Window Shutters in Essex and the East London Boroughs That Used to Be Essex

Plenty of people in Romford or Ilford search for window shutters in Essex, because their letters still say Essex. Those towns have been in Greater London since 1965. That changes who you ask about permission, and which of our pages fits your home. Our plantation shutters in Essex and East London are made to measure and fitted inside the window. The tilting slats, called louvres, let you angle light and privacy.

Is your home in Essex or in London?

If you live in Romford, Ilford, Barking, Dagenham, Hornchurch, Wanstead or Woodford, you live in a London borough, not in an Essex district. In 1965 the Barking, Dagenham, Hornchurch, Ilford, Leyton, Romford, Walthamstow and Wanstead and Woodford districts moved into Greater London that year. East Ham and West Ham went too. Five boroughs were formed. Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham and Redbridge were four of them, and Waltham Forest the fifth.

Check your council tax bill. The council named on it is the one to ask about conservation areas, Article 4 and listed buildings.

Essex itself has 12 district and borough councils, plus Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock, which run their own affairs. The 12 are these.

• Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford and Colchester
• Epping Forest, Harlow, Maldon, Rochford, Tendring and Uttlesford

Where do we fit window shutters in Essex and East London?

We carry out window shutter work in every London borough on this page, and we measure and fit free in each one. We are based in Dagenham. We have worked in East London for over 10 years, and our own team does the fitting. Our shutters range across East London page shows every style.

Further out in Essex, the answer depends on the address. We keep no fixed list of towns. That is deliberate. For Chelmsford and anywhere else outside Greater London, see the section near the end.

The next three sections cover the boroughs closest to us. Each says what the homes are like and which page goes deeper.

Barking and Dagenham homes and the windows in them

This borough has very different housing types. Dagenham is known for the Becontree estate. The London County Council built it between 1921 and 1935. The Be First estate report puts it at about 47 percent owner occupied, 23 percent private rented and 30 percent council owned. Many windows there are uPVC double glazing nearing the end of its design life. So replacement windows are likely, and we measure shutters to what is there now.

Barking is different. In the town centre, shops sit at street level along East Street, Station Parade and Ripple Road, with flats and offices above. Barking Riverside is a large new neighbourhood. Its station opened in July 2022, and more than 10,000 homes are planned.

• Dagenham, for the Becontree cottages and rented homes
• Barking, for riverside flats with balcony doors and flats above shops
• Chadwell Heath, for the steps from first call to fitting

Redbridge homes, from Ilford terraces to Woodford villas

Redbridge has the widest mix. Find the right page before you choose a style. Near Ilford station, and Seven Kings, Victorian and Edwardian terraces run in rows of 20 or more, often with double height bays. The council’s study notes that timber windows there are often replaced with plastic. It also says inter-war sash windows were often swapped for side or top hung casements.

Gants Hill is built around a very busy roundabout. Its three storey parades have paired bays, and there are high rise blocks. Barkingside has many bungalows with bow windows. In Wanstead Grove, the conservation area appraisal describes three storey villas with timber sash bays. It also describes early 20th century semis with canted or square bays.

• Ilford, for terraces and bays
• Gants Hill, for the roundabout parades and blocks
• Barkingside, for bungalows and bow windows
• Wanstead, for sash bays, terraces and casements
• Woodford, for homes that face very different ways

Havering homes, from Romford flats to Upminster villas

Havering has town centre flats, inter-war semis and cottage style estates. Romford town centre has flats above shops around Market Place and the High Street. Elsewhere in Romford you find inter-war semis, and Harold Hill was laid out by the London County Council with houses and short terraces. Hornchurch has what Havering’s character study calls a wide mix of bungalows, terraces, semis and detached homes. The same study picks out villas in Upminster and Emerson Park.

Gidea Park needs a careful read before you order. Its conservation area appraisal describes small pane timber casements, and very tall casements with mullions and transoms. Havering also has an Article 4 direction there. Ask the council what applies to your property.

• Romford, for bays, 1930s semis and Harold Hill
• Gidea Park, for casements and glazing bars
• Hornchurch, for homes with metal or uPVC frames
• Upminster, for a room by room look at larger houses

Newham, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets and Hackney pages

Newham and Waltham Forest took in places that were once Essex. Tower Hamlets and Hackney were never part of the county. We list them here because people searching for Essex shutters often live nearby, and the free visit works the same way.

Newham’s University conservation area has Romford Road terraces with paired double height bays. Stratford has newer blocks. East Village had 2,818 homes in 2014, and 1,324 of them were privately rented. That matters. Rented flats often need written permission before anything is drilled, and a short email to the landlord saves time. Our pages:

• Stratford, for new blocks and leasehold flats
• East Ham, for landlords, tenants and who pays
• Forest Gate, for bay windows in detail
• Leyton, for choosing between café style and full height
• Leytonstone, for what permission covers
• Walthamstow, for homes across E17
• Docklands, for warehouse conversions and riverside flats
• Isle of Dogs, for the island’s housing
• Canary Wharf, for tower glazing
• Hackney, for flats and converted terraces

Window shutters for Essex bays, sashes, casements and patio doors

The window decides the style more than the town does. Here is how the common types usually match up. We confirm at the visit.

