Sunbelt Shutters Limited Warranty · Last updated September 2026
We build every wood shutter to order in our Alabama shop, so we stand behind the work. This page explains what our limited warranty covers, how long it lasts for each material, how to keep your coverage, and what to do if something isn’t right.
- Coverage
- Paint & primer
- Keeping coverage
- Not covered
- Transfers
- File a claim
- Shipping damage
- Returns & cancellations
- FAQ
Warranty Coverage at a Glance
What the warranty covers
Sunbelt Shutters warrants that each individual wood or composite shutter, when properly finished, installed, and maintained, will be free from defects in material and workmanship for the period shown above, starting on the date of sale. A covered defect is one that causes the shutter to break, crack, split, separate at the joints, or warp more than 1/32 inch per foot.
A covered shutter will be repaired or, if repair is not possible, remade. Repairs and remakes are done only to the original size and specifications. The warranty does not mean automatic replacement; Sunbelt Shutters may repair or replace a product at its discretion.
Factory primer & paint: 1-year finish warranty
Primer and paint applied in our shop are warranted against cracking and peeling for 1 year from the date of sale. If a covered finish fails, we will supply matching touch-up material or refinish or replace the affected shutter, at our option.
- Primed-only shutters: the primer is covered when your topcoats are applied within 30 days of delivery.
- Not covered: fading, chalking, color change, or loss of gloss from normal weathering; mildew; chips and scratches from impact; and finish failure that starts at holes, cuts, or edges made or left unsealed during installation.
Vinyl shutters (Mastic by Ply Gem)
Our vinyl shutters are made by Mastic, a Ply Gem brand, and are covered by the manufacturer’s V.I.P. Limited Lifetime Warranty rather than the Sunbelt warranty above. Ply Gem’s warranty covers manufacturing defects, includes limited protection against excessive fading, and can be transferred to a new owner with prorated coverage. For full terms, and to register, transfer, or file a claim with photos, visit Ply Gem’s Mastic warranty page.
Problems with the order itself (shipping damage, shortages, or the wrong item) are still handled by Sunbelt Shutters. Report them within 10 days using our online claim form.
Wood characteristics that are not defects
Our shutters are made to industry standards, and wood is a natural material. The following are not defects:
- Minor imperfections or blemishes that are not easily noticeable under ordinary lighting in a normal installation.
- Warp of any component that does not exceed 1/32 inch per foot.
- Seasonal expansion and contraction, and hairline surface checks.
Keeping Your Coverage
The warranty depends on a sound finish, a correct installation, and routine care. Our Shutter Care & Maintenance guide explains each step.
- Finish every surface before installing. Unfinished and stain-grade shutters must be primed and painted, or stained and sealed, on all six sides — front, back, top, bottom, both edges — plus any cut-outs, before installation. Never leave wood exposed to the weather.
- Install to our instructions. Follow our mounting instructions, and hang louvered shutters with the louvers shedding water away from the house.
- Use three hinges on tall operable shutters. Hinged shutters 60 inches or taller must hang on three hinges per shutter. Sagging, twisting, or warping of a tall hinged shutter on only two hinges is not covered.
- Maintain the finish. Wash gently twice a year, inspect once a year, and touch up chips and seal exposed end grain promptly.
What Is Not Covered
Conditions and damage
- Damage that occurs during shipping (see Shipping Damage)
- Accidents, alterations, misuse, abuse, or misapplication, including use as a door or gate
- Exposure to the elements on unfinished wood, fire, flood, or acts of God
- Improper maintenance or failure to follow our care instructions
- Sagging or warping of hinged shutters 60 inches or taller installed on fewer than three hinges
- Normal wear and tear and conditions characteristic of the product
- Faulty installation, incorrect measurements, incorrect specifications, or alteration by any other party
Costs
- Installation adjustments, minor repairs, or on-site repainting
- Trip charges and measuring
- Disassembly, removal, reassembly, reinstallation, or packing
- Repairs made by another party without our authorization
- Incidental or consequential damages (see Legal Terms)
Transferring Your Warranty to a New Owner
Selling your home? The remaining Sunbelt warranty on your wood and composite shutters can go with it.
