Before ordering made to measure curtains online, agree the written specification, the full price, delivery arrangements and how changes or errors will be handled. Confirm who is responsible for measuring and approving the order. Supplying curtains does not automatically include poles, tracks, hanging or installation.
The short answer
- Get a room-by-room specification that records exactly what will be made.
- Check the full price, including any hardware, accessories and agreed services.
- Confirm delivery arrangements and the process for reporting mistakes or faults before giving approval.
Agree the specification for made to measure curtains online
Start by confirming how to place the order: through an enquiry, an emailed quotation or another agreed route. Browsing a website is not the same as approving production. Ask what counts as final written approval and when the specification becomes fixed.
The made to measure curtains page is a useful starting point for the service details. Your individual order still needs a written specification that both you and the supplier understand in the same way.
Label each window clearly, such as ‘main bedroom, left window’. Record the number of curtains and whether each window needs a pair or a single panel. ‘Two curtains’ could mean a pair for one window or separate panels for different windows, so avoid shorthand.
Check these production details before approving:
- Measurements and responsibility: State the units throughout. Distinguish your window or pole measurements from the finished curtain sizes. Record who measured, who will check those measurements and whether each width refers to one panel or the whole pair.
- Heading and hardware: The heading is the curtain-top style, such as pencil pleat, pinch pleat or eyelet. Confirm that it suits the intended pole or track, including the attachment method.
- Fullness: This is the extra fabric that creates folds rather than a flat covering. Agree the intended fullness and who calculates the fabric allowance. Do not add an allowance yourself if the supplier will calculate it.
- Drop and clearance: State exactly where the drop measurement starts for the chosen heading and where the finished hem should sit. Agree any floor clearance and ask for the supplier’s stated manufacturing tolerances, meaning the permitted variation from the agreed size.
For designer-led or multi-room orders, name one person who can approve the final specification. Keep revisions in one dated document so an earlier measurement cannot be mistaken for the agreed size.
Confirm the fabric, lining and finished appearance
Use the Curtain fabric page to identify the intended material, then record its fabric name, colourway and product reference. A description such as ‘green patterned fabric’ is not precise enough for production. Confirm availability before approving the order, especially where several rooms need the same material.
Ask whether samples are available. Screen colours can differ from the fabric itself, and a sample lets you assess colour and texture beside your walls and furnishings. Look at it in daylight and under the room’s usual lighting.
For patterned fabric, agree the pattern direction and how it will align across a pair. Ask whether visible joins will be needed and where they will sit. If the pattern’s position matters, such as a large motif centred on each panel, raise this before the fabric quantity and making details are finalised.
Choose the lining for the room’s privacy, light control and desired appearance. Blackout lining limits light passing through the curtain fabric, but it does not remove gaps around the sides, top or bottom. Discuss those edges if darkness is a priority.
Interlining is an additional layer between the main fabric and lining. It changes the weight and drape, so confirm that the resulting curtain suits both the intended look and the supporting hardware.
Ask for care instructions for the complete curtain, not just the face fabric. In homes, lets and hospitality settings, cleaning requirements can affect the choice. Where commercial requirements apply, request appropriate evidence for the proposed fabric and curtain construction rather than assuming compliance.
Check exactly what the quoted price includes
A quote is only useful for comparison when you know what it covers. Ask for a written breakdown tied to the approved specification, with exclusions made clear. Do not assume that items shown together in a photograph are supplied together.
- Curtains: Confirm that the price covers the selected fabric, making, lining and heading. Check whether interlining, pattern matching or any agreed detailing changes the total.
- Hardware: Identify any poles, tracks, brackets, rings and hooks included. If you are keeping existing hardware, have the quote state that rather than leaving its status unclear.
- Extras: Ask for tiebacks and matching cushions to be priced separately. Cushions can coordinate with the curtains, but they remain an optional addition, not an assumed part of the order.
- Services: Measuring, hanging and fitting belong in the quote only if explicitly agreed. Supplying finished curtains is different from hanging them or installing a pole or track. Establish who will undertake each task.
- Charges: Check whether VAT is included, what delivery costs are, and whether any surcharges apply. Ask for the total payable rather than relying on the curtain-making price alone.
Confirm the payment schedule, including what is due to secure the order and when the balance becomes payable. Ask how long the quote remains valid and whether fabric availability is checked or stock reserved at that stage. A valid quote does not necessarily mean material has been set aside.
When comparing suppliers, use identical specifications: the same fabric, lining, heading, quantities, sizes and service scope. If one total is lower, identify what differs before deciding. Resolve any omissions in writing before paying or approving production.
Separate delivery arrangements from installation
A supply-only order provides the curtains, not installation. Ask whether fitting is available rather than assuming it is included. Record who will supply and fit the hardware, and who will hang the curtains. These may be separate responsibilities.
Before approving dimensions, have whoever is responsible for fitting check that the proposed pole or track can support the curtains and be securely fixed. If the hardware position changes later, the approved drop may no longer work.
Ask what starts the lead time: written approval, payment, fabric arrival or another agreed event. Keep three dates distinct:
- Production estimate: When the curtains are expected to be finished.
