If you have ever lain awake with a streetlight glowing through the slats of a blind, or felt uneasy that someone on the pavement can see the shape of the room at night, solid shutters are the answer people tend to reach for. Instead of louvres, each panel is flat and closed. Shut them and the window is covered completely. Open them and you get the whole window back.
Indicative prices only. Shutter Cost indicative guide, based on published UK installer pricing (2026), supplied and fitted, including VAT. Not a quote. Updated 2026-10.
What are solid shutters?
Solid shutters (often called solid panel shutters) are hinged panels with a flat or raised face and no louvres. You cannot tilt anything for a bit of light: the panels are either closed or folded back. That is the trade-off. You lose the in-between setting that louvres give you, and in return you get a cleaner, more traditional look and a window that is properly covered when it is shut.
Solid internal shutters are a traditional feature of many period homes, which is why people restoring Victorian and Georgian houses often ask for them. They are also made in modern, plain styles.
Solid is a style, not a material. Solid wood (hardwood) is a material, and you can have louvred shutters in solid hardwood. Solid panel shutters can be made in MDF, faux wood or hardwood. When you compare quotes, check which one each installer means.
How much do solid shutters cost?
Shutters are priced mainly on the area they cover. A full height solid shutter covers the whole window, so start with the full window size and the material.
| Material | Indicative £ per m² (fitted) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MDF / vinyl | £250–£350 | Budget option; vinyl is often used for wet rooms. |
| Faux wood / composite | £290–£400 | Moisture resistant; heavier than hardwood. |
| Hardwood | £330–£550 | Lighter, stronger panels for wider spans; premium timbers at the top of the range. |
Indicative cost per window
| Window (width × height) | Area | MDF / vinyl | Faux wood | Hardwood |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small window (e.g. bathroom), 60 × 90 cm | 0.54 m² | £140–£190 | £160–£220 | £180–£300 |
| Standard window, 120 × 150 cm | 1.80 m² | £450–£630 | £520–£720 | £590–£990 |
| Large window, 180 × 150 cm | 2.70 m² | £680–£950 | £780–£1,080 | £890–£1,490 |
| Three-section bay (sections add up to 200 cm wide), 200 × 150 cm | 3.00 m² | £750–£1,050 | £870–£1,200 | £990–£1,650 |
| Patio or French doors (often tracked), 240 × 210 cm | 5.04 m² | £1,260–£1,760 | £1,460–£2,020 | £1,660–£2,770 |
Our method: shutter area × the indicative per m² range for each material, supplied and fitted, including VAT, rounded to the nearest £10. Style and window shape extras are not added. Not a quote.
Solid panels are often priced differently from louvred panels – ask for a quote. Some installers charge more for solid panels and some charge less, so we do not add or take off a fixed percentage. Treat these figures as the starting point and ask for a solid and a louvred price on the same survey.
Your own numbers: put your window size into the cost calculator and choose solid panel.
Solid vs louvred shutters
| Solid panels | Louvred (full height) | |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy when closed | Complete: no slats to see through | Good, with the louvres tilted shut |
| Light when closed | Very little, mostly around the edges | Some light through the slats |
| Light and privacy at the same time | No, open or closed only | Yes, tilt the louvres |
| Look | Traditional, suits period homes; also plain modern styles | The classic plantation look |
| Cleaning | Flat panels, quick to wipe | More slats to dust |
| Relative cost on the same window | Varies by installer, ask for both | Our baseline |
Where solid shutters work best
- Bedrooms and nurseries. No light through slats at night or early in the morning. See bedroom shutter costs.
- Period homes. Solid internal shutters are a traditional look in Victorian and Georgian houses, often on sash windows.
- Street-facing rooms at night. When they are closed nobody can see in at all. In the day you will want them open, or a mix with louvres.
- The lower tier of a tier-on-tier shutter. Solid panels below for privacy, louvres above for light. See tier-on-tier shutter costs.
When solid shutters are not the right choice
- Rooms you use in daylight with the shutters closed. Closed solid panels mean no daylight from that window. For privacy with light, look at louvred full height or café style.
- Bathrooms that need air and light. Louvres can be tilted for ventilation and daylight while still giving privacy. See bathroom shutter costs.
- Big street-facing bays. Solid panels across a whole bay window make the room dark when closed. A solid-lower, louvred-upper mix is often the better balance.
Questions to ask at your survey
- Is the solid panel price quoted separately from louvred, so you can compare?
- Are the panels flat or raised (fielded), and which suits the age of the house?
- Which material is it exactly, and is it suited to the room (for example vinyl or faux wood near moisture)?
- How are the edges finished, and how much light will get in around the panels when closed?
- Are frames, fitting and VAT included?
Solid shutters: common questions
What are solid shutters?
Solid shutters (also called solid panel shutters) have flat or raised panels instead of tilting louvres. When they are closed, there are no slats for light to come through, so the window is covered completely. To let light in, you open the panels rather than tilting anything.
Are solid shutters more expensive than louvred shutters?
It depends on the installer. Solid panels are often priced differently from louvred panels – ask for a quote. Shutters are still priced mainly on the area they cover, so the per window figures on this page are a fair starting point, but ask for a solid and a louvred price on the same survey so you can compare like for like.
Do solid shutters block out all light?
They block much more light than louvred shutters, because there are no gaps between slats. Some light can still get in around the edges of the panels and the frame, depending on how they are made and fitted. If you need the room properly dark, ask your installer how they finish the edges, or pair the shutters with a blackout blind.
Is "solid shutters" the same as "solid wood shutters"?
No. Solid shutters describes the panel style: no louvres. Solid wood describes the material, usually hardwood. You can have louvred shutters in solid hardwood, and solid panel shutters in MDF, faux wood or hardwood. Check which one a quote means.
Can I have solid panels at the bottom and louvres at the top?
Yes. A common option is tier-on-tier with solid lower panels for privacy and louvred upper panels for light. It gives you the privacy of a solid shutter at street level without losing the daylight at the top.
Are solid shutters good for bay windows?
They can be. Solid panels across a street-facing bay give strong privacy at night, but when they are closed the room gets no daylight from the bay at all. Many people choose louvres or a solid-lower, louvred-upper mix on a bay. Add up every section of the bay to estimate the cost.
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Other styles: Full height · Café style · Tier-on-tier · Solid · Tracked · Sash windows · Bay windows · Plantation shutters cost guide
Costs by room: Bathroom · Kitchen · Bedroom · Living room