Bahama Shutters in Charleston, SC
Top-hinged louvered shutters that shade the glass, keep the breeze moving, and latch down as rated storm protection. Powder-coated aluminum, decorative or hurricane-rated.
Three
Profiles
Thin Z-blade, 2" low profile, and hurricane-rated fixed louver.
Coastal
Hardware
Stainless fasteners and telescoping arms that stand up to salt air on the islands.
HOA
Colors
Standard powder-coat range plus RAL matching for island review boards.
Shade by day, rated by night.
A Bahama shutter works every day of the year, which is why so many Charleston homes choose it over systems that only come out for a storm. Open, it cuts the sun hitting a west-facing window on James Island by a large margin. Closed and latched, the hurricane-rated profile is tested opening protection for the wind-borne debris region.
We carry three Bahama profiles — a thin Z-blade, a 2" low-profile blade, and a high-visibility fixed-louver hurricane-rated version with telescoping arms. Frames are powder-coated aluminum with stainless-steel fasteners, available in standard or any RAL color.
Three Profiles
- Thin Z-Blade — telescoping or fixed arms, 2¼" × 1½" frame. Not hurricane-rated.
- 2" Low-Profile Blade — telescoping or fixed arms, tubular louvers, 2¼" × 1¼" frame. Not hurricane-rated.
- High-Visibility Fixed Louvers — telescoping arms, hurricane-rated, 2" × 2" frame.
- Hurricane-rated option
- Standard + custom colors
Two names,
one shutter.
If you have been searching for Bermuda shutters and finding Bahama shutters instead, you are in the right place. They are the same thing: a louvered panel hinged along its top edge that swings out from the wall and props on adjustable arms. Bermuda is the more common name in parts of Florida and the Caribbean; Bahama is what most of the Carolina coast calls it.
Whichever name you use, the shutter does four jobs at once. Propped open it shades the glass from above, which is where the summer sun actually comes from — so it cuts heat load in a way a side-hinged shutter never can. It keeps rain off an open window. It gives you privacy at street level without blocking the light. And when it is closed and latched, a rated version becomes hurricane protection.
That combination is why they suit beach houses so well. Most storm protection sits idle for eleven months a year and then earns its keep in a weekend. A Bahama shutter is doing something useful every single day.
What “hurricane-rated”
actually means.
Not every Bahama shutter is storm protection, and the difference matters. Our thin Z-blade and 2″ low-profile profiles are decorative — they shade beautifully and they are not rated. The high-visibility fixed-louver profile, on a 2″ × 2″ frame with telescoping arms, is the one built and tested to be closed against a storm.
If a rating is what you are after, say so at the estimate and we will specify accordingly. Rated assemblies come with product-approval documentation for the permit, and the shutter, the frame, and the fasteners all have to match the tested assembly — you cannot make a decorative shutter rated by tightening it down harder.
- Rated profile — fixed high-visibility louvers, 2″ × 2″ frame, telescoping arms, tested assembly with documentation.
- Decorative profiles — thin Z-blade and 2″ low-profile, for shade, privacy, and curb appeal.
- Permitting — rated installs are permitted work in Charleston County and the surrounding towns. We handle the paperwork.
- Insurance — many carriers offer a windstorm mitigation credit for rated opening protection. Ask your agent what documentation they need before we install, not after.
Powder-coated to
match the house.
Frames and louvers are extruded aluminum, powder-coated rather than painted. Powder coat is baked on, so it does not chalk, peel, or need repainting the way a wet-painted shutter does after a few summers of salt air and UV — which on this coast is the whole point.
There is a standard color range that covers most homes, and beyond that any RAL color, so the shutter can be matched to your trim, your sash, your roof, or the existing shutters on the front elevation. White and off-white are the most common choices; deeper coastal blues and greens read well on shingled cottages, and black is increasingly the pick on newer builds.
All fasteners and hardware are stainless steel. That is not an upgrade on our installs, it is the default — anything less than stainless will bleed rust down a light-colored elevation within a couple of seasons this close to the water.
- Standard + any RAL color
- Powder-coated aluminum
- Stainless hardware throughout
How the project
actually runs.
Bahama shutters are made to the opening, so nothing is ordered until someone has measured your windows. That visit is free and it is where most of the decisions get made — profile, rated or decorative, color, and the propped-open angle you want, which changes how much sun the shutter blocks and how much view you keep.
From there: fabrication, then a single install visit for most homes. The shutter mounts to the wall above the opening with the arms landing on the jambs, so there is no work inside the house and no disruption to the window itself. Removal for painting later is straightforward.
- Free at-home measure — every opening measured, profiles and colors shown against your own elevation.
- Quote per opening — priced on what you actually have, not an average.
- Fabrication — built to your measurements and finish.
- Install — our own crews, not subcontractors. Most homes in a day.
- Walk-through — how to prop, latch, and close them down before a storm.
