Century Communities upgrades: building, quick move-in or Century Complete, and what to add after closing

Updated October 25, 2026

The short version: with Century, how much you choose depends on how you buy. Build from the ground up and you have the most say; buy a quick move-in or a Century Complete home and most finishes are already set. Either way, window coverings aren’t on the Century pages we checked, so plan them for after closing, and use your final walk-through to make sure the windows themselves are right before anything is fitted.

Shutter Boys and Shade Boys aren’t connected with Century Communities. What follows about Century Communities comes from its own published pages, linked in the sources; the rest is our own advice.

Three ways to buy, three levels of choice

Century sells under two brands. Under the Century Communities name you can build from the ground up, which Century describes as a “longer timeline, more personalization options”, or buy a quick move-in home with fewer personalization options^[2]. Buying under the Century Communities name involves in-person steps such as signing at the community sales center^[2]. Century Complete is the other brand: Century calls it a “National Pioneer In Online Homebuying”, and lists the steps as shopping for a home, completing a buy online form and submitting an initial design^[3]. Century says Century Complete also has in-person sales studios in every market^[3].

Online buying through Century runs from a “Buy Now” button on an available home through a buyer form, an initial deposit and a contract signed through DocuSign, then the remaining forms, loan approval and earnest money^[4]. Century says it offers this online homebuying experience on all available homes in Texas^[7].

What comes included

Century’s public pages describe what’s included in broad terms. Its brand page says “Each home comes with our Century Home Connect® smart home package—fully included”^[5]. That package page names a Qolsys home automation panel, a Schlage smart lock, an ecobee thermostat and eero networking, delivered by an ADT dealer, with an ADT service upgrade offered separately; it notes dimmers are for California communities only^[5]. A 2025 community announcement lists smart home features, quartz countertops, stainless-steel appliances and wood-look luxury vinyl flooring^[7].

Two things follow for after closing. The smart thermostat that most new-home owners buy in their first month is already there, so skip that line of the table below. And window coverings aren’t mentioned on any of the Century pages we checked, so unless your sales counselor says your home includes them, every window will be bare on move-in day.

What to decide before closing, and what can wait

This is our own rule of thumb, not Century’s advice:

• If you’re building, choose now anything built into the structure or behind finished surfaces: flooring, cabinets, countertops, plumbing fixtures and anything that needs wiring. These are disruptive and costly to change after you move in.
• Let wait anything fixed to a finished surface. Window coverings, many light fixtures and hardware can be added later without opening walls, and you’ll choose them better once you’ve seen the light in each room.
• If you’re buying quick move-in or online, the build decisions are made. Spend your attention on the final walk-through and on records: what paint is on the trim, what the windows are, and how they open.

Whichever route, the CFPB’s homebuying tools walk through what to expect and what to ask at each step, from loan estimates to closing^[9]. Century’s homebuying process page sums the route up as prequalify, house hunt, contract and close^[1].

From contract to the first year

Century’s public pages don’t publish a construction meeting schedule, so the middle rows are what to ask for rather than what Century promises. The last column is our suggestion.

The Century warranty, and fitting shutters without creating a question

Century’s pages describe “a new home warranty, providing coverage on major items and repairs”^[1], and list an emergency warranty number, 888.885.5653^[1]. Its homeowner registration page is described as “Your gateway to homeowner maintenance resources, warranty services and more”, and asks you to verify ownership with a title or similar document^[6]. The coverage periods and what’s excluded are in your own warranty documents, not on the public site, so read those before you drill into any window frame.

Most new-home warranties don’t cover damage caused by the homeowner’s own work. A few habits keep things clear:

• Register first, then fit. Get access to warranty services as soon as you close, so a window problem can be reported before anything is fixed to the frame.
• Photograph every window before anything is fitted. Dated photos of clean frames and sills settle who caused what later.
• Know what you’re screwing into. Our install guide fixes the shutter frame into the window opening. If you can’t tell whether a screw would go into the window unit itself, ask Century’s warranty team before you drill.
• Keep the window’s own parts free. Check that locks and latches still work with the shutter frame in place.

Quick move-in homes: matching what’s already there

With a quick move-in or Century Complete home, the trim colour is chosen for you, and shutters look best when they read as part of it. White is our standard colour; if your trim is a different white, the designer lets you name a paint to match, which adds to the price. Ask your sales counselor, or the construction team at the walk-through, for the paint brand, colour name and sheen of the trim. The same colour in a different sheen looks like a different colour on louvers, which catch the light at every angle.

Wood-look vinyl plank floors^[7] and white trim are an easy pairing for painted shutters. If you’d rather the shutters picked up the floor’s colour, a stain match is possible, but match the trim and walls first: louvers sit inside the window trim, not on the floor.

What a four-bedroom home adds up to

Most owners don’t do every window at once. Here’s a made-up home, not a Century plan, priced in stages from our live price list:

Each window is priced on its own, so the stages add up to the whole; splitting an order only means each part ships separately. Keep the louver size, moulding and colour the same from the first order so later rooms match. The designer prices your own sizes in a few minutes.

Questions worth asking your Century sales counselor

These are questions, not claims about what Century offers; the answers vary by community and by how you buy.

• Does this home include any window coverings, and in which rooms?
• If I’m building, when do I make selections, and is there a walk-through before drywall?
• What paint, colour and sheen is the trim?
• Are the windows single-hung, sliding or casement, and which way do the handles project?
• How deep is the window opening, from the room side of the trim to the glass?
• Does the HOA review patio shades or anything fixed to the outside of the house?
• Where do I find the full warranty terms, and how do I submit a non-emergency request?

The trim colour and the window depth matter most for shutters: one decides the colour match, the other which louver size tilts freely.

Upgrades worth adding after closing

Once you have the keys, these are the upgrades that attach to a finished house. With Century Home Connect, the smart thermostat is already done. Timing and HOA notes are our rule of thumb; check your own association’s rules.

Cords matter in a house with small children: the CPSC urges cordless window coverings^[16]. Shutters have no cords, and our cord safety guide covers the rules.

Outside, and the rooms where shades suit better

Shutter Boys makes wood shutters. Our sister company, Shade Boys, makes the rest: windproof motorized patio shades that run in side tracks, for a covered patio or porch, which you can fit yourself or have a local installer fit, and indoor roller, solar and patio door shades made to measure. A sliding door or a wide wall of glass is often better served by a shade than a shutter; bedrooms and street-facing windows are where shutters earn their keep.

Anything fixed to the outside of the house usually goes to the homeowners association first. Ask for its architectural review form before you order patio shades, and expect it to ask for the colour, the mounting and a photo of a similar product. Shade Boys’ HOA guide covers what boards usually look for on the windows; no product is approved everywhere, because each association decides for itself.

Century states and our local pages

Century says it operates in 16 states and over 45 markets^[7], listing homes in Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee as well as these states^[8]. Our state pages show local housing and weather figures and what they mean for shutters: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington.