Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Austin
Homes in Austin
Apartments outnumber houses in Austin: 50% of its 483,071 homes are in buildings of two or more units. Detached houses make up 43% and townhouses and other attached houses 5%.
Much of Austin is new: 43% of homes were built 2000 or later, and only 28% before 1980. The median home dates from 1994. Most homes are rented: owners live in only 43%.
In nearby Round Rock, 17 miles away, 11% of homes were built before 1980, so Austin's windows are on the whole older. Nationally, Austin's homes are newer than those in 77% of the 375 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.
Shallow openings
43% 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.
Apartments and condos
50% 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
72% 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.
Renting?
57% of homes are rented. Shutters screw into the window frame or casing, so ask your landlord before you install; taking them down later leaves only screw holes to fill.
Austin weather and your shutters
At Austin-Camp MABRY, TX (2 mi away), August averages a high of 97.8°F and January a low of 41.8°F. Average highs reach 85°F from May to September.
About 123 days a year reach 90°F, 12 nights fall to freezing and 36.2 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around May and least in February.
That's more 90°F days than in 92% of the 381 US cities we have climate normals for.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Austin-Camp MABRY, TX (temperature) and Austin-Camp MABRY, TX (precipitation, 2 mi away).
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62.5°F | 41.8°F | 2.6 in |
| Feb | 66.5°F | 45.8°F | 1.9 in |
| Mar | 73.3°F | 52.2°F | 2.9 in |
| Apr | 80.3°F | 58.9°F | 2.4 in |
| May | 86.9°F | 66.8°F | 5 in |
| Jun | 93.2°F | 72.9°F | 3.7 in |
| Jul | 96.6°F | 75°F | 2 in |
| Aug | 97.8°F | 75.1°F | 2.7 in |
| Sep | 91.4°F | 70.1°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 82.5°F | 60.8°F | 3.9 in |
| Nov | 71.5°F | 50.5°F | 2.9 in |
| Dec | 63.9°F | 43.4°F | 2.7 in |
Months of hard sun
With 123 days a year above 90°F, sun on the window is the main thing shutters do here. Closed louvers stop direct sun before it reaches the room; angled up, they still let light bounce off the ceiling. On south and west windows, white and light finishes stay cooler and show fading less than dark stains; keep stains for windows out of the afternoon sun.
Fitting them in Austin
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 Austin
- San Antonio 74 mi
Price your windows
Add each window, pick your options and send it to us. We check the sizes and reply with your quote.