Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Independence
Homes in Independence
Independence is a city of houses: of its 56,084 homes, 71% are detached, 5% are townhouses and other attached houses and 21% are apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 50% of homes standing today; 12% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1967. 61% of homes are lived in by their owners.
In nearby Blue Springs, 7 miles away, 38% of homes were built before 1980, so Independence's windows are on the whole older. Nationally, Independence's homes are older than those in 77% 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 70% 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.
Replacement windows
50% 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.
Whole-house orders
With 71% 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.
Independence weather and your shutters
At Independence, MO (2 mi away), July averages a high of 86.9°F and January a low of 19.2°F. Average highs reach 85°F from July to August and average lows sit at or below freezing from December to February.
About 31 days a year reach 90°F, 113 nights fall to freezing and 44.7 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around May and least in January.
Among the Missouri cities we have climate normals for, Independence has the second-most freezing days.
That's more freezing nights than in 73% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 14 h 55 min on the longest day to 9 h 25 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 74° above the horizon in June and 27° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Independence, MO (temperature) and Independence, MO (precipitation, 2 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37.6°F | 19.2°F | 1.5 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 23.1°F | 1.9 in |
| Mar | 54.5°F | 32.6°F | 2.9 in |
| Apr | 64.6°F | 42.6°F | 4.4 in |
| May | 73.9°F | 53.7°F | 6 in |
| Jun | 82.9°F | 63.5°F | 5.3 in |
| Jul | 86.9°F | 67.8°F | 5.1 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 65.7°F | 5.1 in |
| Sep | 78.4°F | 57°F | 4.8 in |
| Oct | 66.5°F | 45.1°F | 3.5 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 33.5°F | 2.4 in |
| Dec | 41.8°F | 23.9°F | 1.8 in |
Cold winters
With 113 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.
Humid summers
Hot days and 44.7 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.
Fitting them in Independence
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 Independence
- Blue Springs 7 mi
- Kansas City 11 mi
- Lee's Summit 11 mi
- Kansas City 21 mi
- Overland Park 23 mi
- Shawnee 25 mi
More about shutters in Independence
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Independence’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.