What should you look for when choosing a shutter company?

Most plantation shutters on the UK market are built from a handful of materials: hardwood, engineered MDF and waterproof ABS. Two firms can order panels of the same material and louvre size and still deliver very different results, because a shutter is a made-to-measure product that only works if the opening was measured accurately and the frame was set square on the day.

That shifts the question away from which catalogue looks nicest and towards how the company works. Who comes to the house, who takes the measurements, who orders, who fits and who comes back if a panel catches. The fewer hand-offs there are, the fewer places an error can slip in.

Use these with every company you talk to, including us.

1. 1Ask who measures. It should be a visit to the window itself, not a figure you read off a tape measure over the phone.
2. 2Ask who fits. A company that sends its own fitter carries the responsibility for the measurement it took; a subcontractor can blame the survey.
3. 3Ask for the quote in writing, broken down window by window, with material, louvre size, frame type and colour named.
4. 4Handle samples. Open and close a real panel, move the tilt, look at the hinge and the finish in your own light.
5. 5Ask about lead time in weeks and what drives it, so you can plan around a move, a decorator or a new kitchen.
6. 6Ask what happens if something does not fit on the day, and who pays for a remake.
7. 7Check where they work. A local firm that covers a defined area can return quickly for adjustments.

A single-line quote with one total is the most common problem. It cannot be compared with anything, and it leaves room for extras to appear later: fitting, removal of old blinds, a different frame or VAT that was never mentioned.

Pressure to sign on the first visit is another. Shutters are a considered purchase, and a firm confident in its price will leave a written quote with you. Be wary too of a price that arrives before anyone has seen the windows; bay, shaped and sash openings are rarely square, and a quote from rough numbers often changes once someone measures properly.

• One total, no breakdown per window
• A hard sell or a discount that expires tonight
• Measurements taken from figures you supplied
• No named colour reference, just the word white
• Vague answers about who will be fitting

Both can do good work, and the checks above apply equally. The practical difference is usually in the chain of people involved. A national business often has a surveyor, an office and a separate fitting team; a local specialist is more likely to have the same person on your doorstep from first visit to final adjustment.

A showroom helps whichever route you take. Seeing panels at full size, in different louvre widths and finishes, answers questions that a small swatch cannot, especially on colour and how much light each louvre size lets through.

We are a family-run business based on Chapel Lane in Stockton Heath and cover homes within 20 miles of Warrington. Jonathan or Tony comes out for a free home measure, talks through materials, louvre sizes and colours, and leaves a fixed written quote with no obligation. The same person who measures fits the shutters; nothing goes to a subcontractor.

If you would rather see the panels before anyone visits, the showroom is open Monday to Friday 9 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 1.