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What changes the cost of curtain installation?
A curtain installation quote depends on how many windows there are, whether you want poles or tracks, what the walls are made of, and whether bays, high windows or motorised tracks are involved. This guide does not print a price, so ask fitters to list each window and fitting.
Last reviewed:What does curtain installation involve?
Curtain installation usually means fitting the pole or track that holds the curtains, then hanging and dressing the curtains so they fall neatly. Sometimes it includes measuring and making the curtains too.
The price depends far more on the windows and walls than on the curtains themselves. A straight window in a plastered brick wall is quick. A wide bay, a window that reaches the ceiling, a plasterboard wall or a motorised track all take longer.
This guide explains what changes the price and what to ask. It does not print a figure. Our handymen and carpenters pages cover the trades that often fit poles and tracks. If you would rather fit a pole yourself, our curtain pole guide covers that.
QuoteZila starts in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach first, and anyone in the UK can post a curtain fitting job.
Poles or tracks?
Poles are rods held on brackets above the window. The curtains hang from rings. They suit straight windows and are on show, so the finish and finials matter.
Tracks are slim rails, usually hidden behind the curtain heading. The curtains hang from gliders. Tracks can be bent to follow a bay or a curved window, and can be fixed to the wall or the ceiling.
Corded tracks have a pull cord to open and close the curtains without handling the fabric. Motorised tracks open and close at the touch of a button, a remote or an app.
Bay poles are poles with jointed corners for bay windows. They look traditional but need careful setting out so the joints sit in the right place.
What changes the fitting price?
| What changes | Why it adds time | What a clear quote says |
|---|---|---|
| Number of windows | Each window is measured, marked, drilled and fitted | Each window listed as its own line |
| Window shape | Bays and curves need bending, joints or extra brackets | Pole or track, and how corners are handled |
| Wall type | Brick, block, plasterboard and timber need different fixings | Fixing type for each wall |
| Height | High or full-height windows need more access equipment | How high fittings go and what access is used |
| Ceiling fixing | Tracks fixed to the ceiling must hit joists or use special fixings | Where fixings go, and how they are secured |
| Weight of curtains | Heavy, lined or interlined curtains need more brackets | Bracket spacing for the curtain weight |
| Motorised tracks | Need power and setting up | Who provides the power point, and the controls included |
| Old fittings | Old poles, tracks and blinds come down and holes are filled | Removal, filling and who takes the old fittings [S5] |
| VAT | Registration is required above £90,000 of taxable turnover in the last 12 months [S4] | Whether the total includes VAT |
Why do walls and ceilings matter?
A curtain pole holds the weight of the curtains and takes a pull every time they are opened and closed. The fixings have to suit what is behind the plaster.
Solid brick or block takes wall plugs and screws well, as long as the drill finds solid material and not a crumbling joint.
Plasterboard on a stud wall needs fixings designed for hollow walls, or screws into the timber studs.
Above the window there is usually a lintel. Concrete and steel lintels are harder to drill than brick, and some fitters bring special drill bits for them.
Ceilings need fixings into the joists, or a timber batten fixed between them.
Electrical Safety First warns not to drill holes or fix nails in walls without knowing what is hidden behind them, and to check there are no live cables behind the plaster [S2]. Its home electrical safety tips explain more. Ask the fitter how they check the wall before drilling.
What about motorised curtain tracks?
Motorised tracks need power. Some run on batteries, but many need a socket or a fused connection near the window. If there is no power point in the right place, adding one is a job for an electrician, not the curtain fitter. Electrical Safety First: find a registered electrician; NICEIC; NAPIT. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation. Our electricians page covers that trade. This guide does not give any wiring steps.
Ask the fitter which parts they do and which need an electrician, and plan the order of work so the cable is in place before the track goes up and the wall is redecorated.
How do you keep cords safe for children?
GOV.UK says blind cords and loops pose a potential danger to young children [S1]. It says new blinds with looped cords must have child safety devices fitted at the point of manufacture or be sold with the blind [S1]. It advises fixing cleats out of children's reach, on a surface at least 1.5 metres from the floor [S1], and keeping furniture such as cots, beds, highchairs and play pens away from blinds [S1].
That guidance is written about blinds. If you are having a corded curtain track or a blind fitted in a child's room, ask the fitter how the cord will be kept out of reach.
Where should the pole or track go?
The position of the pole or track changes how the window looks and how much light gets in, so it is worth deciding before anyone drills.
Width. A pole that runs past the window frame on each side lets the curtains stack back clear of the glass when they are open. A pole that stops at the frame leaves the curtains covering part of the window.
Height. Fitting higher than the top of the frame can make a window look taller and gives room for the curtain heading. Very high fittings may need more access equipment and longer curtains.
