Kitchen windows are where shutters earn their keep — grease, steam, and daily use, handled by louvers that wipe clean with a damp cloth. They're also the fussiest windows to measure: sinks to reach over, cabinets crowding the frame, backsplashes eating your depth. The technique doesn't change, but the setup does. Here's the kitchen-specific pass.
The over-sink problem
The classic kitchen window sits behind the sink, which means you can't stand square in front of it. Plant a stable step stool to the side — not in front of the sink — and reach with the tape rather than your body. Hook the steel tape on one side of the opening, extend it across, and read where it lands. Take all three width measurements (top, middle, bottom) and all three heights (left, middle, right) this way. Awkward footing is how “close enough” measurements happen, so slow down here: this window deserves the same care as the big ones.
Cabinets, backsplashes, and tight frames
Kitchen windows live in crowded neighborhoods. Before you measure, check what's encroaching on the opening:
- Cabinet faces — measure the clear opening between cabinets, not the trim
- Backsplash tile — tile that runs into the frame eats your mounting depth
- Depth — at least 1-3/4 inches of clear frame depth for the 3-inch flat Z-frame
- Sink hardware — tall faucets and soap dispensers below the sill don't matter, but note them
- Valances and old hardware — take down curtain rods and brackets before measuring
- Three widths, three heights, smallest of each — same rule as every room
If the depth is tight or the cabinets are genuinely crowding the frame, don't force it — email us your measurements and a photo of the frame before you order. We'd rather talk you out of a bad fit than ship you one. The general technique is covered in our measuring guide.
Match to a stocked RS size
Kitchen windows usually land on the smaller RS sizes — and smaller sizes mean smaller prices, starting from $94.90 at the $18.98 line price. Find the size whose width range and height range both contain your smallest measurements on the size chart. These are factory-built standard sizes, so the match is a range lookup, not a custom build.
Install notes for kitchens
Kitchen installs are typically one-person jobs: the panels are light, the boxes are small, and there's usually just one or two windows. Mount the 3-inch flat Z-frame level and plumb, hang the panels on the factory-fitted white hinges, and confirm the recessed magnets catch. Then test the two-way close rails — louvers that swing both directions make it easy to angle out cooking steam or close out the afternoon sun that turns the kitchen into a greenhouse.
And because there are no cords and no tilt rod — just the hidden gear tilt — there's nothing dangling near the sink or the stove. Fold the kitchen windows into your whole-house order and the single flat $200 delivery covers them. Most shutters delivered in as little as 48 hours.
Kitchen measuring questions, answered
Use a stable step stool — never lean across the sink or brace on the faucet. Reach with the steel tape, not your body: hook the tape on one side of the opening, extend to the other, and read it where it lands. Take the same three widths and three heights as any other window; the technique doesn't change, only the footing does.