one formula
This section details our exact pricing at HTX Shutters, plus the pricing norms you'll find from competitors in Houston and across the US. Shutter pricing is based on three main variables.
Variable A
AShutter square footage
Two steps: measure your windows, then adjust for the frame style you choose. The result is the square footage your shutters are actually priced on.
Measure your window square footage
Multiply each window's width by its height (in inches) and divide by 144. Round each window up to the nearest whole square foot, then add every window together for your home's total.
Apply the shutter frame factor
Shutters are priced on the final framed size of the shutter — larger than the window opening itself. Multiply your Step A-1 total by the factor for your frame style:
Frames add 2.5″–2.75″ to width and 1.25″–1.375″ to height — about a 10% size increase.
Frames add 4″ to width and 2″ to height — about a 15% size increase.
See it calculated:Shutter square footage (A)
Scenario: 17 windows, each 35″ wide × 59″ tall, with inside-mount frames.
| One window: ( 35 × 59 ) ÷ 144 | 14.3 sq ft |
| Rounded up to a whole number | 15 sq ft |
| × 17 windows | 255 sq ft |
| × 1.10 inside-mount frame factor | 281 sq ft |
| Shutter square footage ( A ) | 281 sq ft |
Variable B
BPrice per square foot
Shutters start from a base price and — at most companies — increase with every styling choice. At HTX Shutters, the most popular styling options are simply included.
Base price, by order size
Every order includes a measuring trip, contracting, fabrication setup and an installation trip. Those fixed costs spread across larger orders — so bigger projects earn a lower rate. For wood shutters in Houston, base prices average $26–$34 per square foot.
| Order size | Base price |
|---|---|
| 50 sq ft 1 | $35+ / sq ft |
| 100 sq ft | $31 / sq ft |
| 200 sq ft | $28 / sq ft |
| 300+ sq ft | $27 / sq ft |
1 Our minimum order size is 50 sq ft. HTX Shutters 2026 base pricing for wood plantation shutters.
Styling adjustments
Most companies raise your price per square foot for these options. At HTX Shutters they come standard — your base price is unchanged. Tap any option to see what it is.
Hidden / rear tilt control Elsewhere+ $1.50 – $2 / sq ftAt HTX No charge
Louvers tilt from a discreet control at the rear of the panel instead of a front-mounted tilt rod — a cleaner, more modern look.
Split-tilt functionality Elsewhere+ $1 – $2 / sq ftAt HTX No charge
Top and bottom louver sections tilt independently — open the top for daylight while the bottom stays closed for privacy.
Custom paint (light colors) Elsewhere+ $2 – $3 / sq ftAt HTX No charge
Shutters painted to match your trim or décor in the light color of your choice — not just stock white.
See it calculated:Price per sq ft (B)
Scenario: 281 sq ft of shutters with hidden/rear tilt control, split-tilt functionality and custom paint.
| Base price from the B-1 table | $28 / sq ft |
| Hidden / rear tilt control | $0 |
| Split-tilt functionality | $0 |
| Custom paint | $0 |
| Price per sq ft ( B ) | $28 / sq ft |
| Base price est. low-end company | $26 / sq ft |
| Hidden / rear tilt control | + $2 |
| Split-tilt functionality | + $1.50 |
| Custom paint | + $2.50 |
| Price per sq ft ( B ) | $32 / sq ft |
Variable C
CAdd-ons
Add-ons are window characteristics or site conditions that make a shutter harder to build or install. Most companies charge for all of them — and many don't mention them until contract day. Tap any row to see why it costs extra.
Highly common add-ons
Blinds removal & disposal Elsewhere+ $10 / windowAt HTX+ $9 / window
Covers the labor to remove and dispose of your old blinds, the dumpster space they take up, and the insurance risk of a window accidentally cracking during removal.
Moving furniture Elsewhere+ $10 – $15 / windowAt HTX No charge
Covers the risk of damage when handling and moving a homeowner's possessions to reach each window.
Tile backsplash spacer Elsewhere+ $34 – $68 / windowAt HTX No charge
A spacer built for the back of the shutter's frame wherever tile backsplash surrounds a kitchen sink, laundry sink or bathroom window.
