Frequently Asked Questions

Shutters come in a variety of different materials and each shutter company will supply you with something different. If you’re gathering quotes, then make sure you are comparing the same material like-for-like.

At Chichester Shutters, we are all about quality and finish so it’s wood all the way! Most windows will benefit from strong wooden shutters. They look great, feel nice and the louvres won’t sag. They can be used on bays, doors and shapes (elite wood range only), be cut around tiles or skirting board and have a much wider choice of frames, colours and options. It’s a no-brainer really!

Our Elite Wood range is made primarily of Basswood. As it’s a hard wood, the shutters in this range are sprayed with 6 layers of paint and then coasted in a UV finish so they don’t discolour in the Sun.

Our Standard Wood range is made from Paulownia. This is a slightly softer wood than Basswood so, rather than being spray-painted, the shutters are encapsulated in a hard coating to give them added protection.

Finally, our Faux Wood range is made from an extruded PVC (plastic) and is filled with a dense foam to give it added strength and structure. The shutters are then coated in a layer of spray paint.

Yes, we can supply MDF shutters on smaller windows as well as a range of other materials. Our estimates are always for wooden shutters as it is by far our most popular material, but we can discuss other materials at your survey if you wish.

With the right design, colour and louvre size, shutters will make your room feel larger and brighter. The light reflecting off the louvres creates a pleasant space, especially when your existing curtains are removed.

As most customers keep their shutters closed and only tilt the louvres for light and privacy, large louvres look best. To maximise the light and space in your room, choose either the medium 76 mm or large 89 mm louvre blades.

Each shutter is hinged either left or right and can be opened to access the window. However, most customers keep the shutters closed and only tilt the louvres for light and privacy. It’s more important to get the design right than to worry about how or where the shutters will fold back.

The short answer is no. We know most customers keep their shutters closed and only tilt the louvres for light and privacy. With this in mind, it will make designing your shutters much easier. With the right design, colour and louvre size you will get a lot more space and light in your room than you imagined.

While it can make the measuring and fitting process more challenging, we have a few tricks up our sleeve to allow shutters to be fitted, although there can be some limitations.

No problem! Out unique fitting method and shadow gap allows for out of level windows. The shadow gap gives the illusion of a square window and neatly blends the wall and shutter frame together.

Traditionally, shutters had a central control rod running down the front of the louvre blades which you would use to open/close the louvres. Now it is more popular to have this mechanism built into the shutter frame so you don’t see it. We offer this as standard on our Elite Wood and Standard Wood ranges as it provides a neat clean look and more privacy options. On our Faux Wood range, control rods are required either on the front or back of the louvres.

Yes we do. On their own, our shutters will match an average pair of curtains in the amount of light they will stop coming into your bedroom. But upgrade to the ‘blackout’ option in our Elite Wood or Standard Wood range and you can achieve almost total darkness.

Absolutely! We offer an ABS shutter which is 100% waterproof and comes with stainless steel hinges. There is a small cost increase for this which is £10 per square metre in the Elite range or £30 per square metre in the Standard range. The Faux Wood is naturally waterproof, so it is also suitable for bathrooms/wet rooms.

Yes, all our ranges come with at least a 5 year guarantee:

• Elite Wood range is guaranteed for 5 years
• Standard Wood range is guaranteed for 10 years
• Faux wood range is guaranteed for 10 years

And that’s not all! Like over 8000 happy customers, we will ensure that you are 100% satisfied with your new shutters. That’s the Chichester Shutters guarantee!

Actually, not as much as you might think and no more than made-to-measure curtains!

We are open and honest about how we price, and calculate the coat based on the square meter size of your window. Typically, we just need the width and height of the opening. The design, number of shutters or louvre size does not affect the cost.

As a guide, the price before any discount would be approximately £515 sqm for our Elite Wood range, £415 sqm for our Standard Wood range and £465 sqm for our Faux Wood range. This includes hidden tilt rods (Elite Wood & Standard Wood only), VAT and our detailed measuring and complete fitting service.

