The 2-minute guide
How to measure your windows for custom blinds
Three measurements, a steel tape, and the nearest ⅛". This is exactly what our installer does when he comes out, and he does come out, on every job, before anything is cut. You never have to measure your own windows. This page is here for the people who like to know the numbers before they plan a room, and for the rough sizes on your build plan.
You don’t have to get this right
Nothing is cut to a number you gave us. We measure every opening ourselves when we come out, so a rough figure on your plan is plenty. It tells us what to bring and roughly what the job costs. If you do want to write numbers down, use the exact reading: don’t round, and don’t subtract “a little for clearance,” because the deductions happen in the shop.
Step 1: Pick your mount
Inside mount sits inside the window frame: the built-in look, best when your frame is at least 2" deep and reasonably square. Outside mount hangs on the wall or trim above and overlaps the opening: the fix for shallow frames, out-of-square older windows, and the choice for bedrooms that need true darkness, because it closes the edge light-gaps an inside mount always leaves.
Step 2: Width, in three places
Inside mount: measure the opening’s width at the top, middle and bottom, inside edge to inside edge. Record the narrowest of the three. Older Fresno homes are rarely perfectly square, and the blind must clear the tightest point. Outside mount: measure the area you want covered and add at least 1½" per side for light control.
Step 3: Height, in three places
Inside mount: measure top of the opening to the sill at the left, center and right, and record the tallest number. No sill? Measure to where you want the blind to end. Outside mount: total height you want covered, typically starting 2–3" above the opening so the headrail mounts into solid material.
Step 4: Depth check (inside mounts)
Measure the frame front-to-back. Under 2": go outside mount or expect the blind to sit slightly proud of the frame. Cranks, alarm sensors and tile sills count as obstructions, so note them on your build plan and we’ll check the clearance when we come out to measure.
Tools that work, and one that doesn’t
Use a steel tape measure, record to the nearest ⅛", and measure every window even when they look identical, because in most houses they aren’t. Cloth tapes and phone AR apps drift by a quarter inch or more, which is why we bring our own tape either way.
Common questions
Should I round up or down when measuring for blinds?
Neither. Record the exact number to the nearest 1/8 inch and tell us the mount type. The deductions are made in the shop, off the measurements our installer takes, so a number that has already been shrunk once only confuses the plan.
Inside mount or outside mount?
Inside mount if your window frame is at least 2 inches deep and you want the built-in look. Outside mount to cover shallow frames, hide an ugly window, or get maximum darkness in a bedroom.
Do I have to measure at all?
No. We measure every window ourselves before anything is cut, and we hang them too. Any numbers you put on your build plan are for planning the job, not for the saw.
Will you measure for me in Fresno?
Yes. In-home measuring is part of every job we do, across Fresno, Clovis and the surrounding Central Valley, and across Bakersfield and Kern County too. We never ask a customer to own the numbers.
Plan it in two minutes. We take the real measurements ourselves
Show us what you want, window by window, or call (559) 765-0865 and we’ll walk it through with you.