Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Mobile
Homes in Mobile
Mobile is a city of houses: of its 98,380 homes, 67% are detached, 2% are townhouses and other attached houses and 29% are apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 48% of homes standing today; 14% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1975. 54% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 10 Alabama cities we have census figures for, Mobile has the second-highest share of older homes. Its housing is much like Pensacola's, 57 miles away. Nationally, Mobile's homes are older than those in 66% of the 881 US cities we have census figures for.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. Estimates carry margins of error.
Replacement windows
48% of homes went up between 1950 and 1979, and most of them have had their original windows replaced since. A replacement window often sits further into or out of the wall than the old one, so the depth you have for an inside mount may differ from window to window in the same house. Measure every opening rather than copying one.
Out-of-square openings
With 61% of homes built before 1980, many openings have had decades to settle. Measure each one's width at the top, middle and bottom, and both diagonals. If the diagonals differ by more than about ¼ inch, add a mounting frame in the designer, or choose an outside mount so the shutter covers the uneven edges.
Whole-house orders
With 67% of homes detached, most orders here cover a whole house: bedrooms, a patio door, perhaps a bay. Put every window in one list in the designer so the louver size and colour match from the street, and if you have an HOA, send it the drawings before you order.
Mobile weather and your shutters
At Mobile Dwtn AP, AL (4 mi away), August averages a high of 91.9°F and January a low of 42.5°F. Average highs reach 85°F from May to September.
About 73 days a year reach 90°F, 15 nights fall to freezing and 68.4 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
Among the Alabama cities we have climate normals for, Mobile has the most precipitation.
That's more 90°F days than in 69% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 14 h 8 min on the longest day to 10 h 10 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 83° above the horizon in June and 36° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Mobile Dwtn AP, AL (temperature) and Mobile 1.2 Wsw, AL (precipitation, 1 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62.1°F | 42.5°F | 6 in |
| Feb | 65.8°F | 46.1°F | 4.4 in |
| Mar | 71.8°F | 51.8°F | 5.1 in |
| Apr | 77.9°F | 58.6°F | 5.6 in |
| May | 85°F | 66.3°F | 6.6 in |
| Jun | 90°F | 73.1°F | 7.3 in |
| Jul | 91.7°F | 75.3°F | 7 in |
| Aug | 91.9°F | 75.3°F | 6.5 in |
| Sep | 88.8°F | 71.8°F | 5.7 in |
| Oct | 81.3°F | 61°F | 4 in |
| Nov | 71.6°F | 49.9°F | 4.3 in |
| Dec | 64.3°F | 44.9°F | 5.9 in |
Humid summers
Hot days and 68.4 inches of precipitation make for heavy summer air. Wood swells when it's humid, so give kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms some air: run the fan after a shower and tilt the louvers open so steam doesn't sit behind them.
Summer sun
On the 73 days a year above 90°F, closed louvers keep direct sun off the glass and out of the room. In a window that takes afternoon sun, white and light paint finishes stay cooler to the touch than dark stains.
Fitting them in Mobile
Shutter Boys shutters are made for you to fit yourself: an inside or outside mount takes a drill, a level and our step-by-step guide. If you'd rather hire someone, a finish carpenter or blinds installer can fit them; ask on your quote and we'll tell you if we know one near you. You arrange and pay the installer directly.
More about shutters in Mobile
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Mobile’s own figures.
Price your windows
Pick your look once, add every window, and see each one drawn and priced. Send it to us and we reply with your quote.