Cost to install baseboard: per linear foot, per room, by state
Three rooms, 140 linear ft: about $1,100 to $1,500, typically $1,250. That's 3 1/4 inch paint-grade baseboard with the old baseboard taken off, sealed and painted, plus the contractor's overhead, profit and sales tax. Everything in, it runs $8.00 to $10.50 a linear ft.
Anthony Hicks30+ years in construction. Updated November 5, 2026.
Reading as
What it costs
| Job | Cost |
|---|---|
| One 12 by 12 room, 45 linear ft | $600 to $850 |
| Three rooms, 140 linear ft | $1,100 to $1,500 |
| A whole floor, 400 linear ft | $3,200 to $4,150 |
About $8.00 to $10.50 a linear ft, everything in.
Totals include the contractor's overhead and profit (20%) and the state's average sales tax. Prices as of November 2026.
What’s in these numbers
Each total is a typical job, priced the way a contractor’s estimate is priced:
- The old baseboard taken off and new 3 1/4 inch paint-grade baseboard put on, with 10% over the length for cuts and corners.
- Sealed and painted, one coat of each.
- Overhead and profit: 20%, the standard markup on a contractor’s estimate.
- Sales tax on the materials, at the state’s average rate.
The sizes are linear feet of wall: a 12 by 12 room has 48 feet around it, about 45 once a doorway is taken out.
Not in them: shoe molding or quarter round, taller or hardwood baseboard, caulking gaps over a wavy floor, and repairs to the wall behind.
What moves the price
- The profile. Taller baseboard, hardwood, and baseboard with a shoe or cap cost more per foot than 3 1/4 inch paint grade.
- Stain or paint. Stain-grade wood costs more per foot than paint grade.
- Corners and doorways. Every outside corner is mitered and every inside corner coped or mitered, so a room with many corners and openings takes longer per foot.
- Flooring work. Baseboard comes off and goes back for new flooring; the laminate flooring cost guide covers the floor.
- Where you live. Pick your state in the box above.
Measuring for baseboard
- Measure each wall along the floor, wall to wall.
- Take out the doorways, about 3 feet for a standard door.
- Add the walls up and type the total in the box above for the range at that length.
Buy about 10% more than the measured length for cuts. The guide to measuring a room covers the rest of the room.
Common questions
How much does it cost to install baseboard in one room?
A 12 by 12 room, about 45 linear feet: about $600 to $850, sealed and painted.
How much does baseboard cost per linear foot installed?
$8.00 to $10.50 a linear ft for 3 1/4 inch paint-grade baseboard, sealed and painted, with the old trim taken off, overhead, profit and sales tax.
How much baseboard does a whole house need?
The distance around every room, less the doorways. A whole floor of about 400 linear feet comes to about $3,200 to $4,150, typically $3,550.
How many feet of baseboard for a 12 by 12 room?
48 feet around the room, about 45 after one doorway, and about 50 to buy with 10% for cuts. Crown molding runs the full 48 feet, doorways and all; the crown molding cost guide prices it.