Plantation Shutters Installation, Labor Only — Shutters You Ordered
The shutters arrived in three long boxes with a bag of screws and a measuring mistake you are not sure you made. We check the fit, mount the frames true, and hang the panels so they close.
Plantation shutters installation labor only: JMB Builders mounts the interior shutters you ordered online or from a store, across the Twin Cities metro. We are an independent installer, not the shutter company. We check your measurements before you order, then set the frame plumb and square with shims, screw it to the jamb or framing, hang the panels, and adjust the hinges and magnets so the panels close flat. Priced per window, quoted from photos in a day.
- Priced per window, labor only
- Inside mount and outside mount frames
- Measurements checked before you order
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Plantation shutters are mostly bought online now, custom cut to the numbers you type in, in composite or wood, and shipped to the door. The seller measures nothing and installs nothing. We are the crew that finishes the job. We are an independent installer, not the shutter company and not its dealer; the shutters, the louver size and the finish are between you and the seller. Mounting them plumb, square and tight to the window is our work.
A shutter is a cabinet door hung in a window, and it only works when the frame it hangs on is true. Windows in Twin Cities houses are rarely square, so the frame gets shimmed to plumb and level inside the opening, not screwed flat to a crooked jamb. Inside-mount frames sit in the window opening on the jambs; outside-mount frames sit on the wall or casing around it. Once the frame is set, the panels hang on their hinges, and the last half hour is adjustment: hinge pins, magnets, tilt rods and the little gap at the meeting stiles so the louvers line up across the whole window.
The order is where shutters go wrong. Send us a photo of each window and your three width and three height measurements before you submit the order, and we will tell you which mount to pick and whether your numbers make sense.
What you supply
- The shutters, ordered to your window measurements: frames, panels, hinges, screws and any hang strips the seller includes
- Photos of each window and your measurements before you order, so we can check the mount type and the numbers
- The seller's install sheet if it shipped with the order; we read it before we start
- Touch-up paint or the seller's touch-up kit if you want screw heads and frame joints dressed
What JMB supplies
- A check of your measurements and mount choice against the windows before you order, no charge
- Shims, longer screws for drywall-return windows, anchors and a level frame in every opening
- Frames set plumb and square, panels hung, hinges and magnets adjusted
- Filler strips or a small trim piece when the opening is out of square by more than the frame can hide
- Old blinds or curtain hardware taken down and holes filled, when you want them gone
- Photos of each finished window in your job folder
- Painting any new filler or trim to match, quoted as its own line
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Inside mount into a trimmed window vs. outside mount on the wall or casing
- Drywall-return windows with nothing solid to screw to, which need anchors or a hang strip
- How far out of square the opening is and whether filler strips are needed
- Panel count and size: a wide window with four panels and a divider rail takes longer than a single-panel bathroom window
- Tall or high windows that need a ladder, and stairwell windows
- Number of windows in one visit; a whole house is priced far below one room
Send a photo of each window from inside with the trim visible, your measurements, and the seller's order confirmation showing frame type and panel count.
How long it takes
Most windows: about an hour each once the boxes are open. A whole floor of eight to ten windows is a day. Out-of-square openings and drywall returns add time.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Inside mount on a trimmed window
The frame sits inside the opening against the jambs, so the casing stays visible around it. It needs enough depth in the jamb for the louvers to swing clear of the sash handles. The cleanest look and the most common order.
Outside mount on the casing or wall
The frame sits on the face of the casing or the drywall around the window, hiding an out-of-square opening or a shallow jamb. The frame is squared to itself, not to the window, so the panels close true even when the window is not.
Drywall-return windows with no trim
Newer houses with drywall wrapped straight into the window have no wood to screw to. We use anchors into the drywall and longer screws to catch the framing behind it, or mount a hang strip first, so the frame does not pull loose when the panels swing.
Sliding doors and tall windows
Bypass or bifold shutter tracks on patio doors, and tall panels with a divider rail on two-story windows. These come as bigger assemblies and need two people, a ladder, and a level track or the panels will not track straight.
Plantation Shutters Installation, Labor Only — Shutters You Ordered: questions, answered
Who installs plantation shutters I bought online?
JMB Builders installs interior plantation shutters homeowners have ordered online or from a store, labor only, across the Twin Cities metro. We are an independent licensed Minnesota contractor, not the shutter company. We check your measurements before you order, then mount the frames plumb and square, hang the panels and adjust the hinges and magnets so everything closes flat. Priced per window, quoted from photos within one business day.
Should I order inside mount or outside mount shutters?
Inside mount if your window has wood jambs, is close to square, and has enough depth for the louvers to clear the sash handles; it looks built-in and keeps the casing visible. Outside mount if the window is out of square, the jamb is shallow, or the opening is drywall-wrapped with no trim; the frame covers the opening and squares itself. Send a photo of each window and a depth measurement and we tell you which one, no charge.
What if my window opening is out of square?
Most are, a little. Shutter frames are ordered to the smallest width and height, and the frame is set plumb and level with shims, so the gap ends up on one side rather than spread crooked across the panels. A small gap hides behind the frame lip. A big one gets a filler strip painted to match. If the opening is far enough out that the panels would not close, an outside-mount frame is the fix, and we tell you that before you order.
Can plantation shutters be installed on drywall return windows with no trim?
Yes. The problem is there is no wood to screw into, just drywall wrapped over the framing. We use anchors into the drywall and longer screws that reach the framing behind it, or mount a wood hang strip first and screw the frame to that. Either way the frame is solid enough for the panels to swing every day without working loose. Tell us the window has drywall returns when you send photos so we bring the right fasteners.
How long does plantation shutter installation take?
About an hour per window once the boxes are open and checked, a bit more for a wide window with four panels or a drywall-return opening. A floor of eight to ten windows is a day. We open every box first and check the panel and frame sizes against the windows before mounting anything, so a wrong shipment is caught before a frame goes up.
Do you measure for plantation shutters before I order?
We check your measurements. Take width at the top, middle and bottom and height at the left, center and right, inside the opening, and note the depth from the face of the jamb to the nearest part of the window. Send those with a photo and we tell you whether the numbers fit an inside mount and which ones to enter. We can also come measure on site if the house has a lot of windows and you want the order right the first time.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All install what you bought pages
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