Cost to Install Exterior Shutters – 2021

| Last Updated: August 24, 2021

National Average Improvement and Repair Cost

Pro

DIY

Hours:

3.2

5

Cost:

$ 380

$ 245

Would you do this project? According to our survey, 39% of respondents preferred DIY compared to hiring a pro.

Photo credit: moneypit.com

The average price to Install Exterior Shutters noted above is cost data to compare a contractor’s estimate with doing it yourself.

How much does it cost to install exterior shutters? The contractor cost to install exterior shutters is $380 vs. doing it yourself for $245 and saving 35 percent.

Louvered wooden window shutters were originally designed to play a big part in making a house comfortable. The shutters were opened to allow air to circulate inside, and they were adjustable to protect the interior from too much sun and rain.

Today, however, shutters are mostly made of vinyl and used more as decoration to frame windows and add texture and contrast against the siding.

Designers say you should choose shutters that are about half as wide as the window. To make a house look larger, choose a shutter color that blends with the color of the siding; conversely, a contrasting shutter color makes a house looks smaller because it cuts up the space.

A carpenter or handyman will charge $380 to install four pairs of 15-inch-wide shutters, which includes labor and material. You can buy the shutters and fasteners for $245 and install them, saving 35 percent.

Installing shutters on a one-story house is relatively easy; you can do it in an afternoon. However, if you have a two-story house you’ll be working on a high ladder, so it’s good to have a helper on another ladder holding the shutter while you attach it. A cordless drill to fasten the shutters to the siding comes in handy.

The Old House Guy has this advice about Exterior Window Shutters.

That sums it up. Knowing the average cost to install exterior shutters lets you compare doing it yourself with what you can expect to pay a contractor. 

Welcome! We hope you’ll find the job costs of home improvement projects useful when you’re deciding whether to do a job yourself vs. hire a contractor. We’re the authors of 20 home improvement books, most notably Home Improvement for Dummies©, Bathroom Remodeling for Dummies©, Carpentry for Dummies©, Plumbing for Dummies©, and Painting and Wallpapering for Dummies©. Our most recent book Fix It and Flip It is in its second edition. We’ve appeared as home improvement experts on television programs such as CNN, Dateline, the Today Show, HGTV and many others.