Quick answer
Plantation shutter prices depend on the size of each window, the material and range you choose, the corresponding lead time, and the shutter configuration. Plan & Save is £260 per square metre for either material and usually takes 8-9 weeks. Express is £315 per square metre for Polycomposite or £380 for Hardwood and usually takes 2-3 weeks. Tier-on-tier costs 10% more than equivalent full height. Every rate includes VAT, a home survey, supply and fitting; the measured written quotation fixes the final total.
Key takeaways
- Window size determines the measured shutter area, so larger or multiple openings increase the total area being priced.
- Material and order range determine the square-metre rate and lead time: Plan & Save is the lower-cost route, while Express is faster and material-specific.
- Configuration completes the price: tier-on-tier costs 10% more, while bays, shapes and tracks need a measured specification. Every published rate includes VAT, the home survey, supply and fitting.
Window count is a poor basis for estimating plantation shutters because two windows can have very different shutter areas and panel layouts. Use rough dimensions to plan a budget, then let the survey replace those assumptions with the measured specification that appears on the written quotation.
How do published rates become a planning estimate?
Plan & Save is £260 per square metre for either material, Express Polycomposite is £315 and Express Hardwood is £380. All three published rates include VAT, a home survey, supply and fitting. The plantation shutter price list remains the current rate-card owner; this article explains how one of those rates becomes an estimate and then a measured quotation.
For a standard full-height planning estimate, multiply the approximate width by the height in metres, then multiply that area by the selected rate. For example, 0.9m x 1.2m is 1.08 square metres; at the Plan & Save rate of £260 per square metre including VAT, 1.08 x £260 gives an illustrative £280.80. The calculator uses this same area-times-rate method. It does not replace the survey or written quotation.
There is no universal UK window size, and period openings are often made to their own proportions. The examples below simply show how the same calculation behaves across two representative sash dimensions and two panel-based scenarios. They are planning examples, not standard sizes or promises about a particular home, so use your own rough width and height in the calculator whenever they are available.
Planning examples
Illustrative dimensions, not standard window sizes
| Illustrative opening | Area used | Plan & Save estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Representative sash: W 900mm x H 1200mm | 1.08 sqm | £280.80 |
| Representative tall sash: W 1200mm x H 1800mm | 2.16 sqm | £561.60 |
| Three-panel planning scenario: each W 600mm x H 1500mm | 2.70 sqm | £702.00 |
| Four-panel bay scenario: each W 600mm x H 1500mm | 3.60 sqm | £936.00 |
The first two dimensions are representative sash sizes, not UK standards. The panel scenarios use planning assumptions confirmed by Shutters Design. Each total applies the Plan & Save rate shown in the article using the calculator's area-times-rate method. Use your own rough dimensions where possible; only the surveyed specification sets the written quotation.
What does the home survey change before the price is fixed?
The survey replaces planning assumptions with the actual shutter area and a workable design. It records the width and height of each opening, the separate faces and angles of a bay, reveal depth, handles, frame position, material, style, panel divisions and the clearance needed for panels and louvres to move.
A bay, shaped window or tracked opening needs an opening-specific measurement and layout. That changes what must be recorded and manufactured, but it does not by itself prove that a surcharge applies. The fixed written quotation shows whether the measured specification changes the total. See how bay-window shutters are measured face by face rather than treating the bay as one flat width.
The estimate becomes a fixed written quotation only after the measured specification is complete. The document should identify every opening, its shutter area, material, order route, style, frame and panel layout, plus the included survey, supply, fitting and VAT. Tier-on-tier costs 10% more than the equivalent full-height layout because the upper and lower panels need separate hinge mechanisms.
Three stages
Estimate, survey and written quotation do different jobs
| Stage | What it establishes |
|---|---|
| Planning estimate | Approximate area multiplied by the selected published rate for a standard full-height starting figure. |
| Home survey | Actual shutter area, opening details, material, frame, style, panel layout and operating clearances. |
| Fixed written quotation | The measured specification, included service and total price offered before the order is placed. |
How are blackout blinds priced separately?
For the integrated and retrofit standard-window routes, blackout blinds cost £158 per square metre including VAT, a home survey, supply and fitting. With new shutters, the blind is integrated manually within the measured arrangement. Retrofitted blackout blinds are installed behind suitable shutter panels you already own and can be manual or electric. Both standard-window routes have a 5-year blackout-blind warranty and are explained on the blackout blinds page.
Suitable VELUX and roof-style windows can be assessed after a home survey as a separate standalone use. Suitability is confirmed for the individual opening.
For a representative modern-window example, W 1000mm x H 1600mm gives 1.60 square metres and an illustrative blackout-blind price of £252.80. For one sliding-door blind panel, W 1600mm x H 2100mm gives 3.36 square metres and an illustrative price of £530.88 per panel. A wider opening may need several separately measured blind panels, so the number and size of panels must be confirmed rather than treating the complete door run as one assumed width.
The blind remains a separate product from the shutters even when both are specified together. The written quotation should therefore show the shutter total and blackout-blind total separately, along with the fitting route and operating method, so the combined price can be checked without confusing two different products.
How should you compare two written quotations?
Compare the same measured openings, shutter area, material, order range, lead time, style, panel layout and any blackout-blind panels. Check that VAT, the home survey, supply and fitting are included, then compare the manufacturer guarantee, aftercare and payment schedule. A lower total is not like for like if it describes a different specification or leaves part of the service outside the price. When you are ready to replace the planning estimate with a measured specification, book a home survey and ask for those decisions in writing before ordering.
The order range is a practical example of why headline figures cannot be compared alone. The lower-cost Plan & Save route has an 8-9 week lead time, while the faster Express route has material-specific pricing and a 2-3 week lead time. Tier-on-tier adds 10% to the equivalent full-height configuration, and a blackout blind is priced separately. Compare the finished written specification and total, not one isolated square-metre rate.
