*Disclaimer: Prices provided are for informational purposes only, and they do not constitute a quote. Many factors may affect your final price.
You are in the market for new baseboards in your home. Either you are building a new home or looking to update your current one. The first and most important question you must ask yourself is this: How much does baseboard installation cost?
Really, you need to read the whole article to understand the answer to the question, but we’ll give the microwave version right upfront.
Baseboard installation costs $1,100 on average or $18.33 per linear foot for a 12×12 bedroom including removal and haul-off of old baseboards, wall prep, new 3-1/4 inch baseboard installation, quarter round or shoe mold installation, and 2 coats of paint. Baseboard installation costs $19,000 or $19.79 per linear foot on average for a typical 3,000 square foot home with removal and haul-off of old baseboards, 7-¼ inch MDF speed base, wood quarter round shoe mold, and 2 coats of paint. However, many factors can affect your final price.
The Possible Answers You’ll Get to the “Baseboard Installation Cost” Question
You may have searched something like “baseboard installation cost” or “baseboard replacement cost” and come across this article as well as the 5 results below.
Reported baseboard installation costs vary widely from site to site.
Knowing this, we thought it would be helpful to summarize these third-party sites’ answers in one place (and do our best to explain why their answers are so different).
| Average Baseboard Installation Cost | Average Cost Per Linear Foot | Includes Labor | Includes Removing Existing Baseboards | Includes Shoe Mold | Includes Painting/ Staining | Includes Cleanup | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homewyse | $954 - $1,484 | $7.63 - $11.88 | ✔ | x | x | x | x |
| Homeadvisor | $720 - $1300 | $5.70 - $8.95 | ✔ | x | ✔ | x | x |
| Homeserve | $350 - $570 | $4.50 - $6.00 | x | x | x | x | x |
| Angi | $720 - $1300 | $5.70 - $8.95 | ✔ | x | ✔ | x | x |
| Porch | $693 - $1,078 | $5.55 - $8.63 | ✔ | x | x | x | x |
As you can see, the answers to the same question have quite different answers. It seems to be because you are not comparing apples to apples.
We thought we’d do our best in this article to clearly explain how much baseboard installation really costs when you take everything into consideration.
The 4 Big Reasons Baseboard Installation Costs Vary
Many factors influence your final baseboard installation or replacement (aka upgrade) cost. However, you can get a decent ballpark by knowing four things about your installation.
- The baseboard size you want
- The type of baseboard material you want to install
- The linear feet of baseboard that needs to be installed/replaced
- The full scope of work (don’t fret, we explain this below)
1. Baseboard Size
Below you will find a chart that explains the cost difference for different sizes of baseboards.
The estimated installation cost is the “full service” cost. It includes old baseboard removal, haul-off of old material, new baseboard installation, shoe mold installation, 2 coats of paint, minor drywall repairs, and final clean-up.
All are for the same material type–primed pine–so you can see the effect that baseboard size has on your project.
| Size: | Per Linear Foot Cost (Material Only) | 3,000 SF Home “Full Service” Install (Estimated) |
|---|---|---|
| 3-¼ inch | $2.34 | $10,750 |
| 3-½ inch craftsman aka 1x4 | $4.36 | $12,750 |
| 4-¼ inch | $5.32 | $13,500 |
| 5-¼ inch | $5.97 | $14,750 |
| 5-½ inch craftsman aka 1x6 | $6.39 | $15,250 |
| 6-¼ inch | $6.68 | $16,000 |
| 7-¼ inch | $8.96 | $18,250 |
| 7-½ inch craftsman aka 1x8 | $8.52 | $17,750 |
| 9-½ inch craftsman aka 1x10 | $12.76 | $22,750 |
| 11-½ inch craftsman aka 1x12 | $15.69 | $27,500 |
2. Baseboard Materials
There are 7 extremely popular baseboard material types used.
- MDF, aka medium density fiberboard, is the most cost-conscious material used, but it bubbles up whenever it gets wet (like when you mop).
- Pine is more durable than MDF while being comparably priced.
- PVC, aka polyvinyl chloride or “plastic”, is a waterproof baseboard material that usually competes for the most expensive material option.
- Polystyrene is like styrofoam and can come with a pre-finished veneer to match any style, but is also usually on the pricier side of the spectrum.
- Oak is a type of hardwood that gives a distinguished look to any home, but is nearly always the most expensive type of material.
- Basswood is a unique type of light-weight wood with decorative designs usually carved into it.
