How Much Do Plantation Shutters Cost In Houston?
So you’re considering plantation shutters for your home. If you’re like most people, the first two questions that enter your mind are “how will wooden shutters look in my home?” and “how much do plantation shutters cost?” The only problem is that when you Google such a question, there’s a surprising lack of concrete answers on the topic.
Like most professional products and services, there’s a wide price range for shutters in Houston. Especially with plantation shutters, price does not always correlate to quality. It’s absolutely possible to get shutters on the cheap. However, such plantation shutters can be poorly installed and constructed with lower quality materials that may need to be replaced only a few years after purchasing.
Generally speaking, you can expect the price to range anywhere from $24 per square foot on the low end, to $55+ per square foot on the high end. For the sake of over simplifying things, we’ll break it down into three price categories:
The Low End ($24-27/ft): Wholesale Manufacturers
At the $24-$27/sq ft price point you typically find wholesale manufacturers focused on volume and not product or installation quality. Providers will typically focus on “outside-mount” frames that are quicker to build and install due to their forgiving nature. They often will shoot nails through the face of the frame, which unfortunately results in mis-colored holes that do not match the rest of the paint on the shutter. Warranty lengths will vary, but they are typically limited for this price point. The degree of service and product quality that you receive will be inconsistent. You will also see a mix of local manufacturers as well as overseas production. Not only does the overseas shipping necessitate a longer delivery timeline, but also increases the likelihood of human error since your order is “handed off” multiple times throughout the process. There will also be less ability to customize your shutters: these providers will come and measure each window for you and offer some generic styling tips, but that’s roughly the extent of their service offering.
The Middle Tier ($25-$35/ft): Local Shutter Shops, National Franchises and Online Retailers
Within the $25-35/sq ft range there are a variety of company types. The “playing field” can get a bit convoluted, since it covers national franchises (like Sunburst Shutters), entry level line-ups from major online retailers (e.g., Blinds.com), as well shutters from local quality-driven shutter companies (which we believe present the best value).
National franchises like Sunburst Shutters, typically operate in the $25-$35/sq ft range. These franchises often promote cheaper “polywood” or “polyresin” shutters that they like to sell, along with wood shutter options. These shutters are limited to 24” in width per panel, which forces you to have multiple shutter panels on a common window size (36”). Multiple panels further restricts your view, by blocking an additional 12% of light over a single-panel window.
The $25-$35/sq ft range also covers entry level shutters from Online retailers (e.g., Blinds.com). Commonly, online retailers sell “wood” shutters that are a highly compressed particle type of material. These shutters don’t include measuring and installation, so you may need to budget for finding someone local to do the installation. It is easy to mis-measure or order the wrong specifications, which can result in poor overall fit/finish.
At HTX Shutters, we fall into the last company type in the $25-$35/sq ft range, which is local quality-driven shutter shops. These shops focus on the fit/finish of both the shutter and the final installation. These shops have dedicated installation teams, which is important, as the installation of a shutter is as aesthetically important as the construction of the shutter itself. These shops deliver in faster timeframes due to in-house manufacturing, and if there is ever an issue with your order, they can quickly rectify as needed. You can expect personalized service and communication that is prompt, clean and professional. The ability to customize shutters is better than wholesale manufacturers and online retailers.
The Higher Priced ($35-$55/ft): Interior Designers, Global Re-Sellers and Online Retailers
The $35-$55/sq ft price range focuses interior designers, as well as institutional resellers such as Costco/Sam’s Club who carry national brands such as Graber and Norman. It also includes major online retailers (3dayblinds.com) and the premium shutter lines from online retailers like Blinds.com. This group masquerades behind a premium brand image as justification for their higher price point. These companies have significant overhead (or multiple tiers of mark-up and handoffs), which leads to inflated prices for the end consumer. You end up overpaying for a product that has worse quality than other alternatives. The sellers in this price-range are focused on maximizing profit, not maximizing the experience of the customer receiving their shutters. The old adage “you get what you pay for” is not necessarily true here. Most of the pricing goes to profit and markup, not necessarily the quality of the plantation shutter.
Wondering what plantation shutters might cost for your home?
Get a quote online, give us a call, or schedule a consultation to price shutters for your home today.