Total panel area
The dominant factor by a wide margin. Priced by the square metre, so a single full-height stacker door opening is usually the largest line on a quote.
How much do plantation shutters cost on the Sunshine Coast?
Most companies will not answer this until they are standing in your living room. Here is the honest version: what shutters actually cost per square metre, what a whole house typically comes to, and the four things that move the number more than anything else.
- Free in-home measure
- Fixed-price quote
- No deposit, no obligation
The short answer
$350 - $900/m²
Installed, depending on material, how the panels move and the shape of the opening. Most Sunshine Coast homes land between $450 and $700 per square metre once the mix of rooms is accounted for.
For a whole homeInstalled range
Apartment or unit4 to 6 openings, living and bedrooms$2,700 - $5,900
3-bedroom house8 to 12 openings$5,400 - $11,700
4-bedroom house12 to 18 openings, often incl. a slider$8,100 - $17,500
Single feature or bay windowOne opening$900 - $2,700
Your number depends on the specifics below, which is why the measure is free and takes half an hour.
Be careful with the “$2,500 for a whole home” figures you will see elsewhere.
At the per-square-metre rates those same sites publish, $2,500 buys about four square metres - roughly three average windows. It is a number designed to get a phone call, not to cost a project. If a quote comes in dramatically under the ranges above, ask what has been left out.
Every quote we write is fixed.
The figure on the quote is the figure on the invoice. No deposit to get one, no obligation, and no follow-up pressure if the timing is not right.
How pricing works
Why shutters are priced per square metre, not per window
This is the single most useful thing to understand before you compare quotes.
Shutters are priced by the area of panel we build, not by the number of windows you have. A wide living room slider can cost more on its own than three bedroom windows put together, because it is several square metres of panel and they are not.
That is also why “cost per window” figures published online are close to meaningless. A window can be 0.5 square metres or 5. Any company quoting you a per-window price before measuring is either guessing, or quoting on the smallest window they think you might have so the number looks good in an ad.
The practical upshot: measure the total glass area you want covered, not the window count. That gets you far closer to a real number than any online calculator.
One sliding door3.0m wide x 2.1m high
6.3 m²
Three bedroom windows1.5m wide x 1.4m high each
6.3 m²
What changes the number
The four things that move the price
Material
Waterproof PVC generally sits at the accessible end, timber in the middle, and powder-coated aluminium above it. The choice is usually made by the room rather than the budget: timber has no business in a bathroom and aluminium has no business in a bedroom. Compare the range.
How the panels move
Fixed panels are the most economical, then hinged. Bi-fold and tracked sliding sets need more hardware, more labour and more time on install day, and sit noticeably above the others. On a standard window a bi-fold mechanism buys you nothing, which is why we quote hinged unless the opening genuinely needs it.
Shape and access
Square reveals are the cheapest thing we fit. Raked, arched, bay and corner openings take longer to template and build. Second-storey work, and openings that need structure added before the shutter goes on, add install time.
By material
What it costs by material
| Material | Where it goes | Installed per m² | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterproof PVC | Bathrooms, ensuites, laundries, poolside | $350 - $550installed | Simpler material, smaller panels, no finishing step |
| Timber (basswood) | Living areas, bedrooms, studies | $450 - $700installed | Kiln-dried hardwood, factory painted or stained |
| Timber (cedar, Phoenixwood) | Feature windows, stained finishes | $600 - $900installed | Premium species, stain-grade grain |
| Aluminium | Alfrescos, patios, coastal openings | $550 - $900installed | Extruded sections, powder coating, marine-grade hardware |
Waterproof PVC$350 - $550
Where it goesBathrooms, ensuites, laundries, poolside
WhySimpler material, smaller panels, no finishing step
Timber (basswood)$450 - $700
Where it goesLiving areas, bedrooms, studies
WhyKiln-dried hardwood, factory painted or stained
Timber (cedar, Phoenixwood)$600 - $900
Where it goesFeature windows, stained finishes
WhyPremium species, stain-grade grain
Aluminium$550 - $900
Where it goesAlfrescos, patios, coastal openings
WhyExtruded sections, powder coating, marine-grade hardware
Anything advertised under about $350 per square metre installed is worth questioning. Either the installation is not included, the material is a thin import, or the frame allowances are not in the number.
Most homes we quote end up with two or three materials across the house. Putting PVC in the wet rooms is often what frees up the budget to do the living areas in a nicer timber finish.
By configuration
What it costs by configuration
How the panels move changes the rate, not the base price. These are uplifts on the per-square-metre figures above.
| Configuration | Effect on price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed panels, operable louvres | Baseline | Highlights, above baths, raked and arched shapes |
| Hinged panels | Baseline to +5% | Standard bedroom and living room windows |
| Bi-fold | +15% to +30% | Serveries, alfresco openings, wide spans |
| Sliding on track | +20% to +35% | Stacker and sliding doors, no swing clearance |
Door openings carry the biggest premium of anything we quote. A tracked set needs a bottom or head rail that has to be dead level, more hardware per panel, and considerably more time on install day. On a standard window that mechanism buys you nothing, which is why we quote hinged unless the opening genuinely needs it.
