Can You Fit Your Own Shutters?
31st March 2025
4 min read
If you’ve been browsing home interior blogs or watching renovation shows, you’ve likely seen internal plantation shutters everywhere. They are the gold standard for window dressings, but if you’ve had a quote from a national "measure and fit" company, you might have been shocked by the price tag.
This leads many homeowners to the same question: Can I just fit them myself? The answer for the vast majority of people is a resounding yes. You don’t need to be a master carpenter or a professional joiner to achieve a showroom-quality finish.
The myth of the "Professional Installation"
Full-service shutter companies often try to make the installation process sound like a complex, "dark art" that only their trained surveyors can handle. In reality, modern DIY shutters are designed as a modular system.
When your shutters arrive, the frames are pre-drilled, and the panels are built to the exact millimetre of your window. Your job is essentially just putting the pieces together, much like high-quality flat-pack furniture, but with much better instructions!
What tools do you actually need?
One of the biggest concerns for DIY beginners is the tool kit You’ll be pleased to know you probably already have everything you need in your kitchen drawer or garage:
- A metal tape measure: For the initial measuring stage.
- A spirit level: To ensure your frames are perfectly straight.
- A power drill/driver: To fix the frame to your window recess.
- A screwdriver: For fine-tuning the hinges.
- A hammer: Only for gently tapping in the "Hofmann keys" that join the frame corners.
Credit Image: @making_meadowview
The "safety net": Our expert review process
The most common fear is: "What if I measure them wrong?"
At DIY Shutters, we don't just take your numbers and start cutting wood. Every single order is reviewed by our expert team. If your measurements look slightly unusual for the window type you've described, we will call you to double-check before anything goes into manufacture. We act as your technical safety net to ensure that when your shutters arrive, they fit like a glove.
How long does it actually take?
For a standard square window, most of our customers find that they can assemble the frame and hang the panels in about 60 to 90 minutes.
Once you’ve done your first window and understood how the frame sits and how the hinges align, the subsequent windows usually go much faster. It’s a project you can easily complete in a single afternoon, saving you hundreds (or even thousands) of pounds in labour costs.
Why DIY is the smartest way to buy
By fitting your own shutters, you aren't just saving money; you are gaining total control over the project. You aren't waiting for a salesman to show up or an installer to find a gap in their diary. You work on your own schedule, and you get the satisfaction of knowing you upgraded your home with your own two hands.