• Low profile handles might be needed on bay windows
• Spacing battens could be required on doors with large handles
• Cutouts around any skirting boards or tiles
• Design options such as blackout, waterproof, shapes or tracks
• Custom colours

There isn’t a minimum order. However, for smaller orders (below £1000), we will need to slot you in when we’re nearby with a space or perhaps when we’ve had a cancellation. This is to make our diary and travel as efficient as possible.

Yes, the estimate will include measuring and fitting, but will exclude any extras like low profile handles, battens or cutouts.

Yes, it is more economical to order several windows at once rather than separately. If you’re close to a discount bracket below, you may be able to add another window for only a small increase in cost as you’ll be getting more discount.

For all our ranges, the more you spend, the more you save!

• Spend £2200, Get £100 off
• Spend £2500, Get £300 off
• Spend £3000, Get £400 off
• Spend £3500, Get £500 off
• Spend £4000, Get £600 off
• Spend £4500, Get £700 off
• Spend £5000, Get £800 off
• Spend £5500, Get £900 off
• Spend £6000, Get £1000 off
• Spend £6500, Get £1100 off
• Spend £7000, Get £1200 off
• Spend £7500, Get £1300 off
• Spend £8000, Get £1400 off
• Spend £8500, Get £1500 off
• Spend £9000, Get £1600 off
• Spend £9500, Get £1700 off
• Spend £10,000, Get £1800 off

As our shutters are 100% made to measure and most of the work is done at the survey stage, either payment in full or an 80% deposit is required when you place your order.

Before we come out to see you we like to give you an estimate so you can check your budget. This just means that we don’t waste your time with a long appointment as a full survey can take a few hours.

Our normal working hours are 8am – 5pm, Monday – Friday. However, we know that not everyone can make a weekday appointment work with their schedule, so we can arrange surveys outside these hours by special request. Please give us a call to discuss any out of hours requirements.

Our showroom in West Stoke is open on Saturdays between 10am – 4pm. This is great first step to exploring shutters. We do get very busy on Saturdays, so recommend you click here to book an appointment.

Like the majority of other shutter companies, our wooden shutters are manufactured in China and arrive by sea freight, hence the longer lead time.

• Our Elite Wood range has a lead time of around 12-14 weeks
• Our Standard Wood range has a lead time of around 16-18 weeks

We can also provide a UK-made Faux Wood range which can be fitted in 3-6 weeks. However, we do urge you to come into our showroom to see the full size sample of this range as it is often different to what people expect and are looking for.

When you place your order, we give you an estimated fitting date. We don’t like to over promise and under deliver so we will make sure this is realistic and often it can be brought forward a little once we have received your shutters.

Yes, all of our shutter packaging is taken away and professionally recycled.

Absolutely! In fact, we’ve often been told that we leave the rooms looking tidier than when we arrived. Just check out some of our testimonials from real, happy customers – they often mention how clean and tidy we are.

When measuring and fitting, we’ll wear show covers where required, use clean dust sheets, replace furniture that is moved, hoover all round and do our best to respect your home.

Shutters will transform your home and we want to make sure we provide you with the ‘Wow’ factor!

We have been supplying shutters since 1999 – that’s over 20 years of expertise in all things shutters!

Yes, we really are! Back in 1999, before Chichester Shutters, our owner Sam started a business called ‘Opennshut’ with his Dad John. They manufactured traditional solid shutters in their garage.

Opennshut is still running today, supplying DIY shutters and training to the trade. John is now retired but it’s still very much a family affair with Sam’s partner Claire, son Harry, daughter Danni and cousin Gary all part of the team, running both Opennshut and Chichester Shutters.

Absolutely! We are based at the Kingley Centre in West Stoke (full address below). We have the biggest Shutter showroom in West Sussex and Hampshire with over 50 different samples to show you!

We are open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-4pm. However, it is best to book an appointment or call ahead so we can make sure that someone is available and to check there isn’t any training taking place.

Our address is Barn 3, Kingley Centre, Downs Road, West Stoke PO18 9HJ

Click here to book an appointment,

We’ve been on TV many times fitting shutters, including:

• 60 Minute Makeover
• DIY SOS
• Help! My Home Is Falling Down
• Don’t Get Done, Get Dom
• Kirstie’s Homemade Home