Plantation shutters are the one window dressing most UK homeowners fall for before they know what they cost. The good news is that the pricing is more predictable than it looks. Material, window size and shape drive almost all of the variation, and once you understand those three, most quotes stop being a surprise.
Key Takeaways
- Most UK homeowners pay £150 to £600 per window fully fitted in 2026.
- Material is the single biggest cost driver: MDF is cheapest, aluminium dearest.
- Bay windows are priced per panel and typically cost two to three times a flat window.
- Café style shutters run roughly 30 to 40 per cent below full height on the same window.
- Supply only looks cheaper but one measuring error usually wipes out the saving.
- A firm price needs a home survey. Anything quoted without one is an estimate.
Prices at a Glance
For a standard casement window, fully fitted, here is where the UK market sits in 2026.
| Shutter type | Typical cost per window |
|---|---|
| MDF | £120 – £280 |
| Faux wood (PVC) | £150 – £350 |
| Real wood | £300 – £600 |
| Aluminium | £400 – £800+ |
| Bay window (per bay) | £600 – £2,000+ |
These are fitted prices covering manufacture, delivery and installation. Where you land inside each band depends on the rest of this guide.
What Drives the Price
Material
MDF is the entry point. It looks perfectly good in a dry room, but it is heavy and it does not tolerate moisture, so it is the wrong choice for a kitchen, a bathroom, or any room that suffers from condensation.
Faux wood is what most UK homes end up with. It handles moisture, it is lighter than MDF, and once it is up on the window very few people can tell it from timber.
Real wood is the premium option, usually basswood or paulownia. It is lighter than you would expect, it finishes more crisply on fine detail, and it takes a far wider range of stains and colours.
Aluminium is a specialist product. It is used on large openings, bifold doors and anywhere security matters more than cost.
Size and Shape
Bigger windows use more material and take longer to hang, so they cost more. Shaped windows cost more again. An arch, an angled reveal or a non-rectangular opening has to be made bespoke rather than cut from standard components, and that shows up in the price.
Slat Width
Slats come in three common widths: 63mm, 89mm and 114mm. Wider slats let in more light when open and give a cleaner, more contemporary look, and they usually cost a little more. On a small window, wide slats can look heavy, so this is an aesthetic decision as much as a budget one.
Supply Only or Fitted
Buying supply only can knock 20 to 35 per cent off the headline figure. The catch is that shutters are made to your exact measurements. A few millimetres out and the panels will not sit square, and a re-order costs more than the fitting would have. Professional installation typically adds £50 to £150 per window.
Why Bay Windows Cost More
Bay windows are the single most common reason a quote comes back higher than expected, and it is worth understanding why rather than assuming you are being overcharged.
A bay is not one window. It is two, three or five separate windows set into a frame at an angle. Each panel is made individually and each one is fitted individually. The corners have to be mitred and the whole assembly nearly always needs shimming on site to sit true.
A three panel splay bay in faux wood typically lands at £600 to £1,100. A larger box or square bay with four or five panels usually runs £1,200 to £2,000 or more. Real wood scales at roughly twice the faux wood figure.
This matters locally. The Victorian and Edwardian housing stock across Altrincham, Hale and Bowdon is full of splay and box bays, and many of them have settled over a century or more. Those openings are rarely square. If a quote for a period bay comes back suspiciously cheap, the honest question to ask is whether anyone has actually measured it, or whether standard sizes have been assumed from a phone call.
What a Quote Should Include
A shutter quote is easy to make look cheap by leaving things out. Before comparing two prices, check that both cover:
- A physical survey and measure, not an estimate from your description
- Manufacture to your exact opening, including any shaped panels
- All frames, hinges, tilt rods and fixings
- Installation, including making good around the reveal
- The guarantee, in writing, with the period stated
- VAT
Where prices genuinely differ is material grade and finish quality. Where they misleadingly differ is what has quietly been left off the sheet.
Shutters Versus Blinds on Cost
Up front, shutters cost roughly three to five times the equivalent blind. Over their life, the comparison changes. Well made shutters last 15 to 20 years. Mid range blinds last three to seven, and fabric fades, sags and stains in the meantime.
Spread across the years you will actually keep them, shutters frequently work out cheaper per year than replacing blinds repeatedly, and they hold their appearance in a way fabric does not.
Getting an Accurate Price
The only way to get a firm number is a survey. Recess depth, frame condition, the state of the reveal and whether the opening is square all change how the shutters are built and therefore what they cost. The same principle applies to the cost of new windows, where the survey is what turns a range into a price.
Be wary of a quote that opens high and then offers a large discount if you sign today. Fair pricing does not need urgency to justify itself. Where there is genuine room to move is bundling, such as doing several rooms in one visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do plantation shutters cost per window in the UK?
Most homeowners pay between £150 and £600 per window fully fitted. Faux wood typically runs £150 to £350, real wood £300 to £600, and MDF £120 to £280. Aluminium and shaped windows can exceed £800.
What is the cheapest type of shutter?
MDF, from around £120 per window. It is fine in dry rooms but should not be used in kitchens, bathrooms or anywhere prone to condensation. Faux wood is the next step up and handles moisture properly.
How much extra do bay windows cost?
Bays are priced per panel, not per window, and typically cost two to three times a flat window. A three panel splay bay in faux wood is usually £600 to £1,100 fitted; a five panel box bay can reach £2,000 or more.
Is it cheaper to fit shutters myself?
On paper you can save 20 to 35 per cent. In practice, shutters are made to millimetre tolerances against your specific opening, and a re-order after a measuring error costs more than the fitting would have.
Do shutter prices vary by region?
Somewhat. Labour rates differ across the UK, and areas with older, less regular housing stock take longer to fit. Material costs are broadly national.
How long does installation take?
Most standard windows are fitted in under an hour each. A full bay usually takes half a day. Manufacture, not installation, is the longer part of the timeline.
Are shutter quotes negotiable?
At a reputable firm the written quote should already reflect fair market rates. A high opening price followed by a large same day discount is a warning sign rather than a bargain.
The Bottom Line
Budget £150 to £600 per standard window and two to three times that for a bay, then let material and window shape move you within those bands. The number that matters is the one on a written quote after someone has measured your openings in person, and any figure offered before that is an educated guess.