Installation Elsewhere+ $75 – $125 / windowAt HTXflat $299 / order
Buy shutters online and you'll need a local Houston contractor to install them at $75–$125 per window. Some companies bake installation into their price per square foot instead. At HTX Shutters it's one flat $299 delivery-and-installation charge — regardless of order size.
Somewhat common add-ons
Arched / curved windows Elsewhere+ $440 – $880 / windowAt HTX+ $200 – $475 / window
Priced by width: a 35″ arched window may add around $440, while a 105″ one adds closer to $880. At HTX Shutters, arched shutters 35″ and under add just $200.
Door handle cutout Elsewhere+ $250 / doorAt HTX+ $175 / door
Doors with a bar or lever handle need a special framing solution featuring a custom cutout, so the shutter can close around the handle.
Chair rail trimming Elsewhere+ $25 / windowAt HTX No charge
Chair rail is decorative molding, typically in dining rooms and breakfast nooks. The fee covers measuring, trimming, sanding and paint touch-up where it meets the shutter frame.
Windows under 12″ wide Elsewhere+ $25 / windowAt HTX No charge
Openings under 12″ are too tight for a nail gun, so trim-head screws often have to be used instead — slower, more careful work.
Less common add-ons
Shutter removal & disposal Elsewhere+ $25 – $45 / windowAt HTX+ $25 – $45 / window
Removing old shutters means cutting through nails and lines of caulk, unscrewing panels, and disposal. Worth knowing: removal can crack drywall and paint, and patch-and-paint afterward is normally the homeowner's responsibility.
Tall ladder Elsewhere+ $25 / windowAt HTX No charge
For windows whose opening tops 11 feet, companies charge about $25 per window — or sometimes a flat $75 per order — to cover transporting and setting up an oversized ladder, plus the risk of working at height.
Full tile mount Elsewhere+ $25 / windowAt HTX No charge
Windows fully tiled on the interior sides need extra care during installation: pilot holes drilled into the tile, or small trim-head screws placed into the existing grout gaps.
Frame notch for window cranks Elsewhere+ $50 – $70 / windowAt HTX No charge
Casement windows are unique in having a crank and a latch. The frame gets notched, sanded and painted so both keep working exactly as intended.
Overhead furdown (soffit) Elsewhere+ $20 / windowAt HTX No charge
A lowered ceiling section constrains both the shutter's build height and how the panels can be maneuvered during installation.
Locations outside 35 miles Elsewhere+ $125 / orderAt HTXCase-by-case
Farther locations often mean 2-hour round trips — for the consultation, the measuring session and the installation. To keep prices competitive, we evaluate jobs in Montgomery, Conroe, League City and similar areas case-by-case, since small orders are hard to do cost-efficiently at that distance.
See it calculated:Add-ons
Scenario: 17 windows that currently have blinds. One bathroom and one kitchen window are surrounded by tile backsplash, two patio doors have lever handles, three windows have chair rail, and two windows require a tall ladder.
| Blinds removal & disposal $9 × 17 windows | $153 |
| Tile backsplash spacers 2 windows | $0 |
| Door handle cutouts 2 patio doors | $300 |
| Chair rail trimming 3 windows | $0 |
| Tall ladder 2 windows | $0 |
| Installation flat fee, any order size | $299 |
| Add-ons ( C ) | $752 |
| Blinds removal & disposal $10 × 17 windows | $170 |
| Tile backsplash spacers $68 × 2 windows | $136 |
| Door handle cutouts $250 × 2 doors | $500 |
| Chair rail trimming $25 × 3 windows | $75 |
| Tall ladder $25 × 2 windows | $50 |
| Add-ons ( C ) | $931 |
Putting it all together
The final calculation
The full math for the example home used throughout this guide: 17 windows, each 35″ × 59″, with inside-mount frames, fully styled, including the add-ons from Variable C.
| Square footage ( A ) | 281 sq ft |
| Price per sq ft ( B ) | $28 / sq ft |
| Shutters ( A × B ) | $7,868 |
| Add-ons ( C ) | + $752 |
| Shutter price ( A × B ) + C | $8,620 |
| Square footage ( A ) | 281 sq ft |
| Price per sq ft ( B ) | $32 / sq ft |
| Shutters ( A × B ) | $8,992 |
| Add-ons ( C ) | + $931 |
| Shutter price ( A × B ) + C | $9,923 |
Same home, same scope: $8,620 at HTX Shutters vs. $9,923 at typical industry pricing — about $1,300 less.