Obstacles. Radiators, window handles, sills, coving and alarm sensors can all get in the way of the brackets or the curtain fall. Point them out in your photos.
Matching rooms. If several windows face the street, setting them all at a similar height usually looks tidier from outside.
A fitter can mark the positions in pencil and check them with you before drilling.
Curtains, blinds or both?
Some windows have a blind inside the frame and curtains outside it. Others have one or the other. If you want both, the blind brackets and the curtain fittings need to fit without clashing, and the blind needs space to move behind the curtains.
Tell the fitter about any blinds you are keeping or adding, and whether they are corded. It is simpler to plan both together than to fit one and find the other no longer fits.
Should the fitter make the curtains too?
Some curtain makers measure, make and fit. Others only fit what you supply. If you are buying ready-made curtains, measure the window and the space above it first, so the pole or track is set at the right height and width for the curtain drop.
If you want made-to-measure curtains, the maker will usually want to fit the pole or track first, or at least agree its exact position, so the curtain length is right.
Ask each quote to say:
- who measures and when
- whether curtains are supplied or yours
- who hangs and dresses the curtains after fitting
- whether tie-backs, hooks and holdbacks are included
How do you compare curtain fitting quotes?
Send each fitter the same information: a photo of each window, the rough width and height, whether the wall above is plasterboard or solid, and what you want fitted. Then check that every quote lists each window, the fittings, removal of old fittings, and any filling or touching up.
GOV.UK's waste code says a tradesperson who works on your property is responsible for the waste they produce, and the cost of its disposal should be included in what they charge [S5].
Citizens Advice suggests trying to get written quotes from at least 3 different traders, and says some traders charge for quotes, so ask first [S3]. It also suggests offering to buy materials yourself if a trader asks for a deposit to pay for them, and always getting a receipt for any deposit [S3].
What can you do before the fitter arrives?
- Clear the windows. Move furniture, plants and ornaments away from each window and off the sills.
- Have the curtains ready. If you are supplying curtains, have them unpacked and pressed, with hooks to hand.
- Know your walls. If you know where cables or pipes run near a window, tell the fitter.
- Decide on finishes. Choose pole colour, finials and brackets before the visit, so there is no second trip.
- Check the delivery. Make sure every pole, track and bracket has arrived and is the right length.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "Three-sided bay window in the front room. Please quote to fit a bendable track and hang our new made-to-measure curtains."
- "Four bedroom windows need poles fitted. Plasterboard walls. Please quote, including removing old blinds."
- "Tall living room window with no power nearby. Interested in a motorised track. Please quote and say what electrical work is needed."
Posting a curtain fitting job
Add a photo of each window and say what you want fitted. Your job goes to up to five matched local businesses [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
Questions about curtain installation costs
How much does it cost to have curtains fitted?
This guide does not print a figure. Hanging ready-made curtains on existing poles is a short job. Fitting new tracks across a large bay, into a plastered ceiling, with made-to-measure curtains and motorised controls is a much bigger one. Ask fitters to price each window as its own line.
Is a pole or a track easier to fit?
A straight pole across a flat window is usually quick. Tracks suit bays and curved windows because they can be bent to follow the shape, but bending and fixing them takes more time. Ask which the fitter recommends for each window.
Who fits curtain poles and tracks?
Curtain shops often offer fitting with made-to-measure curtains. Handymen and carpenters fit poles and tracks too. If a motorised track needs a new socket or fused connection, that part is a job for an electrician.
What about blind and curtain cords and children?
GOV.UK says blind cords and loops pose a potential danger to young children, and that cleats should sit out of children's reach at least 1.5 metres from the floor. Ask the fitter about cord safety for any corded track or blind.
Does VAT change the price?
It can. A business must register for VAT if its taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000. Ask whether each quote includes VAT.
Does QuoteZila check fitters?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
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- Handyman Costs: What Changes the Price. What changes the cost of a handyman in Cheshire: how jobs are priced, grouping small jobs, materials, access, and jobs for an electrician or gas engineer.
- TV Bracket Fitting Cost in Cheshire: What to Ask. Fitting a TV bracket in Cheshire depends on the wall, the bracket and whether a new socket is needed. Ask what the wall is made of before anyone drills.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
- S1: Child safety: blind cords, GOV.UK (Office for Product Safety and Standards). Accessed 2026-11-02. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/child-safety-blind-cords
- S2: Electrical safety in the home and garden, Electrical Safety First. Accessed 2026-11-02. https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/press-and-media/electrical-safety-in-the-home-and-garden/
- S3: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-11-02. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S4: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-11-02. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S5: Waste duty of care: code of practice, GOV.UK (Defra). Accessed 2026-11-02. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice