Trade Guides
Made-to-Measure Blinds Online: Mounts and Price Grids
Custom blinds online ordering works when checkout handles inside vs. outside mounts, deductions, width-by-drop price grids and control options for the buyer.
Custom blinds online ordering lives or dies on two things: getting the mount and measurement right, and pricing from a width-by-drop grid without errors. Homeowners can measure a window. What they need from your checkout is clear guidance on inside versus outside mount, who takes the deductions, and a price that updates as they type.
Inside mount vs. outside mount
The first question in any blind, shade or shutter order is where it mounts, because that decides how the measurements are used.
- Inside mount sits within the window frame. The customer measures the opening, usually at several points, and gives you the smallest width. The factory then takes a small deduction so the product fits without rubbing.
- Outside mount sits on the wall or trim around the window. The customer gives the size they want the product to be, often with overlap added on each side for light control and privacy.
The most common error is a customer who measures for inside mount but selects outside mount, or the reverse. The checkout should make the choice visual (a simple diagram of each) and ask for measurements in the way that matches the choice.
Who takes the deduction
Decide this once and say it clearly on the order page: does the customer give the exact opening and you deduct, or do they give the finished size? Most manufacturers prefer the customer gives the exact opening for inside mount, and the factory applies the deduction per product type.
Rules worth building in:
- Ask for three widths on inside mount (top, middle, bottom) and use the smallest.
- Ask for three heights (left, centre, right) and use the longest or the shortest, depending on your product.
- Apply product-specific deductions in the background and show the finished size on the review step.
- Check minimum depth for inside mount. If the frame is too shallow for the headrail, warn the customer or suggest outside mount.
- Flag out-of-square windows. If the widths differ by more than your tolerance, show a note recommending outside mount or a measure visit.
Width-by-drop price grids
Most blinds and shades are priced from a grid: width ranges across the top, drop ranges down the side, and a price in each cell. Some products add per-option surcharges on top.
| Width up to / Drop up to | 36" | 48" | 60" | 72" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24" | $89 | $99 | $112 | $124 |
| 36" | $105 | $118 | $134 | $149 |
| 48" | $122 | $139 | $158 | $176 |
| 60" | $141 | $161 | $183 | $205 |
The prices above are an example only. The rules that matter:
- Round up to the next band. A 36.25" width prices from the next column, and the checkout should do this without the customer noticing the mechanics.
- Enforce the grid limits. If a size falls outside the grid, the product cannot be made at that size. Block it with a clear message, or route it to a quote request.
- Add option surcharges cleanly. Motorization, cordless lift, top-down/bottom-up, valances and blackout liners each add to the base price.
- Keep one grid per fabric group. Fabrics often share a price group, so you manage a few grids instead of hundreds.
Controls, options and safety notes
After size and fabric, the customer picks controls: cord or chain side, cordless lift, wand tilt, or motorization with a remote or hub. Each choice can change what is possible. Some fabrics cannot be motorized at small widths, and some controls only work above a minimum size.
Window-covering cord safety requirements apply in both Canada and the US and have tightened over time. Keep your product options aligned with current rules for each market, and check the current requirements with your supplier or a compliance advisor rather than relying on old product sheets.
Samples first, then the order
Fabric colour on a screen is unreliable. Many shoppers will order free or low-cost fabric samples before committing to a whole house of blinds. Make that easy, and make it easy to come back to the full order with the samples they liked already noted. We cover this in the sample-to-order journey.
Custom blinds online ordering for multi-window jobs
Blinds orders are often many lines: a living room bay, three bedrooms, a patio door. Each line has its own mount, size, fabric and control side. A final review step that lists each window by room name, with mount type and finished size, catches the swapped width and drop before production. It also lets customers save the order, go back with the tape measure and confirm.
If you also sell through decorators or installers, they will want their own pricing. A dealer portal with price tiers per account lets them order from the same grids at trade prices.
How Inlay handles this
- Inlay's guided flow asks for mount type first, then collects the measurements that match it, and applies your product deductions and minimums.
- Width-by-drop price grids round up to the next band and block sizes outside the grid before the order is placed.
- Customers can save for later, name each window by room and confirm everything on a final review step.
- You can take a deposit or full payment through your own Stripe account, with editable confirmation and reminder emails.
- Decorators and installers can order from the same catalogue in a dealer portal with their own price tier and PO numbers.
Book a 20-minute demo to see your blind and shade grids running in Inlay.