What Size Are Townhome Windows? Answers Around Iowa City

Most new townhome windows around Iowa City need custom sizes. Narrow side-by-side windows, door glass and tall stair windows rarely match stock blinds. Measure each window after the trim is on. Plan the door glass on its own. Then pick one fabric color for every floor so the home looks finished inside and from the street.

The details depend on your floor plan. Below are common questions about new attached homes in Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin and Iowa City.

Why do new townhomes around Iowa City have so many window shapes?

Because so many new homes here share walls. When two homes share a side, the windows move to the front and back. Builders use narrow units, tall stacked windows and door glass to bring in light. You end up with a lot of sizes in a small space.

Local building plans show how common these homes are getting:

• Forevergreen Heights in Coralville covers 208 acres near Dubuque Street and 1st Avenue. The plan calls for 442 duplexes and townhomes. It also has 328 single-family homes and 232 multifamily units.
• West Village in Coralville sits near Crossing Ridge Drive and Oakdale Boulevard. It plans 450 residential units, and 140 of them are townhomes or rowhouses.
• North Liberty permitted 455 housing units in 2025. That included 42 two-family units and 30 townhouse units.
• South Village in Iowa City is a 267-lot subdivision next to Wetherby Park. It mixes single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes.

Tiffin is part of the same story. The Iowa State Data Center says Census estimates made it the fastest-growing city in Iowa from 2019 to 2023. Four of the top five were in the Des Moines metro. Tiffin was the one that wasn't. Growth that fast means lots of new homes. And attached floor plans bring the same narrow-window puzzle wherever they go up.

Will standard sizes fit my narrow windows?

Sometimes. Often not well, though. Stock blinds come in set widths. If your window falls between two of them, you get gaps at the sides. Or the blind won't fit inside the frame at all. On a narrow window, even a half-inch gap on each side shows. You get a stripe of light, and it looks unfinished.

Custom sizing fixes that. Each covering is made to the exact width and height of its window. It sits evenly in the frame. That matters most in three spots:

• Side-by-side narrow windows. A pair of tall, slim windows looks best with two matching coverings. Each one is sized to its own opening.
• Windows with thin trim. New homes often have shallow frames. The fit has to be right to sit inside them.
• Windows that look the same but aren't. Two windows in one room can differ by a fraction of an inch. Measure each one.

Narrow windows also limit the stack. That's the bundle of fabric at the top when a shade is raised. A bulky stack can block a big share of a slim window. Cellular and roller shades fold or roll up small. They leave more of the glass clear by day.

What about the glass in my entry door?

Plan it on its own. Door glass is a different job from a window. The covering moves every time the door opens and closes. A shade that hangs free from the top will bang against the glass and slide around.

The usual answers:

• Door-mounted blinds or shades. They fasten at the top and the bottom, so they stay put when the door moves.
• Shallow headrails. They sit close to the door and don't catch on the frame or the storm door.
• Light-filtering fabric. It keeps the entry bright and still gives some privacy from the porch.

Measure the glass itself, not the whole door. Then check the handle. If it sits close to the glass, the covering has to clear it when the door swings. Door glass is also one of the first things people notice from the street. Match its color to the front windows.

When should I measure?

After the windows are in and the trim is on. Buying a home that's still being built? It's tempting to measure early from the plans. Don't. Sizes on paper and sizes in the wall can differ. Trim also changes how much depth you have for an inside mount.

A simple order that works:

1. Wait for trim and paint. At that point the frame depth and opening size are final.
2. Measure each window at the top, middle and bottom. Use the smallest width for an inside mount.
3. Measure the depth of each frame. This tells you if an inside mount will sit flush.
4. Note which way each window faces. Windows on the front, back and stairs may need different fabrics.
5. Write down anything in the way. Handles, sensors and outlets near the window all matter.

Lots of people move in before their coverings arrive. That's normal. A few paper shades on the bedroom windows will get you through the first couple of weeks. No need to rush a choice you'll live with for years.

Do inside or outside mounts work better on narrow trim?

It depends on frame depth and the look you want. Inside mounts look tidy and show off the trim. Outside mounts cover more of the window and block more light at the edges. Door-mounted coverings are a third choice, just for door glass.

Here's our rule of thumb. Is the frame deep enough and the trim nice? Go with an inside mount. Is the frame shallow, or does a bedroom need real darkness? An outside mount is often the better pick. Plenty of homes use both. Inside mounts go in the living spaces and outside mounts go in the bedrooms.

