how much to install baseboard

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Average Cost of Baseboard Trim Molding Installation

Baseboard trim costs $5.75 to $9.00 per linear foot for the materials, installation supplies and hiring a trim carpenter or handyman to do the work. Labor accounts for roughly 50% to 75% depending on the trim material used, so DIY is a strong option for handy home and property owners.

Expect to pay between $125 and $650 for a 20 x 20 room based on the cost factors listed below – Material and supplies, DIY vs Pro, prep needed, etc. Pre-painting or staining the trim, if it isn’t factory finished, is typically an additional expense.

Last Updated: Monday, April 4, 2022

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Overview of Baseboard Moldings and Installation

Adding baseboard and floor moldings, aka mouldings, as a finishing touch in your house will increase the value of your home. An option is to include shoe moldings or quarter round trim to fill a wider gap between flooring and the wall or make the job look more “finished,” a little more elegant, especially if you have quality hardwood flooring, attractive luxury vinyl (LVT) or similar. The trim profile and types you choose give you a chance to implement your own style in the construction of the house.

This baseboard and floor molding cost estimate covers cost factors to assist you in budgeting for the project, retail materials, supplies and tools costs for DIYers and a sprinkling of cost estimates from other reliable sites.

There’s a place for you to submit your project specs and costs for the benefit of other readers. If you’d be willing to do that, please bookmark Business Finance News and return to share your floor trim costs.

Product and Installation Supplies

Baseboard Molding Cost Factors

There are a few factors that determine whether you’ll pay less than $2.00 per foot or more than $8.00 per foot for this common indoor home improvement project.

• Materials Used – Baseboard or floor trim comes in many materials and styles. MDF is cheap and prefinished. Pine costs a bit more and can be found bare, painted or stained. If you choose hardwood, your options will be bare or stained. You’ll pay more but get a more durable trim that won’t ding and scratch as easily.
• Trim Size and Profile – The higher the trim, ranging from less than 2” to close to 6”, the more it costs relative to other options in the same material. The more elaborate the profile, beveled vs squared top for example, the more it will cost too.
• Quarter-round Too – If you add quarter round trim as extra touch, there will be additional material costs for DIY and both material and labor costs for pro installation.
• Classic Crown Molding – If your home boasts traditional style, then crown molding is a beautiful finishing touch in a dining room, den or bedroom. Of course, that’s a significant additional investment.
• Bare of Finished? – There are a couple factors here. If you choose wood floor molding, you’ll save money by buying bare pine or hardwood, paint or stain, and finishing it yourself. This also gives you the option to choose exactly the color or stain you want. If you’re not going to paint or stain it, then you’ll save money by buying pre-finished trim as opposed to buying it bare and paying someone to finish it.
• Volume – Trimming a whole house costs less per linear foot than having just a room or two trimmed. This is because the carpenter is already on site with tools and equipment set up. Price might drop by up to $.50 (50 cents) per foot on big jobs vs small jobs.
• Necessary Prep Work – If the drywall in the baseboard molding area is “beat up,” and needs patching, material and labor costs will rise accordingly for drywall replacement at the same time.
• Who’s Doing it? – If you’re adding moulding to a room or house you have the option to do it yourself or hire a professional to complete the job. If you’re hiring a professional to complete the installation, it’d be worth stripping the room of all old trim yourself. You’ll be able to save $50-$100 with just an $8 prybar.
• Tools and Supplies – If you do it yourself, you should factor in the cost of tools you don’t have. See the Retail Costs below for necessities and options. If you’re committed to working on your home rather than paying others for the work, then your tool purchases will be an investment in future savings.
• Removing Old Trim – Removing old moldings and baseboard will cost you $50-$150 per room if contractors are doing the job. This will include labor and the cost of disposing of the old trim. If you’re doing a major remodel, consider renting a dumpster and doing the demolition part of the job rather than paying a contractor for that. If you don’t have 20 or 30 cubic yards of waste, share the cost. We find that friends and neighbors usually have a large amount of “stuff” they’d like to get rid of too and are happy to pitch in to help cover the rental fee.

Retail Baseboard Trim Cost – Materials and Supplies

Here are costs for the trim, tools and supplies for the job.

