How Much Should I Budget for Window Treatments?

First, you should know to prioritize quality over quantity. It’s not worth buying window treatments if you aren’t going to be satisfied with the final result, or if you’re just going to replace them in a year or two. Instead, it’s better to make the smart investment now, prioritizing window treatment options you know will last indefinitely.

Consider:

• Durability. For the most part, investing in higher-quality window treatments means you’ll spend more money—but it also means those products will be more durable. You might pay $1,500 for a selection of treatments with the potential to last 20 years, or $500 for treatments that will only last 5. In the long run, the $1,500 options will save you money.
• Aesthetics. Window treatment trends tend to come and go, with a select few styles that are almost always appropriate. If you plan to buy new window treatments every time there’s a change in modern style, you might want to pay less. Conversely, if you choose a classy, timeless aesthetic, you may be willing to pay more.
• Convenience and ease of control. You should also consider the convenience and ease of use for each of your window treatment options. In many cases, you’ll need to pay more to get an advanced feature, such as a shade that filters out UV light, or a motorized unit that allows you to control your blinds remotely. Depending on your goals with the project, these features may or may not be worth the extra investment.
• Customer service. Establishments with high-quality customer service also tend to charge more than those that don’t. Consider allocating some extra money to your budget to ensure you have adequate help if anything goes wrong with the order (such as an inaccurate measurement, or a defect in the final product).

If you’ve decided to go with a high-quality option, you may hesitate to upgrade all your windows at once. After all, if it costs you $400 per window for the upgrade, and you have 30 windows, your costs can escalate out of control.

If you’re stuck in this dilemma, it’s usually better to go with high-quality options for a few rooms at a time, rather than upgrading your entire house with a low-quality option. However, you may find that some window treatment providers are willing to offer you a significant discount if you upgrade the entire house at once.

So far, we’ve only discussed qualitative considerations to keep in mind when setting a budget for window treatments. So what about the actual costs? What should you expect here?

According to HomeAdvisor, the national average for new window treatments is $463 per window, with the typical range between $106 and $828.

• Curtains and drapes. Curtains and drapes are the easiest option to install, since you’ll only need a rod (and possibly a mechanical system to open and close them). Costs here vary dramatically based on your chosen materials and styles, with basic panels costing as little as $10 and specialized silk costing $1,000 or more.
• Elementary blinds and shades. You can get aluminum blinds, roller shades, or other options in elementary styles for low prices—somewhere between $7 and $25 each. They’re easy to install, but aren’t very durable.
• Custom blinds and shades. Higher-end blinds and shades offer much more versatility, giving you options like wood, bamboo, and motorized features to allow you to open and close your blinds remotely. They’re also custom-fitted to your unique windows. Basic options here amount to around $100 per window, with extravagant options costing $1,000 or more.
• Shutters. Shutters must be custom measured and installed, just like custom blinds and shades. Depending on the materials you use, they can cost as little as $20 per shutter, but the average is closer to $250 to $700.

Installation

Most window treatments are relatively easy to install. All you need is a handful of tools and an hour or two to get everything set up (depending on how many windows you’re doing). However, you may have an option to have a professional installer come out and do the work for you. If you plan on doing this, you’ll need to budget a few hundred extra dollars (at least) to your total project cost.

Location

Finally, keep in mind that prices will not be the same in all areas. A provider in a high cost-of-living area will likely charge more for the same product as a provider in a low cost-of-living area. Thankfully, with the prevalence of online retailers, it’s easy to account for this discrepancy and choose a provider who can offer a location-neutral price.

Provider

Finally, you’ll want to find the right provider. Shopping around for window treatments at different providers will introduce you to a range of costs. Many times, costs will vary depending on whether the provider is a direct distributor or a third-party selling with an increased margin. However, cost shouldn’t be your only consideration. You’ll also want to note the selection of each provider, the possibility for bulk discounts, the friendliness of the staff, and the overall quality of the customer service you receive.

At Blindster, we pride ourselves on offering the best of each category, with a wide range of window treatment options at low prices—and top-notch customer service to match. Take a look at our blinds, our shades, or our other products, and you’ll quickly learn how we became one of the top window treatment providers in the industry.