- One transfer. Coverage can be transferred once, from the original purchaser to the next owner of the same property.
- Same shutters, same address. The transfer covers shutters that remain installed at the original address.
- No restart. Coverage continues for the rest of the original warranty period, counted from the original date of sale.
- How to transfer. Within 60 days of closing, the new owner submits a Warranty transfer request on our online claim form with the original order number (or the seller’s receipt) and the closing date. We confirm the transfer by email. There is no fee.
- The 1-year factory finish warranty does not transfer. Vinyl shutters transfer under Ply Gem’s terms.
How to File a Warranty Claim
- Submit a claim online. Use our online claim form to tell us your order number and what happened, and upload photos from your phone. You’ll get a claim number by email right away. Prefer the phone? Call 1-888-778-4774.
- We review your photos. We’ll contact you if we need more information, and tell you whether the shutters need to come back to us.
- Get a return authorization number. Nothing may be shipped back without one. We’ll also approve the shipping method.
- Ship the shutters to us, prepaid. For a valid claim, we reimburse the actual shipping cost of the approved method.
- We inspect, then repair or remake. Valid claims are repaired, or remade if repair isn’t possible, to the original size and specifications.
If a claim is not valid, all shipping costs are the customer’s responsibility. Non-defective or altered products are returned freight collect, without credit or repair.
Shortages & Freight Damage
Please check every shipment carefully for damage and piece count when it arrives. Finding a shortage or damage at the time of delivery is the customer’s responsibility.
| If… | Then… |
|---|---|
| A package is visibly damaged | Refuse it. We will file the claim for any refused package. |
| You accept a damaged package | Write “possible concealed damage” on the delivery receipt, notify the carrier, and request an inspection. Keep all of the original packing and photograph every side. |
| There is a shortage, or you find damage after delivery | Have the driver note it on your copy of the freight bill if possible, then submit a Shipping damage or shortage report on our online claim form with photos within 10 days. The purchaser files claims for accepted merchandise, and we’re glad to help. |
Returns, Cancellations & Changes
Custom shutters
After the 24-hour window, custom orders go into production and cannot be cancelled, changed, or returned. Because shutters are assembled to order in over 800 sizes, they can’t be resold or reused. We do not refund custom shutters unless they were not built to the measurements on your order. Please review our How to Measure guide before ordering.
Shutter hardware
| Item | Return policy |
|---|---|
| Non-custom hardware, packaging unopened | Returnable |
| Non-custom hardware, packaging opened | Returnable, subject to a 25% restocking fee |
| Custom-cut Bahama hinges | Not refundable |
| Shipping fees | Not refundable |
Call 1-888-778-4774 for a return authorization number and the return shipping address before sending hardware back.
Looking for production and delivery times? They’re on our Shipping Information page.
Legal Terms
This limited warranty is exclusive and in lieu of all other obligations, liabilities, or warranties. In no event shall Sunbelt Shutters be liable for incidental or consequential damages, or for any other direct or indirect damage, loss, cost, expense, or fee.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.
Warranty & Returns FAQ
How long is the warranty on my shutters?
It depends on the material. Sunbelt wood shutters carry a 5-year material and workmanship warranty, pine shutters carry 1 year, and Rockbridge Extira composite shutters carry 5 years. Primer and paint applied in our shop are warranted for 1 year. Vinyl shutters are covered by the manufacturer’s Mastic V.I.P. Limited Lifetime Warranty from Ply Gem. Coverage starts on the date of sale.
What does the warranty cover?
Defects in material or workmanship that cause a shutter to break, crack, split, separate at the joints, or warp more than 1/32 inch per foot, on shutters that are properly finished, installed, and maintained. We repair a covered shutter, or remake it to the original size and specifications if repair is not possible.
