Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Missoula
Homes in Missoula
Missoula's 37,317 homes are a mix: 49% detached houses, 41% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 6% townhouses and other attached houses.
Much of Missoula is new: 34% of homes were built 2000 or later, and only 49% before 1980. The median home dates from 1981. 47% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 4 Montana cities we have census figures for, Missoula has the third-highest share of older homes and the second-highest share of apartments. Nationally, Missoula's homes are older than those in 50% 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.
Apartments and condos
41% 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.
Shallow openings
34% of homes were built in 2000 or later. Newer windows are often set close to the room side of the wall, and handles, cranks and alarm sensors stick out into the space a louver swings through. Measure the depth to the glass and to anything that sticks out; the designer checks it against the louver size you pick.
Out-of-square openings
With 49% 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.
Missoula weather and your shutters
At Missoula 2 NE, MT (3 mi away), July averages a high of 85.1°F and December a low of 19.6°F. Average highs reach 85°F in July and average lows sit at or below freezing from November to March.
About 22 days a year reach 90°F, 163 nights fall to freezing and 17.4 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around June and least in July.
Among the Montana cities we have climate normals for, Missoula has the second-most freezing days.
That's more freezing nights than in 97% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 15 h 53 min on the longest day to 8 h 31 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 67° above the horizon in June and 20° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Missoula 2 NE, MT (temperature) and Missoula 2 NE, MT (precipitation, 3 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34.1°F | 19.8°F | 1.2 in |
| Feb | 39°F | 21.9°F | 1.1 in |
| Mar | 49.1°F | 27.4°F | 1.2 in |
| Apr | 56.8°F | 33°F | 1.7 in |
| May | 66.5°F | 40.8°F | 2.3 in |
| Jun | 73.4°F | 46.9°F | 2.6 in |
| Jul | 85.1°F | 52.2°F | 1 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 51°F | 1 in |
| Sep | 73.1°F | 43.6°F | 1.1 in |
| Oct | 56.5°F | 33.7°F | 1.4 in |
| Nov | 41.2°F | 26.2°F | 1.4 in |
| Dec | 32.9°F | 19.6°F | 1.4 in |
Cold winters
With 163 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 Missoula
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 Missoula
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Missoula’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.