Exterior shutters cost

Exterior shutters cost $80 to $600 a pair installed, typically around $220. A house with ten windows therefore runs $800 to $6,000. Vinyl decorative shutters are at the bottom; operable wood or composite shutters with real hardware are at the top.

Almost every shutter sold in America is decorative. That is fine, and it is worth knowing, because the most common mistake is fitting decorative shutters at a size that makes it obvious.

What it costs

Get the size right or do not fit them

The one rule that matters: a pair of shutters should look as though they would cover the window if they closed.

That means each shutter is half the window width, and the same height as the window. Shutters that are obviously too narrow are the most common exterior detail error on American houses, and once you notice it you cannot stop noticing it.

If the window is too wide for a half-width shutter to look right, the honest answer is no shutters on that window. Wide windows, sliding doors and picture windows should not have them, and a house can perfectly well have shutters on some windows and not others.

Louvre direction matters too: on a real shutter the louvres shed water outward, so they angle down toward the outside. Half the decorative shutters fitted in the country are upside down.

Materials, honestly

Vinyl is what most houses have. Cheap, no maintenance, and it fades. It reads as what it is at close range and reads fine from the street. Colour choice is limited to what the manufacturer makes, and painting vinyl requires a specific paint.

Composite and PVC hold paint, do not rot, and cost twice vinyl. This is the sensible middle for a house being painted.

Wood is the only material that looks entirely right and it needs repainting every five to eight years, off the house, which is a real recurring job. Cedar and mahogany are the durable species.

Operable shutters with proper strap hinges, pintles and holdbacks are a different category of object and cost accordingly. On a historic house they are correct. On a 1990s colonial they are an expensive statement.

Hurricane shutters are a different product

Storm shutters are a functional protective system, rated and often required by code in coastal counties. They are not decorative shutters that close.

In hurricane zones, impact-rated windows and rated shutters both satisfy code and both attract insurance discounts, sometimes substantial ones. Ask your insurer what each would save before choosing, because the discount can change the maths entirely.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install shutters myself?

Vinyl decorative shutters fit with proprietary plastic spikes or screws into the siding and are a straightforward afternoon. The only real care is not overdriving the fasteners, which distorts the shutter, and not fixing them so tightly to vinyl siding that the siding cannot move.

Do shutters help with energy or noise?

Decorative ones, no. Functional closed shutters do reduce solar gain meaningfully in summer and add a small amount of insulation in winter, which is why they exist in older southern architecture.

Will they damage my siding?

Any fastener through siding is a penetration. Done properly with the right fasteners and sealant it is fine. Done badly, particularly on vinyl, it restricts the siding's movement and causes buckling.

What colour should they be?

Traditionally a dark accent: black, deep green, dark blue, or the trim colour. Matching the siding makes them disappear, which defeats the purpose. Whatever you choose, the front door usually looks best in the same colour or a deliberately different one.

Are shutters going out of fashion?

Poorly sized vinyl ones have been out of favour for a while and correctly proportioned ones on the right style of house have not. On a modern or contemporary house they usually look wrong; on a colonial or a cottage they usually look right.