There’s no single price for custom window treatments, because every order is made to fit your windows. What you pay depends mostly on six things: the type of product, the material or fabric, how many windows you’re covering and how big they are, any special window shapes, the lift and control options you choose, and the installation itself. Here’s how each one affects the total, and how to get an accurate number for your home.
1. The Type of Window Treatment
Different products take different amounts of material and work to make. As a general rule, simple roller shades and vertical blinds sit at the more affordable end, wood and faux wood blinds, cellular and Roman shades fall in the middle, and shutters and full drapery are a larger investment. Exterior products such as retractable awnings and outdoor solar shades are priced separately because of their size and hardware.
2. Material and Fabric
Within each product, the material you pick moves the price. Real wood blinds usually cost more than faux wood, and specialty or patterned fabrics more than standard ones. Blackout and room-darkening fabrics, linings and privacy liners add to the cost of a shade, but they’re often worth it in bedrooms and media rooms.
3. Window Size and Number of Windows
Larger windows need more material, and each window is a separate made-to-measure product, so the size and count of your windows are the biggest drivers of the total. Very wide windows sometimes need to be split into two or more shades, and floor-to-ceiling glass or sliding doors call for products designed for that span.
4. Special Window Shapes
Arches, angled tops, circles and other specialty shapes need custom templates and fabrication, so they cost more than a standard rectangle of the same size. They’re also where off-the-shelf products simply don’t work.
5. Lift and Control Options
How a shade or blind opens affects the cost. Cordless lifts and top-down/bottom-up designs can add to the price, and motorization adds more per window. Motorization is most worth it on tall, wide or hard-to-reach windows, and many homeowners motorize only those rather than every window in the house.
6. Installation
Custom window treatments are measured and installed for a precise fit. Installation is straightforward on most windows, but taller windows, unusual mounting surfaces and layered treatments take more time and hardware.
How to Get the Most for Your Budget
- Match the product to the room. Spend more where it matters most, such as bedrooms that need darkness or living rooms with a view, and choose simpler products for secondary rooms.
- Motorize selectively. Put motors on the windows you can’t easily reach and keep standard or cordless lifts elsewhere.
- Keep a consistent color. One color for shades across the house looks uniform from the street and simplifies choices.
- Plan in phases. Start with the rooms you use most and add the rest later.
- Ask about current offers. See our specials page.
Why Online Prices Are Hard to Compare
Price lists online usually assume a standard-size window, a basic fabric and no installation. Once your actual window sizes, fabrics and options are included, the numbers can change a lot. Comparing quotes is easiest when each one covers the same windows, the same products and the same options, including measuring and installation.
Get an Accurate Price for Your Home
The fastest way to know what your windows will cost is a free in-home consultation. A Jet City Blinds designer brings samples, measures every window and walks you through the options for each room, so your price reflects your actual home, not an estimate. Book your free consultation.
Photo: Graber Natural Shades. Learn more at graberblinds.com.