How Much Should You Budget for Window Treatments in Your ADU?

By Buz Artiano, BuildX | October 2026

Watch: Nobody Taught Me, So I Taught Myself w/ Cathy Martin | BuildX Podcast #23

Your ADU budget has a line for the foundation, a line for septic work, a line for cabinets, and a line for appliances. If it has no line for window coverings, that number arrives after the build money is committed, when the unit is finished and every window is bare glass. The cost was always coming. What you control is whether it shows up while you can still plan for it.

My name is Buz Artiano, and I am the founder of BuildX. We've built dozens of ADU projects across Massachusetts, mostly around the South Shore and Plymouth County areas. We are the only team you need: we do the design, permitting, and construction. So we see every phase of a project from the first site visit up until you move in. We evaluate septic constraints, zoning issues, utility connections and the requirements for a permit from the city long before we start talking about finishes. Finish items that don't have a set price can be why the budget goes over what you planned for.

We wanted to get a number that people can count on when it comes to windows, so we sat down on the BuildX Podcast with Cathy Martin. Cathy is the president of Budget Blinds South Shore and she gave us her company's starting price, but she didn't give us a max or a cap on the price, so we aren't going to make one up, we'll just leave it at that.

What Does One Window Actually Cost?

Cathy Martin was clear on the fact that the price depends on the size of the window. Budget Blinds South Shore can get average sized windows starting at $150, and the price goes up from there based on what type of windows you decide to install. That's her company's price on a very basic window as of the time of our recorded conversation. But keep in mind that this is just one vendor's starting price, it's not an average for the whole market. The other thing is that she didn't say whether it includes measuring, installation, or sales tax, so please be sure and ask before you plan on a certain price.

When we talked about her pricing we said the average is between $150 to $200 for an average window. That was just how we restated it. She said $150 low end with no ceiling, so treat that $150 as a starting point and get a current quote.

You just use that number as a planning check. Count the average-sized windows on your plan set and multiply by $150. If that total is higher than what your budget holds for window coverings today, you'll need to re-evaluate while it's still early in the process.

Why Can't You Get a Real Price Over the Phone?

The price depends on two things that you can't really know before your appointment. You need an accurate measurement and a decision on the product you want. Cathy Martin explained that it's difficult to give an up front price because it changes depending on what windows the customer picks, and because people usually only know approximate sizes of their windows at first.

That's why her team always goes on site to give a quote. The consultant brings material books, samples, and small sample blinds that go up in your actual window so you can see how they'll look in the actual light you get. We do all the measurements at that time as well, and then the quote is put together right there on an iPad before the consultant leaves. In Cathy's opinion, quoting on site is the better process, because the customer is right there and wants the price.

If you want to narrow down your options first, Budget Blinds South Shore has a showroom in Norwell where you can see over a hundred products, including shutters and blinds that are right next to each other so you can compare. A lot of people like to do that first, then book the in-home appointment for us to take measurements and give an accurate price. For an ADU, the in-home appointment is what gives you an accurate price because the windows have to be measured.

Which Choices Move the Price Inside One Product Line?

Most people expect the price gap to be between shades and shutters. Cathy Martin showed us that a large part of the price range is dependent on one category.

Her example was a honeycomb shade which is a pleated fabric folded into hollow cells that sit against the glass. You can buy them in a linen material with a metal headrail, which is the thing across the top that holds the mechanics to operate the shades. The same kind of shade made from basic material and a plastic headrail is cheaper. Same category, same window, but two different prices.

That gives you some wiggle room. There are budget-friendly versions and higher-end products inside the shades category, and a consultant can help you get to the number you want that fits your budget. Cathy summed it up in a few words: you get what you pay for. She said people often ask her why a company called Budget Blinds is not always the cheapest option, and her answer is that they offer a wide range of products for every budget. Ask any vendor which tier they are quoting you for regardless of the brand name.

Should You Choose Composite or Wood Shutters?

If shutters are on your list, the panel material is what changes the price. Composite is a manufactured panel material rather than solid wood. Cathy Martin told us composite sells better than wood by quite a bit because it's cheaper and it's easier to get. Wood is lighter, so wood panels can be bigger before they get too heavy. Specialty shapes, such as arches, circles, and triangles, are where her team does the work in wood.

We prefer composite, but not because of the price. Composite is more stable, which means that its panels hold their size and shape perfectly through all the humidity and temperature changes we get in Massachusetts. This table lists the options Cathy described, with that stability benefit we just explained as the last line.

The shape point reaches back into design. An arched window over a slider, a round window in a gable end, or an angled transom are decisions you have to make during the planning phase, and on a window that has shutters the shape issue determines the panel material. Window shapes cannot be changed once framing is done, so the time to ask what a specialty window will cost to cover is before anything is built, when it's a simple change on the drawings.

How Do You Turn a Per-Window Price Into an ADU Budget?

Use the math as support. Nobody we spoke to gave us a whole-unit total. What you can figure out today is a starting estimate:

• Count the average-sized windows on your plan set, and list door glass and specialty shapes separately
• Multiply how many average sized windows you have by 150 for a starting point
• Ask a vendor to price every window at the lowest tier, the middle tier, and the premium product you want

The three quoted tiers show what the metal headrail and the better material cost for the whole unit, not just one window. Get those numbers before your construction budget is finalized, while you're in the planning stages and things can be adjusted.

How Much Do You Pay Up Front?

Cathy Martin told us Budget Blinds South Shore limits the amount of the deposit to 50 percent of the order, and the consultant can take the card and the signature on site. Please confirm the current deposit terms when you get your quote.

She also said the company recently added financing, with several different options and will give approval during the appointment. We aren't printing the lender's name, because it was not clear on our recording, and the rates, terms, and qualification weren't talked about. Ask Budget Blinds South Shore directly which lender it uses and what their current terms are before you put the financing into your plan because rates and terms can change.

Where Would We Tell You to Spend Less?

You'd think that a builder who just had a podcast discussing window treatments to push you toward the more expensive product. However, on this item, the basic option is often the right one. A plastic headrail covers the window, operates, and can be replaced later if you want to. Spend the extra money on the windows that you see and use every day, and go for the basic material in rooms where the shade is usually down.

One vendor's starting price is also isn't recommended by the vendor. Cathy Martin gave an actual price on record and that's why her company is named here. You should get at least two other quotes. If one is well under 150 for a similar product, then ask which changed: the face material, the headrail, or the measurement.

Can You Phase Window Coverings to Protect Your Budget?

Yes, and it's the plan we talked about on the spot during the podcast. You can buy something now that will take you to the next phase, keep it for three or four years, and then replace it with what you wanted when there's money again. Window coverings work well with phasing because swapping them later doesn't involve structural work and no other trades. One product comes down and another goes up.

Financing covers the other situation: the work needs to happen now, money is tight, and spreading out the payment allows your order to go in on schedule. Both ways are better than moving into a finished ADU with bare windows.

Is Your Window Covering Line in the Budget Yet?

Put a window covering line in your budget while the construction money is still available. Use 150 per average-sized window as a starting estimate, make sure of what it includes, and get one current quote for every opening before the build closes out.