• $0.90 – $1.40 per Linear Foot | PVC Baseboard Molding
• $1.00 – $1.35 per Linear Foot | MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) Baseboard Molding
• $1.15 – $1.65 per Linear Foot | Polystyrene Baseboard Molding
• $1.40 – $1.85 per Linear Foot | Bare and Primed Pine Baseboard Molding
• $1.90 – $2.50 per Linear Foot | Base Poplar Baseboard Molding
• $2.50 – $5.00 per Linear Foot | Unfinished Maple and Red or White Oak Baseboard Molding
• $4.50 – $10.00 per Linear Foot | Unfinished Cherry and Mahogany Baseboard Molding
• $5.50 – $10.00 Each | Decorative Baseboard Corners

Pro Tip: Buy about 10% extra baseboard trim to account for waste and trim and the occasional mistake. Keep what’s left for future repairs.

Tool Purchase and Rental Costs

• $7-$15 | 20-foot Tape Measure
• $8 – $25 | Finish Hammer
• $4 | Nail Set
• $18 – $50 | Non-powered Miter Saw and Box
• $100-$700 | Electric Miter Saw
• $40 – $150+ | Powered Brad Nailer or Nail Gun
• $100-$200 | Cordless Nail Gun
• $30 – $45 | Miter Saw Rental per Half or Full Day
• $50 – $75 | Nail Gun and Air Compressor Rental per Half or Full Day
• $3-$25 | Eye Protection
• $1-$15 | Ear Protection
• $3/ pack of 100 | Finishing Nails (6-12 nails per 8ft of Trim)

Materials for Finishing Baseboard Moldings

• $2-$5 | Paint Brush
• $15-$50 | Quart or Gallon of Stain/Sealer or Primer/Paint
• $8-$20 | Tube of Caulk and Gun (Caulk is optional)
• $5 – $10 | Painters Putty for filling the nail holes.
• $10-$30 | Finishing Nails

Permits, Inspection, Related Costs and Installation Time

Permits and Inspection Cost

• $0 | This home improvement project doesn’t require a permit.

Related Costs and Installation Time

For a 20 x 20 room

• 1-2 Hours | Painting or Staining Trim (Dry overnight)
• 15 mins-1 hours | Measuring Room or House
• 1-2 hours | Cutting the Trim
• 1-2 hours | Installing Floor or Baseboard Moldings
• 30 minutes-1 hour | Filling Nail Holes and Optionally Caulking the Gap between Top and Wall
• 30 minutes-1 hour | Set up and Tear Down
• 5 – 9 hours | Complete installation of a 20 x 20 room, including all finishing.

Most trim carpenters install floor trim at a rate of 12-20 feet per hour including setup and cleanup after the job. With trim carpenters charging $65 to $100 per hour, according to Home Advisor, labor costs range from roughly $250 to $600 for 80 feet of trim in a 20 x 20 room.

Our job estimate of $450 to $700 breaks down to $5.75 to about $9.00 per foot, a little lower than the Homewyse estimate of $6.80 to $10.60 for most common jobs. Thumbtack gives an average cost of $7.50 per foot, right in the middle of our estimate.

Related Projects

Installing Quarter Round Molding – Average cost of $4.90 per foot installed. Adding quarter round or shoe molding can be a stand-alone project or a nice finishing touch when installing baseboard trim.

Installing New Flooring – If you’re giving the room a complete makeover, then laminate flooring at $3.30 to $9.25 per square foot and hardwood flooring at $6.00 to $26.00 per square foot are attractive options.

Installing a Baseboard Heater – Average installed cost of about $635. If the baseboard trim is cut or removed to install a baseboard heater, or if a new one of a different size is being installed, my homeowners use the opportunity to update their baseboard trim during the project.

21 Other Things to Do When Listing a Home for Sale (Or making “perfect” for your family) – If you’re replacing beat-up trim to prepare your home for sale, here are other useful ideas to get it ready to show.

DIY or Hire a Pro?

Installing floor and baseboard moldings is an intermediate level job. If you have experience with installing trim and operating a miter saw you’ll save a few hundred dollars completing this job by yourself.

If you decide to hire a contractor to install moldings for you. It’ll save you up to $100 to remove old trim moldings yourself. This effort might be the difference between saving enough money to also install quarter round with your baseboard or not.

Pro Tip – Cutting Safely: When cutting, dust and debris can temporarily blind you or cause damage to eyes. Make sure to wear proper eye protection, ANSI rated safety glasses or a face shield.

To keep your hearing from being damaged from long exposure to high decibels, wear ear protection. Single use ear plugs only cost a few dollars while full ear muffs will cost you between $6- $15.

In addition, wearing a dust mask can prevent lungs from being damaged and closed toed shoes will keep your feet safer to any falling trim pieces or tools.