Is my warranty transferable if I sell my home?
Yes. The remaining Sunbelt warranty on wood and composite shutters can be transferred once to the next owner of the same home. The new owner submits a warranty transfer request on our online claim form within 60 days of closing. Coverage continues for the rest of the original period; it does not restart. The 1-year finish warranty does not transfer. Vinyl shutters transfer under Ply Gem’s own terms.
Does the warranty cover paint or primer?
Yes, for 1 year. Primer and paint applied by Sunbelt Shutters are warranted against cracking and peeling for 1 year from the date of sale. Fading, chalking, and loss of gloss are normal weathering and are not covered.
Do I have to paint or seal my shutters for the warranty to apply?
Yes. Unfinished and stain-grade shutters must be finished on all six sides, including edges, ends, and cut-outs, before they are installed. Primed shutters need their topcoats within 30 days of delivery. Shutters must also be maintained as described in our Shutter Care guide.
Do tall shutters need a third hinge?
Yes. Operable (hinged) shutters 60 inches or taller must hang on three hinges per shutter. Sagging, twisting, or warping of a tall hinged shutter installed on only two hinges is not covered. Shop hinges and pintels.
Is warping, a hairline check, or a small blemish a defect?
Warp of any component that does not exceed 1/32 inch per foot is within industry standards and is not a defect. Minor imperfections that are not easily noticed under ordinary lighting in a normal installation, seasonal wood movement, and hairline surface checks are natural wood characteristics, not defects.
What should I do if my shutters arrive damaged or a box is missing?
Inspect every shipment and count the pieces when it arrives. If a package is visibly damaged, refuse it and we will file the claim with the carrier. If you accept a package with damage or a shortage, have the driver note it on the delivery receipt, keep all packaging, photograph every side, and submit a shipping damage report on our online claim form within 10 days.
How soon do I need to report a problem?
Report incorrectly made or defective shutters within 10 days of receipt, and before the shutters are altered in any way or installation is attempted. Defects that show up later are handled under the warranty period for your material.
How do I file a warranty claim?
Use our online claim form. Tell us your order number and what happened, and upload a few photos from your phone. You will get a claim number by email right away. We review the photos and contact you; if the shutters need to come back, we issue a return authorization number and approve the shipping method. You can also call 1-888-778-4774.
Who pays shipping on a warranty claim?
You prepay shipping to our shop using the method we approve. If the claim is valid, we reimburse that cost. If it is not valid, all shipping costs are the customer’s responsibility and the shutters are returned freight collect.
Does the warranty pay for installation, removal, or repainting?
No. The warranty does not cover trip charges, measuring, removal, disassembly, reinstallation, packing, on-site repainting, or repairs made by another party without our authorization.
Can I cancel or change a custom shutter order?
Yes, within 24 hours of placing it. Call 1-888-778-4774 or email sales@sunbeltshutters.com within 24 hours and we will cancel the order for a full refund or change it and adjust the price. After 24 hours, custom orders go into production and cannot be cancelled, changed, or returned.
What if I gave you the wrong measurements?
Shutters built to the measurements you ordered are not defective and are not returnable. If you catch a mistake within 24 hours of ordering, call us and we will correct it. Our How to Measure guide shows how to measure before you order.
Can I return shutter hardware?
Yes, for non-custom hardware. Unopened hardware is returnable. Opened hardware is subject to a 25% restocking fee. Custom-cut Bahama hinges are not refundable, and shipping fees are not refundable. Call 1-888-778-4774 for a return authorization number and the return address.
Who handles a warranty claim on vinyl shutters?
Ply Gem handles manufacturing-defect and fade claims on vinyl shutters under its Mastic V.I.P. Limited Lifetime Warranty; you can file one with photos on Ply Gem’s Mastic warranty page. Shipping damage, shortages, or a wrong item are handled by Sunbelt Shutters: report them within 10 days on our online claim form.