The cost of curtains with fitting: four price levels and room examples

The cost of curtains with fitting depends on five components: the fabric, the making, the track, the hanging and the fitting. A quote for a standard window of 200 × 260 cm, by level: Basic (voile + a ceiling track + a wave heading) about €160–170; Mid-range (crepe or Šilkas + a wall-fixed pole + pinch pleats) about €210 without the pole; Upper (Heat, Heritage or Bukle + a hidden ceiling track + S-fold) about €300–360 without the track; Custom (a motorised track, non-standard work) from about €740. This guide gives the four levels with specific sums, what a quote contains, room examples and when a higher level pays off.

What a full quote for curtains is made of

A curtain project in Lithuania seldom costs a single sum: a full quote is made of five separate parts of the service. Each component has its own price range at each level. This is how the figures break down.

The Basic level: about €160–170 (a 200 × 260 cm window)

The Basic level suits standard projects where function and price come first. It uses a basic sheer (Voile, €9.50 per metre) in a wave heading (2× fullness) on a ceiling track with gliders, with professional measuring and fitting.

• —Fabric: Voile (lets about 85% of the light through, €9.50/m) or Net sheer (90%, €12/m) × 5.3 m (a 2.5 m track × 2 + 0.3 m) = €50.35–63.60
• —Making: sheers, €8/m × 5.3 m = €42.40
• —Track: a ceiling track, €9/m × 2.5 m = €22.50
• —Hanging: €4/m × 5.3 m = €21.20
• —Fitting: €9/m × 2.5 m = €22.50
• —Full quote: about €159–172

The Mid-range level: about €210 without the pole (a 200 × 260 cm window)

The Mid-range level is a common choice when you want more than the Basic level. It suits a bedroom, a living room and children's rooms, where look and quality matter but the budget is limited. It uses finer fabrics (Crepe, Šilkas, Lavina), a pinch pleat heading (2.5× fullness), a sturdy wall-fixed pole, and professional measuring and fitting.

• —Fabric: Crepe (lets about 70% of the light through, €15/m) or Šilkas × 6.55 m (2.5 m × 2.5 + 0.3 m) = €98.25
• —Making: sheers, €8/m × 6.55 m = €52.40
• —Track: a wall-fixed pole; the price depends on the model
• —Hanging: €4/m × 6.55 m = €26.20
• —Fitting: €12/m × 2.5 m = €30
• —Full quote without the pole: about €207

The Upper level: about €300–360 without the track (a 200 × 260 cm window)

The Upper level suits a master bedroom, a home cinema area and a large living room. It uses fabrics with a technical purpose, an S-fold heading and hidden ceiling tracks. The fabrics: Heat, with a thermal layer (€32 per metre); Heritage, a linen look (€39.50 per metre); Bukle, for rooms where sound matters (€43 per metre).

• —Fabric: Bukle (holds back 90–95% of the light, €43/m) × 5.3 m (S-fold 2×: 2.5 m × 2 + 0.3 m) = €227.90
• —Making: lined curtains, €13/m × 5.3 m = €68.90
• —Track: a hidden ceiling track; the price depends on the model
• —Hanging: €4/m × 5.3 m = €21.20
• —Fitting: €15/m × 2.5 m = €37.50
• —Full quote without the track: about €356 (about €297 in Heat, €337 in Heritage)

The Custom level: from about €740 (by project)

The Custom level is for custom designs and non-standard shapes. It uses fabrics that combine natural materials, tracks designed for the project and motorised options. It is most often chosen for hotels, private homes and designers' projects.

• —Fabric: by project, for example Bukle €43/m × 5.3 m = €227.90
• —Making: lined curtains, €13/m × 5.3 m = €68.90
• —Track: motorised, from €170 per metre, with fitting and programming (2.5 m: from €425)
• —Hanging: €4/m × 5.3 m = €21.20
• —Fitting: included in the price of the motorised track; complicated ceilings by project
• —Full quote: from about €743 for a standard window; non-standard work by project

Room examples: full quotes

When does a higher level pay off?

1. 1A master bedroom that needs full darkening, quiet and insulation. At the Upper level, Bukle or Gravity Blackout deal with noise and heat loss better than a basic fabric.
2. 2Panoramic windows of 3 m or more. At the Basic level a voile on such a window looks like an afterthought; Mid-range crepe in pinch pleats gives it a proper frame.
3. 3A home cinema room. Bukle (€43 per metre), a fabric for rooms where sound matters, helps cut audio reflections, which is what a home cinema needs. Without such a fabric, a home cinema often sounds flat.
4. 4A ground-floor living room next to a street. Heavy Custom-level fabrics reduce street noise and give privacy by day.

Five mistakes when ordering a full service

• —Looking only at the price of the fabric and forgetting the other four components. Customers often start by judging only the fabric price per metre, and after the consultation find the full sum is much larger than they expected.
• —Forgetting the class of the track. A basic wall-fixed pole with an Upper-level fabric (Bukle, €43 per metre) looks mismatched, and part of the look is lost.
• —A fullness below 1.5× (for example 1×1). The curtains look flat, like a sheet. Fullness depends on the heading: 1.5× for a flex tape or eyelets, 2× for a wave heading and 2.5× for pinch pleats.
• —A track as long as the window is wide, with no projection. Open curtains cover 20–25% of the glass, and the window is functionally smaller. The track should project 20–30 cm on each side.
• —Forgetting professional measuring. Measuring yourself with an error of 8 mm wastes 10–15% of the fabric or gives a curtain that is too short. Book a measuring visit instead; the terms are in the last section.

How to bring the cost down without compromising on quality

1. 1Choose wide-roll fabrics (320–335 cm), such as Chrome, Grace Blackout or Softy Blackout. They avoid turning the fabric, that is joining it in widths, which adds 30–80% on large windows.
2. 2First work out a preliminary price for the project in our price calculator, which takes two minutes. It helps to match the fabrics to the budget.
3. 3A sheer with a lined curtain costs 30% more, but it lasts: one full set at once instead of two separate replacements over 10 years.
4. 4Match the track to the heading. A wave (S-fold) heading needs a ceiling track with gliders, while pinch pleats also hang on a wall-fixed pole. A track that is too strong for a Basic-level fabric adds €50–80 with no visible gain in quality.
5. 5A larger project can be done in stages: the most important rooms first, the rest later. That spreads the cost over a longer time.

The ordering process and timings

The full service covers measuring, consultation, making and fitting. From order confirmation to installation, curtains, roman blinds and other blinds take 3–4 weeks, and tracks 1–2 weeks. All the timings are agreed at the consultation, before the order is confirmed.

• —First, a consultation, by e-mail or at your home. Measuring is free in Vilnius. In Kaunas and Klaipėda it is free on orders of €200 or more. Elsewhere in Lithuania the visit is paid, and the price is agreed beforehand.
• —Next, professional measuring and fabric samples.
• —Then the final offer, with an exact quote.
• —Then the fabric is made up and the curtains are made (see Curtain making).
• —Within 3–4 weeks of order confirmation: fitting (1–3 hours of work).