Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Chapel Hill
Homes in Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill's 23,581 homes are a mix: 41% detached houses, 44% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 14% townhouses and other attached houses.
The 1980s and 1990s built 32% of today's homes, more than any other period we count. 35% are older than that and 32% newer. The median home dates from 1988. 47% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 22 North Carolina cities we have census figures for, Chapel Hill has the second-highest share of apartments. Its housing is much like Durham's, 9 miles away. Nationally, Chapel Hill's homes are newer than those in 69% 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
44% 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.
Rounded drywall corners
65% of homes here were built from 1980 on, and many houses of that era have rounded ("bullnose") drywall corners around the windows instead of square returns. A shutter can't sit flat against a curve: choose an outside mount with a frame that clears the corner, or an inside mount if the flat part of the opening is deep enough for your louvers.
Shallow openings
32% 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.
Chapel Hill weather and your shutters
At Chapel Hill Williams AP, NC (1 mi away), July averages a high of 89.6°F and January a low of 31.7°F. Average highs reach 85°F from June to August and average lows sit at or below freezing in January.
About 45 days a year reach 90°F, 68 nights fall to freezing and 43.7 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
That's more 90°F days than in 52% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 14 h 36 min on the longest day to 9 h 43 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 78° above the horizon in June and 31° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Chapel Hill Williams AP, NC (temperature) and Chapel Hill Williams AP, NC (precipitation, 1 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51.2°F | 31.7°F | 3.4 in |
| Feb | 54.8°F | 33.8°F | 2.8 in |
| Mar | 62.7°F | 40.1°F | 3.9 in |
| Apr | 72.2°F | 48.1°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 79.1°F | 57°F | 3.5 in |
| Jun | 86.3°F | 65.3°F | 4.4 in |
| Jul | 89.6°F | 69.3°F | 4.1 in |
| Aug | 87.8°F | 67.9°F | 3.8 in |
| Sep | 81.9°F | 62.2°F | 4.4 in |
| Oct | 72.3°F | 49.6°F | 3.2 in |
| Nov | 62.4°F | 39.5°F | 3.2 in |
| Dec | 54.2°F | 34.5°F | 3.4 in |
Humid summers
Hot days and 43.7 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 Chapel Hill
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 Chapel Hill
- Durham 9 mi
- Cary 16 mi
- Apex 17 mi
- Raleigh 24 mi
- Burlington 26 mi
- Wake Forest 30 mi
More about shutters in Chapel Hill
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Chapel Hill’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.