• Bay windows. Each face of the bay gets its own panels. Tier on tier shutters let you close the bottom half for privacy and open the top for daylight.
• Tall sash windows. A deep reveal, as in the Chelmsford conservation area appraisal, gives room for the panels to sit inside the opening. Full height shutters with a mid rail keep a tall panel strong.
• Casements with thin frames or glazing bars. Depth and handles matter here. We check both before we promise a fit.
• Street facing windows over a pavement. Café style shutters cover the lower half only.
• French and patio doors. Sliding shutters run on tracks, so the doors still open every day.

Not every window can take shutters. Some cannot, for technical reasons. If yours is one of them, wooden Venetian blinds are the usual alternative, and our plantation shutters page explains the options.

Who do you ask about a conservation area, Article 4 or a listed building?

Ask the council on your council tax bill. Internal shutters sit inside the home, so they are not an outside change, and planning permission is unlikely to come into it. Listed buildings are different, and the rules there are stricter. Redbridge says the whole building is protected, interior included, and most works need listed building consent. Article 4 directions mostly remove rights for outside work, such as replacement windows and doors. Leases and tenancies can also stop you fixing anything to a window. Check yours before you order.

What happens at a free window shutters visit?

We come to you, measure every window and give you a plain quote. Measuring and fitting are free in the London boroughs, and we use no sales tricks. The order is:

1. You get in touch through the contact page or by phone, and say roughly how many windows.
2. We visit and measure each window. We help you choose the style and finish.
3. Once we see the window, we pick a recess fit, inside the opening, or a face fit, on the wall around it.
4. You get a clear quote with no pressure to order on the day.
5. When the shutters are made to your sizes, our own team fits them.

We are open Monday to Saturday 9am to 9pm and Sunday 10am to 6pm.

Can you choose the colour of your window shutters?

Yes. You can pick whites and off-whites, or a wood finish. Want something else? Choose a colour and we make it for you. That covers white, painted and coloured shutters.

• Wooden window shutters are made from basswood and suit living rooms and bedrooms.
• Faux wood shutters are made from PVC for extra strength, and suit kitchens and bathrooms where steam and splashes happen.

Louvres come in four widths, from 47mm up to 114mm. Wider louvres show more view when open, and narrower ones look finer on a small window.

Commercial window shutters for offices and other premises

We offer commercial shutters for offices, and the visit works like a home one. For a shop or any other premises, call and describe the windows, and we will say whether shutters suit them. Tell us these things.

• What the premises is used for
• How many windows face the street and how many face inside
• Who owns the building, as a landlord or managing agent may need to agree
• Whether you want privacy, less screen glare or both

Living outside Greater London, in Chelmsford or another Essex town

Chelmsford is further out than most of our visits. So is the rest of Essex. We do not promise free fitting there. Call 07852 257 307, or email info@londonblinds4u.co.uk with your postcode, and we will tell you whether we can come and what the visit involves.

Our page on window shutters in Chelmsford covers the town in more detail. It has 26 conservation areas, nine of them in the urban area, and the New London Road appraisal describes sash windows throughout and deep reveals. For blinds across the county, see our Essex blinds page.

Send your full postcode, the number of windows, whether you own or rent, and a photo of each window from inside. That gets you an answer faster.

Questions about window shutters in Essex

Do you fit window shutters in Essex?

Yes, in Essex towns that are now London boroughs, such as Romford or Ilford, with free measuring and fitting. For places outside Greater London, such as Chelmsford, call us with your postcode and we confirm whether we can visit. We do not promise free fitting there.

Is Romford in Essex or London?

Romford is in the London Borough of Havering, and has been since 1965. Many addresses still say Essex. Its postcodes start with RM. Your council tax bill shows the council to ask about permission. Our Romford page covers the homes there.

Are plantation shutters the same as window shutters?

Yes, the names mean the same thing. Plantation shutters are made to measure interior shutters with tilting louvres, fitted inside your window. People also call them window shutters or shutter blinds. We fit plantation shutters across East London and the former Essex boroughs. For Essex towns beyond them, call with your postcode.

Does fitting internal shutters need permission in a conservation area?

Usually not for the council, because internal shutters do not change the outside of the building, but ask your council first. Listed buildings can need listed building consent for inside work, and leases or landlords can say no to drilling. Check before you order.

Which colours can I pick?

Yes. You can pick whites and off-whites, or a wood finish. You can also choose a colour of your own, and we make it. Wooden shutters are made from basswood. Faux wood shutters are made from PVC for extra strength. A wider louvre shows more view when open.

Will you shutter an office?

Yes, we offer commercial shutters for offices. Tell us what the premises is used for and who owns the building. For other kinds of premises, call and describe the windows. We will say what is possible, and whether shutters suit them.

How to book your free visit

Tell us your postcode and which rooms you have in mind, and we will arrange a time to measure for window shutters. Our shutters in London page shows the styles before we come.

• Phone: 07852 257 307
• Email: info@londonblinds4u.co.uk
• Online: book a free measuring visit