In practice
A worked example
A Buderim home quoted at the lower end of each material range. Every line is supply and install.
Fixed-price quoteBuderim - 3-bedroom home, 8 openings
Supply & install
ItemAreaAmount
3 x bedroom windows - painted basswood, hinged panels6.3 m²$2,835
2 x living room windows - painted basswood, hinged7.2 m²$3,240
2 x bathroom and ensuite windows - waterproof PVC, fixed with operable louvres2.2 m²$770
1 x alfresco opening - powder-coated aluminium, bi-fold6.3 m²$3,985
Total installed$10,830
Same house quoted as timber throughout would have been roughly $10,300 - and the bathroom panels would have started moving within a few summers.
Specifying the right material per room is not upselling, it is what stops warranty claims.
Figures use the lower end of each per-square-metre range plus the bi-fold uplift on the alfresco opening. Your own openings will measure differently.
Inclusions
What is included
Everything. There are no line items that appear later.
In-home measure of every opening to the millimetre
Custom manufacture to those measurements
Your choice of material, colour or stain, and louvre size
All frames, hardware and fixings
Installation and on-site adjustment by the team that measured
Removal of packaging and old fittings where we are replacing something
Written product and workmanship warranty
The only thing that can change a quote after it is signed is you changing the scope.
The honest read
Are plantation shutters worth it?
Shutters cost more up front than blinds or curtains and less over their life. Blinds are typically replaced every 7 to 10 years; a properly fitted shutter is a fixture that stays with the house. Three things people underrate:
They are a fixture, not a furnishing.
They stay with the house at sale and are treated as a permanent upgrade rather than something the vendor takes.
They do real work on heat.
Closed louvres stop sun before it reaches the glass. Western-facing rooms are where customers report the biggest change.
There is nothing to maintain or replace.
No cords, no fabric, no fading, no five-year replacement cycle.
The honest counterpoint
If you are renting, moving inside two years, or covering one small window in a room you barely use, blinds are the better spend - and we will tell you that at the measure.
Next step
How to get an exact price
Three steps, no cost, no obligation.
1
Send your details
Rough opening count and a photo is plenty to start. It takes a minute.
2
Free in-home measure
Half an hour, samples in hand, every opening measured to the millimetre.
3
Fixed written quote
Itemised and fixed. No deposit, no obligation, no follow-up pressure.
FAQ
Plantation shutter cost questions
How much do plantation shutters cost per window?
Nobody can answer that accurately, including us, because a window can be half a square metre or five. Shutters are priced by panel area, so a per-window figure only tells you something if you know the window. Measure the glass area you want covered and use the per-square-metre range above.
What is the cost per square metre?
Between $350 and $900 installed depending on material, configuration and shape. Waterproof PVC sits at the lower end, painted basswood in the middle at $450 to $700, and cedar and powder-coated aluminium at the upper end. Most Sunshine Coast homes average $450 to $700 across the whole job.
How much are shutters for a 3-bedroom house?
Typically $5,400 to $11,700 installed for 8 to 12 openings, assuming painted basswood in the living areas and bedrooms and waterproof PVC in the wet rooms. A 4-bedroom home with a slider usually runs $8,100 to $17,500.
Are PVC shutters cheaper than timber?
Generally yes - around $350 to $550 per square metre against $450 to $700 for painted basswood. That is one reason we recommend PVC for bathrooms and laundries rather than treating it as a downgrade. In a white painted finish most people cannot tell them apart at normal viewing distance.
Is installation included in the price?
Yes. Every quote is supply and install, measured and fitted by the same team. There is no separate installation charge and no delivery fee.
Do I need to pay a deposit for a quote?
No. The in-home measure and quote are free, take about half an hour, and there is no obligation.
Why is one quote so much cheaper than another?
Usually material grade, hardware, or whether installation is actually included. Anything under about $350 per square metre installed is worth questioning. Ask three things: is this supply and install, what species or grade is the material, and is the price fixed. That flushes out most of the difference.
Why do small windows cost more per square metre?
Because there is a floor on what a panel costs to build regardless of size. The frame, hinges, tilt mechanism and the labour to measure and fit it are much the same on a 0.5 square metre bathroom window as on a 2 square metre living room one. Small openings therefore look expensive per square metre and cheap in absolute terms.
Do plantation shutters add value to a home?
They are a fixture rather than a furnishing, so they stay with the house and are treated as a permanent upgrade. They also photograph considerably better than blinds or curtains.
Can I get a rough price without an in-home visit?
Yes. Send your rough opening sizes and a photo through the quote form and we will come back with an indicative range before anyone visits.
How long is a quote valid?
Quotes are valid for 30 days. If material costs move inside that window, the quoted price still stands.
Ready to shutter your place?
Tell us about your windows and we'll book a free in-home measure and a fixed quote.
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