The three tiers, in numbers
| Tier | Cost per panel | Lead time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ready-made (stock) | $20 to $80 | 2 to 7 days | Standard windows, 84 or 96 in drops, unlined or light lining |
| Made-to-measure (semi-custom) | $80 to $300 | 2 to 4 weeks | Odd widths, tall windows, blackout or thermal lining, pinch or wave pleats |
| Custom workroom | $300 to $1,200+ | 4 to 8 weeks, plus fabric | Designer fabric, patterns to match, interlining, motorised tracks, bay windows |
Ready-made panels come in a handful of lengths (63, 84, 96, 108 and 120 in are the common ones) and a width of roughly 50 to 54 in each. If your window suits one of those lengths and the width works out at two panels, stock is the honest answer and the money is better spent on lining and a good rod. Made-to-measure earns its price the moment a window is taller than 96 in, wider than two stock panels can dress at proper fullness, or needs real blackout in a bedroom. A workroom is for the window that has to match a specific fabric or sit on a motorised track.
The measuring rules
- Mount high and wide. Rod 4 to 6 in above the frame, or halfway to the ceiling on a short wall, and 6 to 12 in past the frame on each side so the open panels clear the glass. Measure from the rod, never from the window.
- Fullness is 2 to 2.5 times the rod width. A 72 in rod wants 144 to 180 in of fabric across all panels. This is the number stock panels most often fail on; two 50 in panels on a 72 in rod look flat when closed.
- Length is a style choice with a half-inch of tolerance. A "kiss" sits on the floor; a "float" clears it by 1/2 in; a "puddle" adds 1 to 3 in. Each one is measured from the top of the rod (or the ring's eye) to the finished floor.
- Measure every window, even matching ones. A 1/2 in difference between two "identical" windows is normal in any house older than a year.
The renovation rule: measure after the floor and the trim are in, never before. New flooring changes the finished floor height by 1/4 to 3/4 in (tile over backer, engineered wood over underlay, a new subfloor). New casing changes where the rod bracket can land. A panel cut to the old floor is the one that ends up 1/2 in short or dragging.
The sequence is the same one in how to measure a room: finished surfaces first, then the things that hang on them. Rods and hardware can be chosen early and ordered with the paint; the panel length waits for the floor.
When to order, working backward
| If you want... | Order by | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Stock panels | 1 week before you want them up | Ships in days; measure once the floor is in |
| Made-to-measure | 3 to 4 weeks before move-in, after floors | The measure gates the order; the sew shop runs 2 to 4 weeks |
| Workroom custom | Fabric 8 to 12 weeks out; measure 6 to 8 weeks out | Fabric lead time stacks on top of the workroom's, and a template visit waits for finished floors |
| Rods, tracks, brackets | With the paint, 4 to 6 weeks out | Installed after paint, before panels; long custom tracks are a 2 to 3 week item |
Windows themselves are ordered months earlier than any of this, and a replaced window changes the frame you will be measuring; the window ordering guide has those lead times. If the window is a bay or a wall of glass, put the fabric decision on the same week as the paint colour, because a workroom's clock runs longer than a painter's.
What made-to-measure actually gets you
Two things justify the jump from $40 to $150 a panel: fullness and lining. A made-to-measure panel is cut to give you the 2x fullness on your exact rod, with a pleat that holds its shape, and a lining chosen for the room (blackout for a bedroom, thermal for a north wall, plain cotton for a living room). A made-to-measure drapery maker will ask for the rod width, the drop and the pleat style, and will size the panels for you; you still have to measure, which is why the floor rule above matters more here than for stock.
Everything above sits at the end of the renovation ordering timeline. Curtains are the one line you can afford to order late; they are also the one you cannot order early without regretting it.