Shutters

So Kim's Blinds quoted me $14.91 per sq ft that's including upgraded frame option.

Shutters King quoted me $15.00 per sq ft for standard 1 inch frame.  Both quotes were for Clearview and 3.5 inch louvers.

Shutters King seemed very thorough in their measurements.  Noticed half inch differences in windows frames, Kims was pretty quick and not as thorough.  Both seem to provide the same product type. 

I have to say watching people measure the same windows over and over and over again seems counter productive.

 
A quick update on the quote from Shutters King.  Apparently they have a minimum size of 10 sq ft so any window smaller than that will have a minimum charge.  That is the explanation I was given on why it wasn't exactly $13.95 / sq ft.

For anyone deciding on going with Shutters King, they may not have a valid license and/or worker's comp insurance, seehttp://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3745.0.html
 
blitzjs said:
A quick update on the quote from Shutters King.  Apparently they have a minimum size of 10 sq ft so any window smaller than that will have a minimum charge.  That is the explanation I was given on why it wasn't exactly $13.95 / sq ft.

For anyone deciding on going with Shutters King, they may not have a valid license and/or worker's comp insurance, seehttp://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3745.0.html

yeah he told me the same thing on the small bathroom windows...Shutters King seemed to have gotten decent reviews on this forum.  Wonder if the invalid license is going to be a major issue with them.
 
sentosa said:
Be aware about shutters king.
Not impressed about their service.

Can you please elaborate on that? What specifically were you not impressed with? Was it just dealing with them or were there problems with your shutters?
 
lucky said:
sentosa said:
Be aware about shutters king.
Not impressed about their service.

Can you please elaborate on that? What specifically were you not impressed with? Was it just dealing with them or were there problems with your shutters?

Daniel from Shutters King was pretty good about responding when we had questions about different products and pricing.  However, once we asked him about his license, insurance and worker's comp policies, it's been a lot harder to get a response.
 
They really don't have a contractor's license, but I'm going to take the risk with them anyway because using anyone else would just incur too great a cost. Plus, they've been in business for a few years and people who've actually received their shutters report no issues.
 
lucky said:
They really don't have a contractor's license, but I'm going to take the risk with them anyway because using anyone else would just incur too great a cost. Plus, they've been in business for a few years and people who've actually received their shutters report no issues.

Just curious if you asked them for their license or am I the only one getting the run around.  You might want to try contacting Young at Express Blinds.  They are related, Uncle and Nephew I believe, and supposedly they do have the proper licenses.  It's the same price but if something happens you will have more recourse than going with an unlicensed contractor. 

Good luck.
 
blitzjs said:
lucky said:
They really don't have a contractor's license, but I'm going to take the risk with them anyway because using anyone else would just incur too great a cost. Plus, they've been in business for a few years and people who've actually received their shutters report no issues.

Just curious if you asked them for their license or am I the only one getting the run around.  You might want to try contacting Young at Express Blinds.  They are related, Uncle and Nephew I believe, and supposedly they do have the proper licenses.  It's the same price but if something happens you will have more recourse than going with an unlicensed contractor. 

Good luck.

No, I haven't asked. I just spent a bit of time researching them online, starting with a California contractor's license search.

In my research found there must be some connection between Express Blinds and Shutters King because they have the same address (kind of), but I didn't realize they have the same prices. That being the case, perhaps I will switch over to Express Blinds...
 
dealcatcher said:
Same company, same product, same factory. I confirmed this with them.

It just makes one wonder why they would create a separate non-licensed entity when they already had a licensed one. The only reason I can think of, and it makes sense, is that they wanted a company with the word "Shutters" in it for marketing purposes.

I think we'll just be sticking with Shutters King because I feel I already have a relationship with them and they may give me the cold shoulder as well if I start questioning their business practices.
 
Met with Golden West, Shutters King/Express Blinds and The Window Decorators.  My total job was around 330 sqft. 

Golden West - Dave - Owner.  Gave me a great lecture on quality of shutters.  Pulled out a pristine example of one of his shutters.  Pointed out how seamless everything looked.  Showed me his hinges that were higher quality than any others and were cut into the shutters to have a tighter seal when the shutters are closed.  Uses high quality lacquer paint for great look. Showed me that he had his own factory in Orange County where everything was made.  Stressed importance of external mount.  Did not seem to have an option for Clear View (no bar in front to open and close blinds.  ~$16/Sqft.  Total cost of job quoted was $7,315 but offered 25% discount.  So he came down to $5,485 with 4 week turnaround.  949-951-0600

Shutters King/Express Blinds - Daniel - Sales Manager.  Also stressed importance of external mount.  His samples were pretty beat up and definitely noticed the difference in quality compared to Golden West.  They have their own factory in Pomona and invited me over for a tour.  Hinges were not as nice, no cut for tight closure and paint did not shine as much as Golden West.  Did have clear view.  ~$14/sqft.  Total cost of job quoted was $4,680 with Clearview and split top and bottom 4 week turnaround.  800-535-7731

The Window Decorators - Forgot name, husband and wife - They get their blinds from either Chino (Wood Blinds, 2 week turnaround), China (6-8 week turnaround) or Taiwan (Faux-Wood Blinds, 6-8 week turnaround).  Wood Blinds looked to be the same quality as Shutters King.  They had very similar hinges and very similar designs.  Had them price with clear view on wood blinds from Chino.  They really talked up China quality and seemed to be enamored with Faux-Wood Blinds.  They claimed that Chinese wood blinds were higher quality than blinds made in Chino and were cheaper.  I did not like the Faux-Wood blinds from Taiwan.  The seams between the panels were very noticeable and they definitely looked plasticky.  But the wife claimed that they were 30% more energy saving than wood.  ~$13/sqft.  Total Cost of job quoted was $4,400 wood blinds with clearview from Chino with 2 week turnaround.  Slightly less for Chinese made with 6-8 week turnaround and slightly more for Taiwanese Faux-wood with 6-8 week turnaround. 

Still probably going to go back to each one and haggle a bit more.  Will let you know who I went with and at what price.
 
it's interesting to hear the price quoting.  Shutters King quoted me around $15 per sq ft.  Like blitzjs they have to do a minimum 10 sq ft for the small bathroom windows. 

Kim's blinds seems to be willing to wheel and deal the most.  She told me to give her my best offer and she'll do her best to match.  No one seems to have mentioned going with her. 

Getting a quote from Blind's and More this week.
 
You can ask Golden West for clearview, Dave told me its usually around 5% more than what the estimate was for normal shutters. 
 
blitzjs said:
You can ask Golden West for clearview, Dave told me its usually around 5% more than what the estimate was for normal shutters.

Can someone explain the difference between clear view and normal shutters? Pictures?
 
Back
Top