- Poplar is an extremely popular middle-of-the-road option that can be stained or painted while maintaining a high durability without busting the budget.
There are many more that are not included–like metal or mahogany–that require a special pricing process and are beyond the scope of this article.
Here is what you might be looking at for baseboard installation costs for each type of material.
| Material: | Per Linear Foot Cost (Material Only) | 3,000 SF Home "Full Service" Install (Estimated) |
|---|---|---|
| MDF 7-½ | $8.93 | $18,250 |
| Pine 7-¼” | $8.96 | $18,250 |
| PVC 7-¾” | $14.00 | $23,000 |
| Polystyrene 7-¾” | $13.70 | $22,750 |
| Oak 6-½” | $17.77 | $26,500 |
| Basswood 6-½” | $13.82 | $22,750 |
| Poplar 7-3/16” | $11.70 | $20,750 |
3. Linear Feet of Baseboard Needed
The linear feet of baseboard required for your project is the second-largest price variable. Are we talking about a single room or a full home? Here are some average linear feet amounts.
Baseboards come in 16-foot lengths.
Therefore, the “# Sticks Required” (see below) is an estimation of how many “sticks” (aka 16-foot boards) would be required for your project.
Please note, these can vary widely depending on the actual layout of the home.
However, in our experience, this is about what you can expect for a normal baseboard installation or replacement.
Special note on waste: Whenever we estimate for a project like this, we automatically add 10% more to the total number of linear feet. We do this because you cannot use 100% of every board when installing it. You have some short pieces left over. The chart below includes this 10% waste factor.
| Size | # Sticks required | Average Linear Feet Amount (estimated) |
|---|---|---|
| 12x12 Bedroom | 5 | 80 |
| 1,000 square foot home | 30 | 480 |
| 2,000 square foot home | 45 | 720 |
| 3,000 square foot home | 60 | 960 |
| 4,000 square foot home | 75 | 1200 |
| 5,000 square foot home | 100 | 1600 |
How to Calculate Linear Feet of Baseboard
You may be saying, “Thanks for the chart, but how do I know how many linear feet of baseboard I need for my project?”
Great question.
Please, don’t freak out, but you need to do a little math.
Tools needed: Tape measure, pencil, paper.
Now, measure every section of the wall that requires baseboards.
Write down your measurements. They don’t have to be exact but do try to get it within the inch.
- You do include closets and pantries.
- You do put baseboard behind toilets, pedestal sinks, and the washer/dryer.
- You do not put baseboards on kitchen cabinets. They get their own special type of baseboard, called a toe kick.
Now, add all of your measurements up (Siri is extremely helpful here. Just say, “Hey Siri, how much is 21 plus 45 plus 143 plus, etc. and she’ll spit the answer back at you.).
Let’s say you come up with 5,160 inches total.
Divide by 12 to get 430 feet.
Now add 10% for waste. So, 430 * 1.1 = 473.
If this is confusing or overwhelming, simply use the estimated linear feet in the chart above and DON’T PANIC.
4. Scope of Work
There are a few associated items with installing baseboards that may increase the total scope of work and affect your final price.
Baseboard Installation
This will include the size and materials you use for the baseboards as well as the size of your home, and it will be the biggest determining factor in your final cost. See the above charts to get a better idea of what this might cost for your project.
Demolition
Is it new construction or are you upgrading?
If you’re upgrading are we removing and hauling off the old baseboards, or are you?
If we remove it, it can cost $100-$1,500 on average, depending on the amount of baseboard we need to remove.
Shoe Mold or Quarter Round Installation
When you are upgrading your baseboards, the shoe mold is done at the same time
It can happen in one of two ways during new construction.
- The trim carpenter comes before the flooring is installed.
In this case, the trim carpenter will install the baseboard and the flooring crew will install the shoe mold after they finish with the floors.
- The trim carpenter comes after the flooring is installed.
In this case, the trim carpenter will install the baseboard and shoe mold at the same time.
Painting or Staining
Are you doing it? Are we? We recommend hiring a professional here. Baseboards are hard to get right without practice.
Baseboard Installation Cost Calculator
Now that we’ve gone over the 4 big cost factors. It’s time to put them all together in one handy-dandy calculator.
Average Baseboard Installation Cost?
You might be saying, “Yeah, that’s all great, but, how much do people actually spend on this type of project?”
Great question.
Here’s a quick breakdown based on project size.
