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.
Your home’s baseboards are an eye-pleasing feature that protects your walls from bumps and scratches from shoes, pets, and vacuums. The average baseboard installation cost is $1,100, in which this small but mighty addition pulls your walls together, both figuratively and literally. Read on to learn more about what plays a part in your overall cost of this project.
When determining how much you’ll pay to replace baseboards in your home, you’ll find that the costs can be broken down into two categories: materials and labor. Remember that you’ll pay a little more if you need to remove your baseboards or if you choose a premium baseboard material.
Larger areas mean higher costs for this project, with prices ranging from $5.70 to $9 per linear foot for labor and materials. However, many pros will offer price breaks of around $0.50 per linear foot for larger projects.
| Size in Linear Feet | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 100 | $570–$900 |
| 200 | $1,140–$1,800 |
| 300 | $1,710–$2,700 |
| 400 | $2,280–$3,600 |
| 500 | $2,850–$4,500 |
| 1,000 | $5,700–$9,000 |
| 2,000 | $11,400–$18,000 |
To determine the coverage you’ll need, use a tape measure to measure each of your walls and subtract the length of doorways. Once you have the total cost in inches, divide that by 12 and you’ll have an exact count in linear feet for a more accurate price quote.
Baseboards fall into four basic material categories: Wood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), polystyrene, and PVC. Wood is the most costly, but it has a luxe look, lasts the longest, and is easy to repair. You’ll pay more for hardwoods like oak, cherry, maple, and mahogany. PVC costs the least but is prone to damage and impossible to repair.
| Baseboard Type | Average Cost per Linear Foot |
|---|---|
| PVC | $0.90–$1.40 |
| MDF | $1–$1.40 |
| Polystyrene | $1.15–$1.65 |
| Pine | $1.40–$1.85 |
| Poplar | $1.90–$2.50 |
| Maple or oak | $2.50–$5 |
| Cherry or mahogany | $4.50–$10 |
A major cost factor when installing baseboards is the style and material you choose. Premium varieties can cost significantly more, so it’s helpful to have an idea of what you want before you start calling for quotes.
“Replacing baseboards is a project that varies greatly in complexity and cost,” says Andrew Kilborn, owner of Andy’s Handyman. “Determining the style and material you want is very important to get an accurate estimate.”
| Baseboard Style | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Rounded/stepped | $0.90–$5.50 |
| Flat | $1.80–$7 |
| Sculpted | $2–$13 |
Because adding height to your baseboards increases the lumber required, taller baseboards are more expensive than shorter ones. Each additional quarter inch on your baseboard molding adds $0.25 to $0.50 per linear foot.
| Baseboard Height | Cost per Linear Foot |
|---|---|
| 3 ¼ inches | $1–$2.50 |
| 3 ½ inches | $1.25–$3 |
| 4 inches | $1.75–$4 |
| 4 ¼ inches | $2–$4.50 |
| 5 inches | $2.75–$6 |
| 5 ¼ inches | $3–$6.50 |
| 5 ½ inches | $3.25–$7 |
Your carpenter will have all the equipment necessary to install your baseboards. However, they may work in the costs of incidentals, including nails, caulk, and putty, into their quote. The price of these materials varies depending on the size of your project, but they often cost between $25 and $100.
The main site preparation you’ll need to account for is the removal of old baseboards. Most installers will charge $50 to $100 per hour for this service.
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.
Removing existing baseboards will usually cost between $50 and $100 per hour in labor. This will typically include debris removal, but you may need an additional removal service for around $20.
Painting baseboards will cost an additional $1 to $6 per linear foot on average. Some styles of baseboards come unfinished, meaning you’ll need to paint or stain them to complete the job. Installers can generally do this for you, but you’ll have to pay extra. You might also want to hire a local painter if you plan on repainting your entire room (or home).
Repairs vary based on the project. The average drywall repair costs around $300 for a small project or up to $900 for more extensive damage.
If you are removing old baseboards, many contractors will include debris removal in the initial cost. If not, expect to pay around $20 for additional debris removal services.
While there aren’t many ongoing costs after installing new baseboards, there are a couple of potential expenses that you may run into.
Over time, baseboards can get scuffed and stained. If cleaning your baseboards doesn’t bring them back to life, then you might decide to repaint them. Hiring a professional to paint your baseboards costs between $1 and $6 per linear foot.
Similarly, if your baseboards get damaged, you may need to have a pro fix them. Fixing trim or baseboard issues will cost between $5.70 and $9 per linear foot, depending on the extent of the problem and the materials needed to fix it.
When you choose to replace baseboards yourself, you’ll save on labor costs. Depending on the materials you choose, you could pay as little as $0.80 to $1.20 per linear foot. A home that needs 144 linear feet of baseboard translates to a materials cost of $115 to $175. Of course, if you choose premium materials or intricate designs, you’ll pay more.
Replacing baseboards on your own may sound easy, and it can be—assuming everything works in your favor. If you have all the right tools (and know how to use them), level flooring, and no damage to repair, this could be a DIY project that you knock out in a couple of weekends.
However, it doesn’t take much to derail this project. If you hit a strange angle that’s difficult to cut or can’t get your baseboards to look straight over your crooked floors, you could be facing a roadblock that’s impossible to get around, especially if you were hoping for a professional finish.
Instead of risking baseboards that detract from the beauty of your home, it’s best to hire a local baseboard installer. They’ll get the project done faster and leave you with beautiful results.
DIY baseboard replacement costs $0.80 to $1.20 per linear foot on average, which amounts to significant cost savings versus the $5.70 to $8.95 per linear foot it costs to hire a pro. Again, the disadvantage is your higher margin of error and additional costs for tools if you don’t already have them.
If you’re looking to save on your cost to install baseboards, there are a few great ways to do it. Here’s how to shave dollars off your budget:
Repaint your baseboards rather than replacing them altogether.
Remove your old baseboards yourself and haul away the debris before your pro arrives.
Choose less-expensive varieties, such as MDF or pine.
Ask your contractor if you can paint or stain the baseboards yourself prior to the installation.
Since baseboards are a cosmetic element, there are no hard-and-fast rules for replacing them. However, if you plan to replace your flooring, that’s a good time to swap out your baseboards. In high-traffic areas like mud rooms, where they might get scuffs and scrapes, you can replace them as frequently as every couple of years.
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to costquotes@angi.com. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
To calculate the number of linear feet of baseboard you’ll need, measure the length of each wall of the room you’re installing them in as close to the floor as possible, rounding up to the next full linear foot. If it’s your first DIY molding job, having a few extra feet on hand for miscuts is a good idea.
You should always paint your baseboards before installing them. Painting afterwards will be a much more difficult and time-consuming process.
Although some damage to your new paint job is to be expected during installation, a few minor touch-ups will be much easier to complete than a whole new paint job after the fact.
Fresh baseboards can increase a home’s value because they refresh the look of your walls. This can make a good impression on buyers and potentially boost your home’s resale value. This is particularly helpful if your existing baseboards are in bad shape, which can age the look of your walls.
Consider also investing in the cost to install shoe molding for an extra-polished look that can further boost resale value.
There are no specific rules about how thick or tall your baseboards should be, but it’s a good idea to shoot for a 1:12 ratio of baseboard to ceiling height. In other words, you should have about one inch of baseboards for every 12 inches of ceiling height. As for the thickness, most baseboards fall between 1/2 to 1 inch thick.
