An improvement in a rolling shutter assembly for covering an opening of a structure having an external protective surface, an underlying support structure and a subsurface disposed therebetween. The rolling shutter assembly includes a shutter housing, a shutter support member rotatably disposed within the shutter housing, a shutter coupled to the shutter support member, and a pair of side tracks. The improvement includes a plurality of dowels and corresponding openings through the external protective surface configured to receive the dowels. The dowels are disposed between the subsurface of the wall and the side tracks when the rolling shutter assembly is installed to minimize the portion of the external protective surface that is removed to accommodate the installation of the shutter assembly.