What drives the price is window size, how many openings, the profile you choose, and whether you need the rated version. A row of small decorative shutters on a cottage front and a full elevation of rated shutters on a three-story beach house are very different projects, which is why we do not publish a single number.
Compare with our
other systems.
Roll-Down
Discreet header-mounted aluminum slats, manual or motorized.
View Roll-Down →
Colonial
Side-hinged Lowcountry style, hurricane-zone rated.
View Colonial →
Storm Panels
Bertha™ aluminum panels — economical & certified.
View Storm Panels →
Accordion
Slides closed across the opening in seconds.
View Accordion →Bahama shutters
around Charleston.
What comes up on Bahama estimates across the metro area.
- Beach houses — Sullivan’s Island, IOP, and Folly Beach homes use Bahamas on the ocean side for glare control and as rated protection on the same opening.
- Historic peninsula — Bahamas suit the rear and side elevations of many downtown homes; street-facing facades in the district usually call for colonials and may need review board approval.
- Island review boards — Kiawah, Seabrook, and Daniel Island approve specific colors. Every ShadeCoast shutter is powder-coated, with RAL matching for exact palettes.
- Marsh-front glare — low western sun off the water on Johns Island and Wadmalaw is exactly what the propped-open angle was designed to block.
Pick the windows that earn it. A Bahama shutter shades from above, so it does the most work on south- and west-facing glass and on windows that catch glare off the marsh or harbor. On a Charleston single house, the piazza already shades the windows along its side; the unshaded elevations are usually where Bahamas make the biggest difference.
Rated or decorative, decide up front. If the shutters are going to be your storm protection, specify the rated high-visibility profile at the estimate. The decorative profiles shade well but do not count as opening protection, so they will not help with an insurance mitigation discount or a wind-mitigation grant such as SC Safe Home, which has offered retrofit grants to eligible South Carolina homeowners.
Permits. Rated installs usually need a building permit from the City of Charleston, the town, or Charleston County, depending on the address. We handle that paperwork. HOA or review-board approval is separate, so get it first.
Same shutter, two names. If you know them as Bermuda shutters, as much of Florida does, they are the same thing, with the same profiles, colors, and ratings.
From the install portfolio.
Recent Bahama-shutter projects on coastal Carolina and Georgia homes.
Bahama
shutter questions.
What homeowners ask us most about Bahama shutters.
What is a Bahama shutter?
A Bahama shutter is a top-hinged louvered panel that props open above a window, shading it from above while keeping the view and airflow. It is also called a Bermuda shutter. Closed and latched, storm-rated versions serve as hurricane protection.
Are Bahama shutters and Bermuda shutters the same thing?
Yes. Bahama and Bermuda are two names for the same top-hinged louvered shutter. ShadeCoast builds them in custom aluminum in either case.
Are Bahama shutters hurricane rated?
They can be. ShadeCoast builds both decorative Bahama shutters and impact-rated versions with reinforced blades and storm hardware. Tell us which you need and the quote reflects it.
What colors do Bahama shutters come in?
Powder-coated in a standard color range plus any custom RAL finish, so the shutter can match trim, sash, or roof.
How much do Bahama shutters cost in Charleston?
Cost depends on window size, blade style, aluminum gauge, and whether the shutter is decorative or impact-rated. ShadeCoast measures at your home and quotes per opening.
Are Bahama shutters allowed in Charleston’s historic district?
In many cases, yes, especially on side and rear elevations. Facades visible from the street in the peninsula’s historic district go through the Board of Architectural Review, which tends to favor colonial-style shutters on older homes. ShadeCoast prepares the drawings and finish samples for the submittal and builds to what is approved.
Do I need a permit for Bahama shutters in Charleston?
For rated installs, usually yes. The permit comes from the City of Charleston, the town, or Charleston County, depending on the address, and ShadeCoast handles the paperwork. HOA or review-board approval is a separate step and should come first.
Do Bahama shutters qualify for insurance discounts in South Carolina?
Only the rated profile does. South Carolina insurers are required to offer windstorm mitigation discounts, and rated opening protection is part of that. Decorative Bahamas do not count. Ask your agent what documentation they need before we install.
Which windows on a Charleston house should get Bahama shutters?
South- and west-facing windows and any glass that catches glare off the water. On single houses with a piazza, the windows behind the piazza are already shaded, so Bahamas usually go on the other elevations.
How do Bahama shutters hold up to salt air on the islands?
Frames and louvers are powder-coated aluminum and every fastener is stainless steel, so they do not rust or need repainting. On Sullivan’s, Isle of Palms, and Folly, a freshwater rinse a few times a year keeps the hinges and arms moving freely.
Bahama installs
across greater Charleston.
Island look, rated protection,
for your Charleston home.
A ShadeCoast specialist measures the windows, walks you through the three Bahama profiles and the color range, and quotes the project at your home. Free across the Charleston area.