What baseboard installation costs
| Job | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Installed, material and labor | $6–$9 / linear ft |
| Labor only Most jobs $4–$6 per foot | $3–$8 / linear ft |
| Most projects | $400–$1,500 |
| 12×12 room About 45 linear feet after the door opening | About $270–$400 |
Baseboard materials
- MDF. The cheapest, and it paints beautifully, but it dents easily and swells if it gets wet. Keep it out of bathrooms and basements.
- Finger-jointed pine. Short pieces glued together and primed. Holds up better than MDF and paints well.
- Solid wood. For stained trim, or where durability matters. Costs more.
- PVC. Waterproof, so it suits bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements.
What moves the price
- Corners. Inside corners are coped for a tight joint that stays closed; outside corners are mitered. More corners, more time.
- Walls and floors. Wavy walls and uneven floors mean scribing and more caulking to close gaps.
- Removal. Taking off old baseboards carefully without damaging the drywall.
- Painting. Pre-painting before installation is faster than painting in place, but nail holes and caulk still need touching up.
- Shoe molding. A small strip along the floor that hides gaps with hard flooring, installed separately.
How baseboards are installed
- Remove old trim carefully, and mark stud locations along the wall.
- Cut and fit each run, coping inside corners and mitering outside corners.
- Nail into studs and the bottom plate with a finish nailer.
- Fill nail holes, caulk the top edge and joints, and sand the filler smooth.
- Paint or touch up.
Do it with other work
New flooring is the natural time to replace baseboards, because the old ones often have to come off anyway. So is a drywall repair near the floor, or repainting a room. See also crown molding installation cost and our door installation cost guide for casing and trim around doors.
Common questions
Should baseboards be painted before or after installation?
Painting the boards before installing saves time, especially the first coat. Plan on a final touch-up after nail holes are filled and joints are caulked.
How long does it take to install baseboards?
An average room takes a few hours to install, plus time for filling, caulking and paint.
Do I need shoe molding?
Not always. It is useful with hardwood, laminate and tile, where it hides the expansion gap at the wall and any unevenness in the floor.
Related guides
Compiled from published 2026 national cost data (Angi, HomeGuide, Homewyse). We update these figures as we complete jobs.