How Much Does Window Blind Installation Cost?

Reviewed by Joe Roberts remodeling expert. Written by Fixr.com.

The average cost of blind installation

No window is complete without a stylish and practical window treatment to filter out unwanted UV rays, furnish privacy, add insulation, and accentuate the surrounding decor. Blind installation isn’t cheap, though. Most homeowners pay around $150 per window to get blinds professionally installed.

Several factors can influence pricing, so you could pay more or less than this average. Depending on window size, blind material, and blind functionality, this project can cost over $400 per window, though the typical price range is between $112 and $208. Additionally, replacing old blinds is usually more expensive than installing new ones in an untreated window frame.

Because all of the factors will be unique to your situation, it’s impossible to predict precisely what you’ll pay to install or replace your window blinds. You’ll only know for sure how much installation will cost after meeting with an installer. However, we can help you come up with a ballpark estimate.

Keep reading, and we’ll spell out the different cost factors, give you some budget-saving tips, and point you to different ways to pay for your window blind installation service. 

Factors that affect window blind installation costs

Window size

The size of your windows is one of the most important factors affecting the cost of blind installation. This is partially because larger windows require more material to cover up, though the fact that it’s more tricky to install blinds made for large windows can also result in extra labor costs.

Most windows measure somewhere between 14 and 20 square feet, but they come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, you probably have a window or two that falls outside of this range in your home. 

Here’s a breakdown of the total costs to install blinds on windows of different common sizes. These costs include the prices to supply and install the blinds and any required hardware. 

Average window blind costs for standard window sizes

Remember that these are just average price ranges, so you could end up paying more than the prices listed here. Also, if you have an especially large or unusually shaped window, you may need to get custom blinds made. Custom blinds are tailor-made to fit specific windows, so they can cost hundreds of dollars more than standard blinds, which are mass-produced.

Blind material

The material your blinds are made of is the second major factor influencing the price of their installation. 

Slat blinds and roller blinds made with basswood, ash, and bamboo are some of the most expensive options. Even faux wood blinds crafted with vinyl can cost a pretty penny. However, wood and faux wood blinds offer many benefits that make them worth their high costs. Among them are their longevity, strength, and insulation, all of which outrank any other material.

Fabric is also an option that tends to be a bit more affordable than wood. Typically, only roman blinds and cellular blinds are made from fabric, though some vertical slat blinds are also made from fabric. Fabric blinds provide great insulation and can even be blackout shades when made with a thick cloth. Many fabric blinds also feature charming prints to serve as decor accents, almost like tapestries.

On the low end of the price range, you have PVC and aluminum. Blinds made from these materials are affordable and provide better insulation than leaving a window untreated, but they’re far from your most energy-efficient option. Additionally, they don’t usually last as long as wood or fabric blinds. On the plus side, though, they can block out sunlight just as well as wooden blinds with the same design. 

Blind type

These are the four basic types of window blinds. Some specialty and custom blinds feature completely unique designs, though. 

In addition to different materials, blinds come in a few distinct designs, each with its own functionality and price range. This means that the type of window blind you get can affect your total costs just as much as what the blind is made from. 

Horizontal blinds

Horizontal blinds — or venetian blinds — made from wood, plastic, or aluminum slats are what most people think of when they imagine window blinds. They’re typically designed to draw upwards via a pulley cord system, though cordless blinds controlled by a twisting wand instead of a hanging rope are also available. The angle of slat blinds can also be adjusted to allow more or less sunlight through. 

Venetian blinds tend to be more expensive than vertical blinds. 

Vertical blinds

As their name suggests, vertical blinds hang downwards and roll side to side instead of drawing upwards. These roller shades are most commonly installed in front of sliding glass doors, but they can also serve beautifully over large windows. The best part is that these blinds tend to be very affordable to install. They’re also more affordable to repair than horizontal blinds since the slats aren’t interconnected, and you can more easily remove and replace broken ones.  

Roman blinds

Instead of featuring multiple slats like other types of blinds, a roman blind is actually made from a single uncut piece of cloth that drapes over a window vertically. The fabric can be completely smooth or pleated, depending on taste. Roman blinds still feature cord pulley systems for drawing them upward, though, so you can adjust how much light comes in from outside.

This design makes them similar to window shades. Roman blinds tend to cost a little more than venetian blinds, though this usually isn’t the case for venetian blinds made from wood.  

Cellular blinds

Cellular shades are similar to roman blinds in that they hang vertically and completely cover a window with one piece of material. Unlike roman blinds, though, cell shades feature fabric woven into hollow honeycomb shapes, also known as cells. 

Because of this design, the cells in cellular shades hold air, making them especially good insulators, reducing your energy costs better than most other types of blinds. They tend to cost more than other designs, though. 