Example: picture a two-story townhome. It has two slim front windows in the living room and a glass panel in the front door. Each upstairs bedroom has one narrow window. A tidy plan might put inside-mounted light-filtering cellular shades downstairs. The entry glass gets a door-mounted shade. Upstairs gets outside-mounted room-darkening shades. This is just an example, not a real home.

How do I handle a tall window over the stairs?

Tall stair windows are lovely and awkward at the same time. They bring light into the middle of the house. But they're hard to reach, and they often face the neighbors.

A few ways to handle them:

• Leave it bare. If it faces a quiet side and doesn't overheat the stairwell, that's fine. Plenty of people do.
• Use a light-filtering shade. It softens glare and adds privacy without darkening the stairs.
• Pick a motorized shade or a long wand. Then you can raise and lower it without leaning over the railing.
• Match the color to the rest of that floor. That way the window doesn't stand out from inside or out.

Please measure stair windows safely. Don't lean over a railing or stand on a step with a tape in one hand. If the window is hard to reach, let someone else measure it for you.

Can upstairs and downstairs match?

Yes, and it usually helps. The front of a townhome is often a tall, narrow wall of windows. It can stack up across two or three floors. From the street, people see every window at once. One color family makes the home look calm and finished.

Matching doesn't mean every room gets the same product. You can:

• Keep one color across the street side, even if the back bedrooms use a darker fabric.
• Use one style on each floor and switch styles between floors.
• Choose white or light neutrals on the street side if your HOA wants a consistent look. Check the HOA rules before you order.

Inside, matching helps an open floor plan feel bigger. If the living room and kitchen share one big space, three kinds of coverings can look busy.

What about shared walls and close neighbors?

Shared walls move your privacy problems around. You won't see your neighbor through the side wall. But the front and back of your home may face another row of townhomes. Sometimes it's just across a short yard or a parking court. Those windows need the most thought.

Ideas that work well:

• Top-down, bottom-up shades let light in over the top. The bottom stays covered at eye level.
• Light-filtering fabric in living spaces. You can keep it down all day without a dark room.
• Room-darkening fabric in bedrooms that face lit parking areas or streetlights.

Don't forget about night. Once it's dark and the lights are on inside, a light fabric shows shadows. If a room faces another home up close, hang a sample and check it at night with the lamps on.

Which rooms should I cover first after moving in?

Bedrooms first. Then anything facing the street. Most new owners can live with a bare dining nook for a few weeks. Few can live with a bedroom that lights up at sunrise. Or a bathroom window that faces the neighbors.

A practical order for most attached homes:

1. Primary bedroom. Sleep comes first. Long winter nights make streetlights and early sun harder to ignore.
2. Bathrooms. Privacy can't wait. A light-filtering fabric keeps the room bright and blurs the view.
3. Street-facing living room. Everyone sees this window from the sidewalk. It's also the one most likely to glare on the TV.
4. Kids' rooms and guest rooms. Darker fabrics help with early bedtimes and naps.
5. Door glass and stair windows. These can wait a bit, unless the entry faces a busy walkway.
6. Kitchen and dining area. Often last, since you use these rooms mostly in daylight.

Going in stages has a bonus. You get to live with the light before you choose the rest. You may find the back windows get way more sun than you thought. Or the street may be quieter than you expected.

What should I ask before ordering?

Before you order for a new townhome, run through this list:

1. Is the trim installed and painted? If not, wait to measure.
2. Did I measure every window, door glass included?
3. How deep is each frame? Will an inside mount fit?
4. Does my HOA have rules for what shows from the street?
5. Which rooms face close neighbors, streetlights or parking?
6. Which windows are hard to reach? Would a wand or motor help there?
7. Do I want one color family across the street side?
8. Do I want cordless lifts for little ones or a curious cat? Ask which styles come that way.

Living in one of the city's older neighborhoods instead? Small cottage rooms and porch-shaded parlors bring their own challenges. We cover them in keeping older Goosetown and Longfellow rooms bright in December. In North Liberty? Take a look at what each North Liberty building decade needs too. For entry doors, corporate's door blind styles are a good place to browse.

The building numbers above come from the Greater Iowa City BUILD 2026 city and county updates. The Tiffin note comes from the Iowa State Data Center's city population release.

Just got your keys? Budget Blinds of Iowa City will measure every window and door panel so nothing gets missed. Book your free consultation.

Kevin Sill is CFO and co-owner of the family-owned Budget Blinds franchises serving the Iowa City area.