Summary
Curtain pole and blind fitting is a high-volume, low-ticket job that tradespeople often bundle into larger decorating, window replacement or interior refurbishment jobs rather than quoting standalone — but it's also a common one-off callout, particularly after a new-build purchase, a house move, or a window replacement that's left the old fixings unusable. The job looks trivial but pricing has real variation drivers: wall construction (plasterboard vs solid masonry vs bay window reveal), pole/curtain weight, and whether the client wants a symmetrical, professional-looking finish rather than a DIY result.
Getting the fixing right matters more than it looks. A heavy pole with full-length lined curtains pulling on two or three brackets fixed into plasterboard with standard wall plugs will fail — sometimes taking a chunk of plasterboard with it — which is why proper fixing selection (into timber stud, or using appropriate heavy-duty fixings like spring toggles or resin anchors into plasterboard, or masonry anchors into brick/block) is the actual skill being paid for, not just drilling a hole and screwing in a bracket.
Key Facts
- Single pole/track, stud or timber wall — £30-£60, roughly 20-40 minutes per window
- Single pole/track, solid masonry — £40-£70, allow extra time for masonry drilling and correct anchor selection
- Bay window pole (curved or multi-section) — £70-£150, more brackets needed and often requires bespoke bending/cutting of the pole
- Standard roller, Venetian or vertical blind — £20-£45 per window, includes bracket fitting and levelling
- Blackout/thermal blind with side channels — £35-£65, side channel fixing adds time
- Motorised blind (battery or mains) — £80-£180+ per window, higher end where new cabling or a hub/app pairing is needed
- Minimum callout — many tradespeople apply a £60-£90 minimum callout for one or two items to cover travel and setup time
- Multiple windows in one visit — day rate approach common above 6-8 windows, typically £180-£280/day plus materials
- Fixing type by wall construction — timber stud: wood screws direct or into noggin; plasterboard without stud: spring toggle or self-drilling cavity anchor rated for the load; solid masonry: rawl plug or resin anchor sized to pole bracket load
- Heavy pole/curtain rule of thumb — poles carrying full-length, interlined or heavyweight curtains should use at least 3 brackets per 2m run rather than the standard 2
- Working at height — bay windows and tall sash windows commonly need a stepladder or podium step; Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply even for short-duration domestic jobs
- Electrical work for motorised/mains-wired blinds — mains-powered blind motors are a fixed electrical installation and should be wired by a competent person in line with BS 7671, with Part P notification considerations in England for work in kitchens/bathrooms or new circuits
- Levelling tolerance — brackets should be level to within a few millimetres across the run; a spirit level or laser level is standard kit for a professional finish, not just visual judgement
Quick Reference Table
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Try squote free →| Job | Typical price | Time on site | Key driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single pole, stud wall | £30-£60 | 20-40 min | Fixing type |
| Single pole, masonry wall | £40-£70 | 30-50 min | Drilling/anchor selection |
| Bay window pole | £70-£150 | 1-2 hrs | Multiple brackets, bending |
| Standard blind (roller/Venetian/vertical) | £20-£45 | 15-30 min | Bracket count, levelling |
| Blackout blind with channels | £35-£65 | 30-45 min | Side channel fixing |
| Motorised blind | £80-£180+ | 45 min-2 hrs | Wiring/pairing |
| Whole-house (8+ windows) | £180-£280/day + materials | Full day | Day-rate efficiency |
Detailed Guidance
Choosing the right fixing for the wall
Before drilling, identify the wall construction — a stud finder or simply tapping the wall tells you plasterboard-on-stud from solid masonry. For plasterboard without a stud behind the bracket position, use a load-rated cavity fixing (spring toggle or self-drilling metal cavity anchor) rather than a standard plastic wall plug, which will pull out under sustained curtain weight. For solid masonry, drill to the correct diameter and depth for the wall plug or resin anchor being used, and always check for hidden services (pipes, cables) before drilling near sockets, switches or in likely service routes.
Bay windows
Bay window poles need either a bespoke curved pole or a set of straight sections joined with corner brackets, and require careful measurement of each angle — a generic "one size" pole rarely fits well. Allow significantly more time than a flat wall and price accordingly; this is the single biggest driver of variance in curtain fitting quotes.
Motorised blinds — wiring vs battery
Battery-powered or solar-charged motorised blinds avoid any fixed wiring and can be fitted much like a standard blind with an added pairing/setup step for the app or remote. Mains-wired blind motors require a fixed electrical connection and should be treated as an electrical installation job — either subcontract to a qualified electrician or, if you're doing it yourself, ensure you're competent and compliant with Part P and BS 7671 requirements for the work.
Levelling and finish quality
The difference between an amateur and professional-looking install is almost entirely in the levelling and symmetry of bracket placement, especially across multiple windows on the same elevation viewed together. Take the extra few minutes with a level rather than eyeballing it — this is the detail clients notice and complain about most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can curtain poles be fitted into plasterboard safely?
Yes, provided the correct load-rated cavity fixing is used rather than a standard wall plug — for anything beyond very light curtains, fixing into the timber stud behind the plasterboard (located with a stud finder) is the most reliable option where available.
Do motorised blinds need an electrician?
Battery or solar-powered motorised blinds don't need an electrician since there's no fixed wiring. Mains-wired blind motors are a fixed electrical installation and should be connected by a competent person in accordance with BS 7671, with appropriate Part P considerations.
How long does a full house of blinds and curtains take?
For a typical 3-4 bedroom house with 8-10 windows, allow a full day for combined pole and blind fitting, assuming straightforward fixing conditions — more if multiple bay windows or masonry walls are involved.
What's the minimum charge for a single blind fitting?
Most tradespeople apply a minimum callout charge (commonly £60-£90) for single-item jobs to cover travel and setup time, since the fitting itself may only take 15-20 minutes.
Regulations & Standards
BS 7671:2018 (as amended) — Wiring Regulations, relevant to mains-wired motorised blind installations
Building Regulations Part P — electrical safety in dwellings (England), relevant to new fixed wiring for motorised blinds
Work at Height Regulations 2005 — applies to any work carried out from a stepladder or podium, including brief domestic callouts
BS EN 13120:2009+A1:2014 (child safety) — corded blinds must meet this child safety standard, requiring any accessible cord/chain loop to hang above 1.5m from the floor or be fitted with a breakaway safety device rated to release under roughly 6kg of force
RoSPA — Blind cord safety — child safety requirements for corded blinds
HSE — Work at Height Regulations — guidance on low-level and short-duration work at height
Electrical Safety First — Part P Building Regulations — guidance on notifiable electrical work in dwellings
smart blinds and curtains — technical detail on motor types, protocols and smart integration for motorised blinds
fire doors — for jobs combining window dressing with wider fire safety considerations in rented properties
access control system pricing guide — for pricing methodology parallels on small, high-volume domestic fitting jobs