Motorized blinds

Each of the blind types that we’ve discussed so far also come in motorized options. Motorized blinds allow you to open and close them without pulling a string or twisting a wand. 

Many motorized blinds feature remote controls you can use from across the room, though smart blinds that integrate into your smart home’s protocol are also popular. Smart blinds like these can be controlled via your AI assistant or your smartphone, allowing you to open and close them from anywhere in your home. 

Of course, blinds with motorized designs typically cost a couple hundred dollars more than their traditional counterparts. Convenience is never cheap! 

Window blind installation pricing tiers

The budget option

If you just want some affordable privacy and light control in your bedroom, living room, or den, and you don’t mind a more basic decor style, your cheapest option is to get PVC or aluminum blinds. Depending on local market conditions and the contractor you hire, horizontal or vertical blinds could be cheaper. 

These blinds won’t do much regarding energy savings or insulation, but they’ll provide all the bare necessities that a set of blinds should.

You can also save money on this project by only installing blinds where they’re absolutely necessary. It should go without saying that the more blinds you install, the more you’ll pay. So while you could make your home’s decor more coherent by installing the same blinds in all of your windows, you can cut costs by only installing one or two sets of blinds instead. 

Lastly, if you’re a pretty good handyperson, you could install your blinds yourself to save money on labor costs. Blind installation is relatively easy and a low-stakes home improvement project, so most amateurs can handle it if they carefully follow the directions included in their blinds’ packaging. 

However, DIY installation can void the warranty on your blinds, so if something goes wrong during or after installation, you’ll pay to replace them yourself. This means that DIY installation can sometimes end up costing more money than it might have saved. 

The mid-range option

If you’ve got money to invest in blinds that will enhance your decor and bring down your energy bills in addition to simply filtering out sunlight, we recommend getting fabric roman blinds, cellular blinds, or even wooden venetian blinds.

Also, depending on how much room you have in your budget, you could install blinds of the same type throughout your home. This could cost you a couple hundred dollars per window, but it will help bring your whole home into one consistent style and increase the insulation of all your windows. 

The high-end option

If you want the most durable, insulating, and convenient blinds money can buy and you’ve got room in the budget to make it happen, then we recommend outfitting all your windows with motorized wooden blinds that are compatible with your smart home’s AI assistant.

Depending on the number of windows in your home, this could cost you several thousand dollars, but it will help all your rooms match, give you complete control of your home’s sunlight intake at all times, and keep your energy bills as low as possible.

Alternatively, if you don’t already have smart home technology in your home and don’t want to install it, simply getting remote-controlled wooden blinds will provide all the same benefits minus a little of the convenience. 

How to pay for your new window blinds

Compared to roof replacement and kitchen remodeling projects, installing window blinds is relatively affordable. Still, outfitting all your windows with new treatments can cost a couple thousand dollars, and you may not have the necessary cash on-hand. 

If that’s the case, you can pay for your new blinds with one of these financing options:

• Installer financing - Some professional window blind installers offer in-house financing to their customers. The terms and conditions of this financing will depend on who you hire for the job. And while this financing option might be the most favorable, you should still look into your other options to ensure you can’t get a better deal elsewhere.
• Loans - You can also fund this project by taking out a personal loan or a home equity loan. With both options, a lender supplies you with a lump sum of money you must pay back with interest. Interest rates for personal loans are usually a little higher, so they can take longer to pay back. However, home equity loans are secured by the borrower’s home, so if you fail to pay back a home equity loan, the lender could take your home from you.
• HELOCs - Home equity lines of credit — or HELOCs — are your final option. When you open a HELOC, you start a new credit line that is secured by your home. You can repeatedly draw on this credit line as long as you keep up with the payment schedule. If you ever default on the debt, though, you could lose your home. 

Other factors to consider

To ensure your blinds last as long as possible, it’s important to always keep them clean. Otherwise, they can become discolored and dingy long before their time. You can typically clean your window blinds yourself with a damp cloth and a safe cleaning solution for your blind material. Alternatively, you can hire professional drape cleaners to come in and do the job right. 

You should also pay special attention to the mechanism that opens and closes your blinds. If you ever notice gears grinding, a pulley system snagging, or cords withdrawing unevenly, hire a window blind technician to inspect and repair the issue ASAP. Continuing to use your blinds when they’re malfunctioning can cause bigger — and more expensive — problems. 

How much do blinds cost?

While the average homeowner pays roughly $150 per window to install new blinds, you can make this project more affordable by opting for low-grade materials and simple blind styles. Alternatively, if you want blinds with more deluxe qualities and functions and are willing to pay more than average, that’s also an option. Whatever your budget and preferences, working with a professional installer is the best way to find blinds that work for you.