How Much Do Motorized Blinds Cost?

Advances in technology and increased demand for smart and connected living have all contributed to rising excitement about motorized blinds.

The benefits are many: The ability to control your shades or blinds with the touch of a button. Freedom from unsightly cords that pose a risk to children and animals. Cost reductions on your home heating bills. Transforming your living room into a media room for the best middle school sleepover ever.

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But first? You’ll want to know how much installing motorized blinds costs. In truth, the answer varies greatly depending on a variety of factors including the type of motor you select, whether or not your existing window treatments are compatible with motorization, and the size and number of windows you seek to add motorized blinds to.

Here, we breakdown the cost of the different Somfy motors and examine what the costs would be for outfitting different window treatments.

Motors

When it comes to choosing which motor will power your new motorized blinds, you have a variety of options to choose from. While motors on the lower end of that price range may at first seem like a steal, it is important to keep in mind that motorized blinds are an investment, enhancing your home’s comfort and liveability. Investing the money upfront to purchase a quality motorized system can save you money, time, and headaches down the road. Often, motors that fall on the lower end of the spectrum have shorter warranties, more mechanical difficulties, and may even be louder. You’ll also want to research the warranty that accompanies your motor; Somfy motors are covered by a full five-year warranty, but this may not be the case with other products.

The price of motorized blinds and shades will vary, depending on whether they are battery, plug-in, or hard-wired. Somfy battery powered motors start at $270, and hard wired options go up from there.

The Somfy Motors Product Line

Sonesse 30 RTS
Compatible with roller shades, horizontal blinds, Roman/woven shades, pleated and cellular shades, and projection screens.
Quiet operation
24 DC low voltage, plug and go.
Backed by 5 year warranty

Sonesse 40 RTS
Compatible with roller shades, horizontal blinds, Roman/woven shades, pleated and cellular shades.
120 AC – directly wire to your home’s electrical system
Backed by 5 year warranty

Sonesse 50 RTS
Compatible with roller shades, horizontal blinds, Roman/woven shades, pleated and cellular shades.
Quiet operation
120 VC – plug and play or direct wire into your home’s electrical system
Backed by 5 year warranty

Sonesse Ultra 50 RTS
Compatible with roller shades, horizontal blinds, Roman/woven shades, pleated and cellular shades.
Ultra-quiet operation
120 VAC – plug and play or direct wire into your home’s electrical system.
Backed by 5 year warranty

Roll Up Wire Free 28 RTS
Compatible with roller shades, sheer horizontals, Roman/woven wood shades.
27 RPM
56 dBA
12V DC with flexible options: Lithium batteries, plug-in, or solar.
Backed by 5 year warranty

Tilt 50 Wirefree RTS
Motorized tilt for 2” horizontal blinds (wood, faux wood, or composite).
12 V DC with flexible options: Lithium batteries, plug-in, or solar.
Backed by 5 year warranty

Cord Lift Wirefree
Compatible with pleated and cellular shades.
12 V DC with flexible options: Lithium batteries, plug-in, or solar.
Backed by 5 year warranty

Before making your final decision then, it is important to make sure that you have examined the technical capabilities of your selected motor, which will impact price, speed, and noise level. A complete warranty is a strong indicator that the company stands by their product and suggests that, should you need assistance, the company will be there to help.

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Window Treatments

Since you are contemplating installing motorized blinds, chances are that you already understand your window treatments to be an investment in your home. As with your choice of motor, you have lots of window treatments options to choose from, and there are a number of factors that will impact how much these window treatments will cost.

With so many different types of window treatments to choose from, picking the right one is a challenge. The best solution, if you are struggling to decide whether you want to outfit your Houston, TX home with shutters, blinds, shades, or curtains, is to identify the main needs that you expect your window treatments to solve. For example, cellular or honeycomb blinds help with energy efficiency and solar shades can reduce UV glare.

Below, we consider several factors that will impact how much you can expect to spend on your Houston window treatments.

Materials

One of the main factors that impacts the cost of a window treatment is the material that it is made from. Before making a decision, consider the tradeoffs between different materials. For example, real wood is one of the most expensive window treatment materials out there, but it can also add more value to a home and is more durable than faux wood or vinyl. Eco-friendly window treatment materials like bamboo or other woven fibers may also be more costly, but add value if you are seeking to green your home.

Number and Size of Windows

In order to develop a sense of the cost of your window treatment project, you will first need to spend time measuring your windows. If you feel uncomfortable gathering the exact measurements, do not hesitate to contact a window treatment professional — measuring windows is all just a part of their daily business. However, if you are not afraid to get out your notepad and measuring tape, here are a few guidelines to ensure that you are taking accurate measurements:

Use a metal tape measure. Soft measuring tapes that bend or fold will not provide you with the level of accuracy you are after.

Measure every window you plan to cover. Even windows that look identical to the eye can vary slightly in size.

Round to the nearest 1/8th”. This is where having a metal tape measure (and your glasses!) really comes in handy.

Notate measurements in width by height. It is very easy to flip those numbers around, but doing so will cause many headaches down the line.

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Keeping these guidelines in mind, it is time to take your window measurements. Once you know the width and height, you can begin to get a sense of the materials cost of your project. Below, a glance at the average price range for some of the most popular window treatments. Note that this price range is per shade, with a shade considered a fairly standard 36” by 48”:

Cellular/Honeycomb Shades: $75 – $125/shade
Roman Shades: $125 – $350/shade
Solar Shade: $60 – $130/shade
Wood Blinds: $80 – $225/blind
Faux Wood Blind: $60 – $150/blind
Vinyl Mini Blinds: $55 – $150/blind
Aluminum Mini Blind: $45 – $100/blind

Installation Costs

DIY is all the rage nowadays, but what if you would prefer that someone else does the DIY for you? This will impact the cost of your project, but many people feel that it is worth working with a professional to ensure that the job is done right the first time. Installation costs will vary depending on the number of windows you are covering, but you can expect to pay anywhere between $45 – $100 per window that is receiving motorized blinds treatments. (This is just an estimate and can vary depending on where you live and whether or not any of your windows fall into the “tricky” category — skylights, bay windows, etc. You will also be interested to know that if you choose to hard-wire your blinds or shades into your home’s electrical system, the cost of installation will be included in the overall project cost.)

As you can see, the cost of motorized blinds depends on a number of interrelated factors including the type of motor you select, your Houston window treatments, and how many windows you plan to motorize. However, whether your budget is small or the sky’s the limit, you’ll be able to find a solution that works for you if you are determined to integrate motorized blinds into your Texas home. And when you do, you will begin to enjoy your home in a whole new, smart, connected way!