What Is the Cost of Trim Installation in 2025?

This article was updated using automation technology and thoroughly reviewed for accuracy by HomeAdvisor Editor Ryan Noonan.

Understanding the trim installation cost is crucial for any home improvement project. On average, the cost of trim ranges from $634 to $2,249, with most homeowners spending an average of $1,381. Your total cost for trim installation depends on factors like trim type, project size, and the materials you choose. 

Beyond adding style, trim also serves functional purposes, such as hiding gaps and providing minor structural support. By planning carefully, you can ensure your budget covers both materials and labor without last-minute surprises.

Trim Installation Cost Factors

A handful of key factors drive your final price. Here’s what to look at before you set your budget.

Material

The trim material plays the biggest role in what you’ll pay. Check the table below for average costs by material.

Finishing

Painting or staining trim adds a customized look to your home. On average, finishing trim with paint or stain costs between $1 and $4 per linear foot. Keep in mind that baseboards are often wider, and painting baseboards costs more to finish due to the additional time and materials required.

Labor

Plan to pay a trim installer $75 to $125 per hour. Rates climb in high-cost areas or when you hire a highly experienced pro.

Cost to Install Trim by Type

Each trim style carries its own look and its own price tag. Use the table below to see what you can expect per linear foot.

Shoe

The cost of door and window trim, like shoe molding, is between $0.50 and $1.50 per linear foot. You’ll most often buy it in eight-foot lengths. Shoe molding is a narrow molding consisting of two inward-facing flat sides and one outward-facing concave side. The most common use of shoe molding is to hide small gaps between a wall and floor by installing it on a taller baseboard.

Quarter Round

Quarter-round molding costs between $0.50 and $4 per foot and is commonly sold in eight-foot lengths. Named for its shape—a quarter of a circle—quarter-round molding is ideal for covering gaps at the base of your walls, similar to shoe molding.

Base

The cost of installing baseboard molding ranges from $1 to $10 per linear foot, depending on the material. It’s between two and four inches tall, although it can be taller than that. Base molding defines lines at the bottom of a wall and hides gaps. It isn’t as detailed as crown molding, but it is available in many finishes suitable for painting or staining.

Crown

Crown molding costs between $4 and $50 per linear foot. The most important cost variables include the material, finish, and design detail. Crown molding installers in your area install crown molding at a 45-degree angle to the wall, creating a hollow space behind. The most common locations are in the corners between a wall and a cabinet or another wall.

Casing

Casing costs the same as baseboard, at $0.50 to $1.50 per foot, depending on the material, design, and finish. Its primary purpose is to define windows and door frames rather than the wall near the floor. Casing is rarely more than two inches tall since it’s installed at eye level. It’s otherwise similar to baseboards and often has the same style and design.

Chair Rail

A chair rail costs between $1 and $3 per foot and is readily available in a variety of colors and finishes. It runs horizontally along a wall at a height of about three feet. The original purpose of a chair rail was to protect walls from chairs, but changes in chair styles have made chair rails largely decorative. Their most common use today is to delineate a wall with two different types of paint or wallpaper.

Picture Rail

A picture rail costs between $1 and $3 per foot, depending on design and style. Their purpose is to provide a place to hang pictures without creating holes in drywall. Picture rails are similar to chair rails, except they’re narrower and often have a lip on top that you can use to anchor hanger wires on a frame. They also sit higher on the wall than chair rails.

Wall Frame

Wall frames cost between $8 and $25 per linear foot, depending on their size and material. Unlike other types of molding and trim, they consist of premade squares rather than a length of material. Wall frames are purely decorative and often found in high-end homes. Homeowners may also paint the interior of a wall frame in a different color or cover it with wallpaper.

Budgeting for Trim Installation

Consider these cost-saving strategies to make your trim installation project more wallet-friendly:

• Choose simple, more affordable trim types like quarter round versus high-end crown molding.

• Opt for less expensive materials instead of plaster or exotic woods.

• Get detailed estimates from at least three trim installers to ensure competitive pricing.

DIY Trim Installation vs. Hiring a Pro

Installing trim can look easy, but a seasoned pro delivers a seamless, high-quality finish. Pros know how to tackle uneven walls and tight joints so your rooms end up with a truly polished look.

Modifications of the trim in your home can vary in complexity. Though it looks simple, a professional can make the trim installation look much more seamless. Hire a local trim installation professional to ensure a flawless finish in your home.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. We surveyed thousands of real customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from 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.