Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Madison
Homes in Madison
Apartments outnumber houses in Madison: 54% of its 133,530 homes are in buildings of two or more units. Detached houses make up 40% and townhouses and other attached houses 5%.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 34% of homes standing today; 29% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1980. 46% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 12 Wisconsin cities we have census figures for, Madison has the newest homes and the second-highest share of apartments. In Janesville, 35 miles away, 24% of homes are apartments, fewer than here. Nationally, Madison's homes are older than those in 52% 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
54% 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.
Out-of-square openings
With 51% 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.
Madison weather and your shutters
At UW Arboretum - Madison, WI (3 mi away), July averages a high of 82.2°F and January a low of 11.1°F. Average lows sit at or below freezing from November to March.
About 10 days a year reach 90°F, 157 nights fall to freezing and 39.5 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around June and least in January.
Among the Wisconsin cities we have climate normals for, Madison has the second-most freezing days and the most precipitation.
That's more freezing nights than in 96% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 15 h 22 min on the longest day to 8 h 59 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 70° above the horizon in June and 23° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, UW Arboretum - Madison, WI (temperature) and Madison 4.0 W, WI (precipitation, 2 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27.7°F | 11.1°F | 1.6 in |
| Feb | 31.5°F | 14°F | 1.7 in |
| Mar | 44°F | 24.7°F | 2.2 in |
| Apr | 57.4°F | 35.7°F | 4.1 in |
| May | 69.2°F | 47.4°F | 4.6 in |
| Jun | 78.4°F | 57.1°F | 5.4 in |
| Jul | 82.2°F | 61.4°F | 4.5 in |
| Aug | 80.6°F | 59.4°F | 4.4 in |
| Sep | 73.9°F | 50.7°F | 3.7 in |
| Oct | 61.1°F | 39.4°F | 3.1 in |
| Nov | 46.1°F | 28.5°F | 2.3 in |
| Dec | 33°F | 17.8°F | 1.9 in |
Cold winters
With 157 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 Madison
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 Madison
- Janesville 35 mi
- Waukesha 60 mi
- Rockford 60 mi
- West Allis 71 mi
- Milwaukee 74 mi
- Dubuque 76 mi
More about shutters in Madison
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Madison’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.