The HTX difference
Included at no charge on every HTX order
Eleven charges you'll commonly find on other companies' quotes — and won't find on ours.
This guide is growing
Coming next in this guide
We're building this page into the most complete shutter pricing resource on the internet. Here's what we're adding next:
Real contracts from real projects, with every line item explained.
What Houston's standard window sizes cost, shutter by shutter.
Photos and final pricing from completed HTX installations.
A transparent breakdown of the margin behind our shutters.
Get your exact shutter price
Use the calculator for an instant estimate — or have us measure every window for you, free.
Call or text (832) 839-1235
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Refined Arches
Custom curved shutters & frames
We don't use dated "sunburst" designs to cover arched windows. We built curved plantation shutter frames with curved shutter panels nested within them. This results in functional louvers all the way up through the curve. Whether you have a "perfect" arch or an "eyebrow" arch, we're able to build beautiful shutters for each unique shape. While many companies charge extremely high prices for arches, we price our arches typically a few hundred dollars more than a standard, rectangular shutter.
// See how we build arched shutters.
Wider Panels
Shutters 30% wider than "poly"
One advantage of wood over "poly" shutters is the ability to build wider shutter panels, which results in a more clear and unimpeded view. Our standard is to build shutter panels up to 36" wide (a common window size), whereas "poly" can only span 28" with a single panel. This means that the typical window would need to be broken into two-panels if built out of "poly". We even build our wooden single panels up to 47" wide in special circumstances.
// View shutters with 41" wide panels.
Faux Sill Caps
No "overhang" for frames
One of the biggest aesthetic issues of outside-mount frames is that most manufacturers build them so that the frame sticks out over your existing window sill. The overhanging frame looks out-of-place and like an afterthought. To combat this, we build our outside-mount frames with a faux "sill cap". This bottom sill cap sits on top of your existing window sill and visually serves as a replacement. From most angles, it is undetectable that our new sill cap isn't part of your original trim. The frame profile doesn't overhang, and the frame looks a lot more built-in and integrated with the existing window sill.
// See how we minimize frame overhang.
No Middle Dividers
No fixed "dead" area dividers
Our engineered design is stable and does not require the “fixed middle divider rails” that other manufactures require. This fixed middle divider rail is typically a 3” or 4” dead section that separates a top and bottom set of louvers. It does not move, and therefore impedes your view. The one use case where we sometimes recommend a divider rail is when “split-tilt” is used with our front/center tilt rod. It is often nice to have that separation between the upper front/center control rod and the lower front/center control rod, so they do not accidentally clash or collide.
// See what middle dividers look like.
No Astragal Strips
No bulky, unsightly astragal strips
Many manufacturers use "astragal strips" to hide large gaps where two shutters meet. An astragal strip is usually an oversized 1" wide strip of material that is found in the center of two shutter panels to conceal the large gap underneath. Instead of astragal strips, we use interlocking panels that cleanly meet in the middle with only a small gap. Having no astragal results in a cleaner looking shutter, since it avoids bulky, oversized ways of concealing panel gaps.
// Check out examples of astragal strips.
Robust Stiles
The vertical frame components are 2" wide sections of hardwood.
Slim Louvers
Our louvers (or "slats") are 0.47" thick - a perfect balance of strength and minimalism.
Proportional Rails
We change the height of the horizontal rails to proportionaly match the height of the shutter.
13 lb Magnets
Instead of 7 lb strength magnets, we use 13 lb magnets that keep our shutters securely closed.
Aluminum Tilt-Control
Instead of plastic, we use aluminum tilt-control rods for sturdy, reliable operation.
Stainless Nails
We use stainless serrated nails to securely attach our rear hidden tilt rods to the louvers.
Strong Joints
We use 6 mm thick tenons in our "Mortise & Tenon" joinery to hold our shutters together.
Steel Hinges
We choose steel hinges over brass for durability and effectiveness in high-load applications.
Resilient Nylon Pins
We use nylon pins as the connecting point where each louver meets the vertical stile.
Stainless Screws
We use stainless steel wood screws to attach hinges to our frames.
