Frequently Asked Questions

Measure the height on both sides of the window and use the smaller number, then measure the width of the opening and divide by two for each shutter of a pair. Measure to the nearest 1/8"; that is all the accuracy we need. Our How to Measure guide walks through single, double and triple windows. Bahama shutters mount at the top of the window, so leave room for the hinge and the arms; call or email if you are unsure.

Yes. We build many designs that are not on the order forms: flat panel, shaker, framed board and batten, horizontal boards, louver-over-panel combinations and more. Extra-fee customizations include shutter thickness, rail and stile widths, cutouts, rabbet or ship-lap edges, beading, tails, horns, louver overlap, louver size and angle, solid arch tops and custom arches. Call us or email sales@sunbeltshutters.com with your requirements for a quote.

Yes. Every order page prices your shutters as you change the size and options, before anything goes in the cart. From the cart you can also email yourself a written quote with a private link, good for 30 days. Contractors and installers can apply for volume pricing.

Yes. Sample shutters are available in louvered, raised panel and composite so you can see the construction and finish before you commit to a full order.

Yes to both. Call 1-888-778-4774 during office hours to order by phone or to arrange a purchase order. We no longer accept faxed orders.

On the order page, enter the tallest side as the length. In Special Instructions, tell us the shortest side so we know where the arch starts. For a perfect quarter arch, the drop from the top equals the width of the shutter. If your style has a center rail, say whether you want it centered on the short side or the tall side.

Yes, on raised panel, flat panel, board and batten and framed board and batten shutters. We have many common designs and can cut most custom shapes. Email your design to sales@sunbeltshutters.com for a quote.

Except for Rough Sawn Cedar, we build from Select Grade lumber. For Stain-Grade we take extra time to pick the best pieces in the lot with the fewest natural flaws, turn any flaws to the back, and fill only with stainable putty. For Unfinished we assume you will prime and paint, so small flaws are filled with body filler and sanded smooth, ready for primer.

No. We offer Stain-Grade wood selection, but not staining services.

Yes, and we recommend it unless you are ordering Stain-Grade. Priming is a free upgrade on composite and board and batten shutters, applied before assembly so every surface is sealed. Wood and composite shutters are primed with General Finishes Enduro White Undercoat, an exterior water-based primer tinted medium grey, which works well under white or black topcoats.

Yes. Choose from our in-stock paint colors or a custom color match for an extra fee. Painted shutters get General Finishes Exterior 450 water-based topcoat in a satin finish and arrive ready to hang. Factory paint and primer are warranted for one year.

No. Our louvers are fixed. Plantation louvered shutters are set at 17° for 1/4" louvers and 22° for 3/8" louvers. Open-louver Bahama shutters are set at 40° (1/4") or 30° (3/8"); closed-louver Bahamas at 17° or 22°. A faux tilt rod is available for the traditional look.

Each joint is a tongue and groove, joined with two dowels and polyurethane exterior glue, then a 4" ceramic-coated screw that is counter-sunk, plugged and sanded smooth. See the joint drawing.

Yes: shutter terms and definitions, with an anatomy drawing.

Stiles are the vertical sides, rails are the horizontal top, center and bottom pieces, and the panel or louvers fill the space between them. Our anatomy of a shutter page labels every part on one drawing.

Two hinges per shutter for most wood shutters. Use three on wood shutters over 60" tall, three on every composite shutter, and four on composite shutters taller than 86". Our hardware pages list which hinges and pintles fit together.

Yes, for traditional installations. See our shutter mounting instructions. Plan the pintle offset around your trim, and the material you are mounting into. For Bahama shutters, call or email for mounting advice.

No. Our Bahama shutters are decorative and functional shade shutters. They are not certified to Florida hurricane building codes.

Custom wood shutters ship in approximately 6 to 8 weeks; composite shutters in about 3 to 4 weeks. Unfinished orders usually go out sooner than painted ones, and larger sizes can take longer. Transit adds 1 to 8 days from Huntsville, Alabama. We email tracking the day after your order ships.

Sometimes. Send us your full requirements (style, material, sizes, quantities, finish) and our foreman will confirm whether the deadline can be met. Rush production adds 30% to the order and is more often available for unfinished shutters. It shortens production only, not shipping.

Free shipping applies to standard-size shutters in the continental United States: under 76" tall and 24" wide for traditional styles, under 76" tall and 72" wide for Bahamas. Oversize shutters add $200 per order. Hardware and samples ship at standard rates. Details on our Shipping Information page.

Yes. Small orders arrive by FedEx or UPS at your door. Larger or oversize orders ship crated by freight truck, sometimes an 18-wheeler, which delivers to the curb and does not move crates onto your property. The freight company expects someone home to sign. Sign “possible concealed damage” and photograph any damage before the driver leaves.

Call or email us for order status; we email tracking when it ships. Address changes after shipping are sometimes possible but the carrier charges $50 to $145 and the cost is yours. Custom orders can be changed or cancelled within 24 hours of ordering; after that they are in production.

Wood shutters carry a 5-year material and workmanship warranty (pine: 1 year), composite shutters 5 years, and factory primer and paint 1 year. Vinyl shutters are covered by Ply Gem’s Mastic V.I.P. Limited Lifetime Warranty. The warranty transfers once to the next owner of the home. Full terms are on the Warranty page; claims take a few minutes on our online claim form.

Call us right away at 1-888-778-4774. Our merchant name is S & K Group, LLC, so that name, not Sunbelt Shutters, may appear on your card statement.