Replacing baseboards in your home costs $1,100 on average, and most homeowners pay between $800 and $2,250. A pro will determine your final cost based on material, installation type, and size.
How much baseboard do I need for a 2,000-square-foot house? In a 2,000 square-foot home, you may need around 250 to 300 linear feet of baseboard. The combined perimeter baseboard length will be about 180 linear feet. Internal walls will increase that figure by another 100 linear feet to a total of 280 linear feet.
Painting is cheaper, and you can just remove your old trim around the hardwood floor, paint and reinstall it after the new floor is down, then painting the rest to match.
Average trim installation cost
Interior trim costs $4 to $10 per linear foot on average with installation, depending on the material and type. Trim prices are $1 to $5 per linear foot for materials and $3 to $5 per linear foot for labor. Simple pine or PVC trim costs less than elaborate hardwood molding.
Labor. The labor cost to install baseboards is $5 to $7.75 per linear foot. This will take up a vast majority of your overall project cost.
Hiring a local crown molding installer or carpenter to install trim costs an average of $75 to $125 per hour. Expect to pay more if you live in an area with a high cost of living, and more experienced pros will charge a higher hourly rate than those just starting out.
While installation of baseboard trim isn't hard, cutting and measuring the angles can be tricky. The process is similar to installing crown moulding. This is a project where "measure twice, cut once" will save you time and effort.
Small dings, scratches, and cracks can be repaired using wood putty. For larger areas with more extensive damage that requires it to be rebuilt, such as deep gouges or broken corners, epoxy filler is a better option. If you are repairing stained wood, be sure to select a stainable wood filler.
Opting to not have any baseboards will keep your design simple and modern. The only downside is a loss of protection for your walls from brooms and vacuums. That said if you don't expect too much horseplay around your house, being able to have a bookshelf flush against your wall is a real upside.
Most homeowners spend around $1,100 on new baseboard installation, though costs range from $750 to $2,300. These costs include both labor and materials. Expect to pay more if you need the existing baseboard or molding removed.
Cost per Linear Foot
With pros charging between $1 and $4 per linear foot to paint baseboards, the type and size of the room factors into the total cost. While most contractors charge by room, you may be able to get a "volume" discount through a flat rate if you're repainting baseboards throughout an entire home.
But if you'd rather leave this job to the pros, look for a carpenter or handyman who has finished carpentry experience and knows how to work with interior trim. Baseboard installation is a specialized skill.
If your current trim and/or baseboards are poorly installed or damaged, it creates the appearance of the “old and cheap” look. Clean, sleek trim could improve your home's value and by upgrading it will help you sell your home faster and possibly, for more money.
If your house has a simple layout with an average of 8 rooms, each approximately 10x12 feet, the calculation would look like this: Each room has 2 lengths of 10 feet and 2 widths of 12 feet, totaling 44 feet of baseboard per room. Multiply this by the number of rooms (8), leading to around 352 feet of baseboard.
Day one will be measuring, purchasing, and painting. Day two will be cutting, installing, and caulking. Then, day three will be painting and finishing. Of course, it can take longer than this if you have a big project, but three days is a good estimate assuming you work efficiently and don't make any major mistakes.
One of the easiest ways to fix these errors is by applying drywall mud or wood putty to the holes and gaps. This will smooth out damaged texture and hide a multitude of trim and molding sins. If your molding is painted, drywall mud is a better option as it can be easily painted over.
Factors like flooding and leaking pipes can contribute to water damage on your baseboards. More damage is likely to be found within your walls if you wait too long.
It's easier to use glue for a DIY baseboard application than using nails. Gluing only requires an adhesive for application without additional tools. Gluing is an inexpensive method for attaching baseboards without additional labor costs.
Homeowners should expect to pay between $1 and $1.60 per linear foot for solid wood baseboards. This cost can increase based on the type of wood used and the type of design. A basic baseboard will cost less than a baseboard that has more intricate carving and detail.
A carpenter's hourly rates are $30 to $100 per hour for a standard self-employed carpenter and $100 to $200 per hour for a skilled master carpenter. Framing, trim, and finish carpenters perform different services and vary in price.