A Single Room
Baseboard installation costs $1,100 on average or $18.33 per linear foot for a 12×12 bedroom including removal and haul-off of old baseboards, wall prep, new 3-1/4 inch pine baseboard installation, quarter round or shoe mold installation, and 2 coats of paint.
3,000 Square-Foot Home
Let’s say, instead of a single room, you want to upgrade the baseboards in your entire house. We’ll use an average 3,000 square foot home as an example.
For an average 3,000 square foot house, a full-service baseboard project using a 3-¼ inch pine baseboard would be $12,000 on average. This would be around $17.15 per linear foot or $4 per square foot.
If you wanted to upgrade to a 7-¼ inch baseboard–normally called 8-inch speedbase–in the same 3,000 square foot home, you would be looking at $19,000 on average or $6.33 per square foot.
How Much Does It Cost to Remove Baseboard?
If you are simply wanting to remove your existing baseboards and do not need new baseboards installed, then you can expect a much smaller bill.
While prices will vary largely based on the square footage in your home, on average, removing the baseboards from a single room should start at around $100 depending on the size of the room.
If you are needing the baseboards removed from your entire house, you should expect the cost to start closer to $1,000.
When a carpenter quotes you for baseboard removal, make sure that all of these things are included in the cost they are quoting: cutting caulk lines, removing the baseboard, removing nails, scraping caulk lines, and any minor drywall repairs that are created by removing the baseboards.
How Long Does Baseboard Installation Take?
Another important factor to consider when getting any work done on your home is the amount of time it will take.
You do not want to plan to start work the day before a big event only to find out that it will take three days to finish! To help you plan, here is a rough outline of the time it may take to install baseboards in your home:
If you are installing baseboards in a single 12-foot by 12-foot space, it should be a quick three to five hours of work. If you add existing baseboard removal, quarter round or shoe mold installation, and painting, then you should expect the work to take most of the day.
In general, a single room should take a day or less unless there are extenuating circumstances that your carpenter has to contend with.
Removing the existing baseboards, installing baseboards and quarter round/shoe mold, and painting in a 3,000 square foot home will typically take around three days to complete.
It is important to keep in mind that the complexity of the installation will play a big factor in the final timeline.
If you are hoping to get the work done by a certain day, it is always best to give yourself as much of a time cushion as possible just in case your carpenter runs into any complications during installation.
Many of the items listed below in things that can affect your final price, will often also affect your installation timeline (i.e. discovering termites or extensive drywall repair).
Other Things That Can Affect Your Final Price for Baseboard Installation Cost
While the prices listed in this article can give you a good idea of where prices may start, many other elements might affect your final baseboard installation cost.
Many of the factors that will change your final price simply have to do with materials. Things like upgrading to a larger baseboard, using stain-grade material, or using upgraded paint. In addition to this, the cost for any given baseboard will fluctuate constantly, and that can increase or decrease the cost dramatically.
Then, there may be things about any given home that can make the installation more complicated, and therefore, more expensive.
Things such as installing on curved walls or rounded corners, working around HVAC registers, difficult access, uneven floors, extensive drywall repair, working around uneven surfaces (such as stone), discovering mold or termites during demolition, or even something as simple as requiring the contractors to move your furniture out of the way.
On the other side of that coin, there are a few things that you could do that would help save you money. Things such as painting the baseboard yourself (not usually recommended, but possible), making sure all furniture is moved out of the way before your carpenters arrive, not using quarter round or shoe mold (if possible), or using smaller or less expensive baseboards.
In the end, though, the biggest factor that will affect your price is going to be the total amount of baseboards being installed. To put it simply, the bigger your square footage, the bigger your bill.
When Do You Install Baseboards During Construction?
Typically a trim carpenter comes after the drywall installation is complete. They are usually tasked with baseboards, hanging doors, window trim, door trim, crown molding, stairs, and any other trim work that may apply.
If you have hardwood flooring or vinyl, shoe mold is installed after flooring installation. Sometimes your flooring company will install the shoe mold, and in other cases, the trim carpenter will make a second trip to install it.
The last step in installing baseboards, or any trim will be to paint it.
Conclusion
Installing or upgrading the baseboards in your home is an incredibly worthwhile investment that will greatly add to the style, feel, and comfort of your living spaces. It is a seemingly small change that makes a huge difference in the overall value of your home.
While all of the information here can begin to give you an idea of what it might cost to install new baseboards, to get the most accurate cost for your space it will require reaching out to a carpenter and getting a quote.
