Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Ann Arbor
Homes in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor's 54,399 homes are a mix: 42% detached houses, 46% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 12% townhouses and other attached houses.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 44% of homes standing today; 16% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1971. 45% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 24 Michigan cities we have census figures for, Ann Arbor has the highest share of apartments. In Westland, 18 miles away, 33% of homes are apartments, fewer than here. Nationally, Ann Arbor's homes are older than those in 68% 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.
Out-of-square openings
With 63% 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.
Apartments and condos
46% of homes are in buildings of two or more units. Balcony and patio doors suit bypass or bifold panels rather than hinged ones, which need floor space to swing. Check what your HOA or building allows to show from outside before you order: most rules are about the colour seen through the glass.
Replacement windows
44% 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.
Ann Arbor weather and your shutters
At Ann Arbor SE, MI (3 mi away), July averages a high of 84°F and January a low of 16.3°F. Average lows sit at or below freezing from November to March.
About 14 days a year reach 90°F, 147 nights fall to freezing and 36 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
Among the Michigan cities we have climate normals for, Ann Arbor has the second-most freezing days.
That's more freezing nights than in 92% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 15 h 16 min on the longest day to 9 h 5 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 71° above the horizon in June and 24° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Ann Arbor SE, MI (temperature) and Ann Arbor 2.1 Wnw, MI (precipitation, 2 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31.7°F | 16.3°F | 2.5 in |
| Feb | 34.8°F | 16.3°F | 2.1 in |
| Mar | 45.1°F | 24.9°F | 2.4 in |
| Apr | 58.2°F | 34.2°F | 3.2 in |
| May | 70.4°F | 45.5°F | 3.9 in |
| Jun | 79.7°F | 55.5°F | 3.8 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 59°F | 3.8 in |
| Aug | 81.5°F | 57.9°F | 3.3 in |
| Sep | 75.1°F | 49.7°F | 3.2 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 39°F | 2.7 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 29.6°F | 2.7 in |
| Dec | 36.2°F | 22.2°F | 2.4 in |
Cold winters
With 147 freezing nights a year, warm room air meets cold glass for months. Shutters closed tight overnight hold that air against the window, so condensation can collect on the sill: tilt the louvers open in the morning, and wipe the sill on windows that often run wet.
Fitting them in Ann Arbor
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.
Near Ann Arbor
- Westland 18 mi
- Novi 19 mi
- Livonia 20 mi
- Dearborn Heights 23 mi
- Farmington Hills 23 mi
- Taylor 24 mi
More about shutters in Ann Arbor
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Ann Arbor’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.