Supplied and installed, plantation shutters run $300-$430 per m² in PVC, $410-$640 in basswood/timber and $520-$750 in aluminium. If a quote is given per window, be careful: the same window can legitimately price at $300 or $1,500 depending on how many panels it needs. This guide teaches the per-m² maths the good installers use.
Manufacture + installation combined. Per-window figures are shown for context only - read the warning under the table before using them.
| Material | Per m² installed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PVC / polymer | $300-$430 typical | Published spread $300-$600; wet-area safe |
| Basswood / timber | $410-$640 typical | Premium cedar to about $800 |
| Internal aluminium | $520-$750 | Strongest panels for wide openings |
| Standard window (context) | ~$300-$500 | Wide multi-panel windows $800-$1,500+ |
| Full home (context) | $2,500-$4,000 | Typical published whole-home figure |
| Installation labour (if separate) | $70-$150 / hr | Or about $50-$100 per m² |
Shutters are manufactured as panels. A narrow bathroom window might need one small panel; a wide living-room window might need four large ones with a mid-rail. Both are "one window" - and one costs five times the other. Retailers quoting per window are either averaging (you overpay on small windows) or lowballing (the real price arrives at measure). The fix is simple: measure your openings in square metres - width x height of the area the shutters cover - and compare every quote per m². A standard 1.2 m x 1.2 m window is about 1.44 m² of shutter.
PVC/polymer is the value pick and the only sensible choice for wet areas - it does not swell, warp or peel. Its limit is span: panels over about 2 m can sag, which pushes wide openings into timber or aluminium whether you budgeted for them or not. Basswood/timber is the classic look with the best strength-to-weight for wide panels. Aluminium tops the range and suits very wide openings and high-traffic homes.
The dominant driver. Cost scales with the number and size of panels an opening needs - measure the area, count the panels, then compare quotes.
Roughly a third more per tier: PVC to timber to aluminium. Sliding and bi-fold door openings add $150-$250 per m² for tracked systems.
Measure and install costs spread across a project - published rate cards drop PVC from $299/m² (small) to $239/m² (whole home). Doing the whole house in one order beats room-by-room.
Six standard windows in PVC: 6 x 1.44 m² = about 8.6 m² of shutter. At $300-$430 per m² that is $2,580-$3,700 - squarely inside the published whole-home figure of $2,500-$4,000. If a per-window quote for the same six windows comes in far outside that band, ask for the per-m² breakdown.
Consumer notes: no licensing regime applies to shutter installation - it is a furnishing, not building work. Your protection is the paperwork: get the material specified honestly in the quote (PVC vs "timber-look"), the panel configuration drawn, and the per-m² rate shown. Custom shutters are made to order, so expect 6-10 weeks from measure to install.
Prices cross-checked against ServiceTasker, Lusso (drawing on Canstar and Classic Roller Shutters data), Screen & Blind Master and Jim's Blinds published pricing, October 2026.
Supplied and installed, plantation shutters run $300-$430 per m² in PVC, $410-$640 in basswood/timber and $520-$750 in aluminium. If a quote is given per window, be careful: the same window can legitimately price at $300 or $1,500 depending on how many panels it needs. This guide teaches the per-m² maths the good installers use.
The biggest drivers are panels per opening, material steps and volume. Each one is worked through with prices in the guide above, and the calculator prices them for your job.
Use the free calculator linked from this guide - it prices your job with the same installed ranges used here, in about 30 seconds. It is a guide range, not a quote: your contractor confirms a fixed price after seeing the job.
No - they are researched guide ranges, cross-checked across at least two published sources, not quotes. Prices move with your area, the condition of the site and the scope you choose. Get itemised quotes in writing, and check the tradesperson's licence with your state building authority before you book.
The calculator converts your windows to square metres and prices by material and panel logic - doors included - in about 30 seconds.