- Dispatch date: When they are expected to leave the supplier.
- Arrival date: When delivery is expected, or specifically agreed.
For an opening or guest changeover, explain why the deadline matters before ordering. Get written acceptance of the required delivery date, rather than treating an estimated dispatch date as a promise of arrival. Allow time afterwards for inspection and hanging.
Confirm the delivery address, named recipient, access restrictions and whether the order may arrive in separate consignments. Someone should know which rooms each package belongs to.
For consumer purchases, Legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 28, delivery of goods sets delivery obligations and remedies for delay. Whether a further delivery opportunity is required depends on the circumstances, including any essential deadline agreed beforehand. Business buyers should check their contract separately.
Inspect the curtains on arrival. Retain the order records and, where practical, packaging until any delivery damage or discrepancy has been resolved.
Know how changes, mistakes and faults will be handled
Identify the person or team handling amendments and problems before approving production. Ask when changes stop being possible and which instruction releases the order for making. An email requesting a change does not, by itself, mean that change has been accepted.
If you need an amendment, request any revised cost and delivery timing. Obtain written acceptance and an updated specification before assuming the original instruction has been replaced. If production has started, ask what can still be altered and at what cost.
The correction route depends on what has happened:
- Changed preference: You have reconsidered the colour, heading or another approved choice. Ask whether an alteration is possible, but do not assume a return or remake is available.
- Incorrect supplied measurements: The curtains match the approved sizes, but those sizes do not fit the window. Establish who supplied and checked the measurements, then discuss feasible alterations and charges.
- Supplier error or fault: The curtains differ from the approved specification, arrive damaged or have a suspected defect. Send the relevant order details and ask how the issue will be assessed.
Compare the delivered curtains with the final approved specification, not an earlier quotation. Photograph the whole curtain and the disputed detail. For a size discrepancy, record the measurement method and show the tape position clearly. Avoid arranging alterations before the supplier has had an opportunity to assess the problem.
Custom-made goods are usually excluded from the ordinary change-of-mind cancellation right for distance purchases. That does not remove consumer rights where goods are faulty or misdescribed. GOV.UK: Accepting returns and giving refunds, including custom-made goods explains this distinction. An automatic refund or free remake should not be assumed: the appropriate remedy depends on the circumstances.
Agree the assessment, collection and correction arrangements, including who organises transport and any proposed charges. Report concerns promptly, but a supplier’s reporting deadline cannot remove statutory rights. For business purchases, check the contractual remedies and notification requirements separately.
Prepare one order summary before giving approval
Bring the agreed documents together in one short approval summary. This is a cover record for the order, not a replacement for the detailed specification. Use the following fields and attach the documents they refer to:
- Order control: Order reference [reference]; version date [date]; named approver [name].
- Specification: Room-by-room specification [filename and version], including all agreed attachments.
- Price and payment: Accepted quotation [reference and date]; total [amount]; payment terms [terms]; exclusions [items or services].
- Delivery: Address and recipient [details]; agreed timing and status [estimate or accepted deadline]; access and split-delivery arrangements [details].
- Installation responsibility: Hardware supplied by [name]; hardware fitted by [name]; curtains hung by [name].
- Changes and corrections: Amendment contact [details]; amendment cut-off [agreed point]; correction process [document or correspondence reference].
- Approval status: Outstanding questions [list or none]; final approval [name and date, once resolved].
When ordering made to measure curtains online, send this summary through the supplier’s confirmed ordering channel. Do not assume that a basket entry, payment or informal message settles every detail.
Ask for written confirmation of anything still unresolved before authorising production. Once agreed, retain the final summary and its attachments together. State that this version supersedes earlier drafts, and share it with anyone responsible for receiving or fitting the curtains. Your next step is to send the completed summary for confirmation, with any outstanding questions clearly marked.
Frequently asked questions
Can made-to-measure curtains work on a bay window?
Yes, but the bay’s shape and the curtain’s route need planning together. Consider whether curtains should travel around the bay or sit across its opening. Brackets, bends and available space for the open curtains can affect that choice. Ask for advice using photographs and a sketch before committing to the arrangement.
Will curtains ordered later match an existing pair?
An exact match cannot be assumed, even with the same fabric reference. Dye batches can vary, existing curtains may have faded, and a fabric may be discontinued. Keep the original reference and a spare sample if available. For adjacent windows, discuss ordering together if a close visual match is important.
What should I consider when curtains will hang above a radiator?
Consider heat circulation as well as appearance. Curtains covering a radiator can direct warmth towards the window rather than into the room. A shorter curtain or a different window treatment may be more practical. Follow the heating appliance manufacturer’s clearance guidance, especially around electric heaters, rather than relying on a general curtain clearance.
Do I need permission to fit curtain hardware in a rented home?
Check your tenancy terms and ask the landlord or managing agent before drilling or replacing existing fittings. Written permission should cover the proposed fixings and any requirement to make good when you leave. If alterations are not permitted, discuss options that work with approved existing hardware rather than buying curtains around an unapproved installation.