The baseboard helps homeowners shape up a mold in the rooms of their homes. You might wonder what is the purpose of the baseboard. It is often either a wooden or vinyl board that covers the areas lowest to your interior wall. All the joints etched between the surfaces of your wall and the surfaces of your floor are covered with the baseboards, making a subtle difference to your room’s appearance.
Throughout most occasions, the baseboards are installed so as to lower the risk of damages to your wall from any accidental abrasions. If you’re considering a baseboard installation, whether it’s for vanity’s sake or it isn’t, knowing the costs and the kinds of baseboards available will help you budget for this type of project.
A baseboard installation, on average, will indicate an estimate of about $1000 to $2300. At a measurement rate, it will average between $1.50 and $9 or more per linear foot. In any case, you might have to spend even more, depending on how much debris is involved with the removal process if such a task is required.
Before you can add up all the costs, we need to decide what kind of materials you prefer when you begin this project to your home. On the lower end, if you decide to use the inexpensive options, your average low cost to install a baseboard will cost about $720. On the higher end, if you prefer the expensive options available for you, your average high cost to install the baseboard will cost you about $1300.
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Baseboard Material Costs
Taking in account to the labor costs, homeowners should also have a little information about the different shapes, sizes, and types of baseboards that are available throughout the market.
| Materials | Price Range (per linear footage) |
| Jointed Pine | $1.50-$5 |
| Hardwood | $0.80-$2.50 |
| Vinyl | $2-$6 |
| MDF | $0.60-$1 |
Jointed Pine
Jointed pine has few advantages and few disadvantages laid out in front of its potential customers. The material itself can range from $1.50 to about $5 per linear foot. This price excludes the cost of installation and labor. Pine doesn’t have as many concerns as does other material options.
Homeowners won’t have to worry about knots and warping since pine is, in all likelihood, pre-primed and treated. It is also a flexible material and since all you would need to do is nail it down, pine mediates ease-of-mind when you decide to install it.
Baseboards made of this material are often set in their ways, which means, if you’re a homeowner that had a specific vision in mind, you’re going to be mildly disappointed with the finished product. Pine baseboards are manufactured and even if it is sanded, the material will always display the finger joints. One way to correct this is by covering it up with a dark-colored stain.
Jointed pine also is held together by strong adhesives, it has a high chance of containing formaldehyde and other chemicals that may leave a trail of harmful VOCs or volatile organic compounds. Talk to the retailer about these cautionary details because VOC can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat.
Oak and Maple (Hardwood)
A rustic design for your home is always a layout that homeowners will be on the hunt for. The traditionalized style of your property can go further than before if you consider the hardwood option. Oak and maple offers you the truer appearance of wood inside your house.
This option has the perceivable advantage above the rest of the materials on this list. At a cost range of about $0.80 to $2.50 per linear foot, depending on which hardwood you opt out, the prices for these materials will vary.
Solid wood has more advantages compared to disadvantages. It has a larger color palette, it doesn’t crack or warp as easily, it keeps together a flow for finishing details, and it has a wide selection of wood stains for homeowners to choose from. However, construction or renovation will charge a heftier load for this material compared to the other options on this list.
Vinyl
The average cost to PVC or vinyl baseboards can range up to $2 to $6 per linear footage. Vinyl baseboards are commonly proofed against many of the potential disasters awaiting your home. Although the substance is brittle and delicate to work with, it’s extremely versatile and easy to install in places with a lot of moisture. This translates to how many different places you can install vinyl baseboards around the outside and inside of your home.
However, remember that this is also a material that has environmental and health risks imposed on its installation.
MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard)
The MDF material practically has the most popularity for homeowners on this list. As a pre-primed and soft material, MDF is occasionally used for DIY projects. The material costs about $0.60 to $1 per linear foot.
There is a bit of a silver lining to how advantageous MDF is for you as the homeowner. Contrary to how popular MDF is amongst different homeowners, the decision to purchase MDF can be hindered by the fact that the material, like Jointed Pine, can trail off harmful chemicals for years to come.
It is a likeable product, it is versatile, it can be easily installed by a person with no experience in installing baseboards and it can be smoothly cut. Homeowners have a wide array of manufacturing the thickness to MDF and painting the baseboards is easier done than said.
But say you had poorly installed ventilation involved in your home, the formaldehyde that is keeping your MDF baseboards together can be off-gas. Exposure to these kinds of hazards can risk harming your health over time. So when you wish to choose MDF as your primary material for the baseboard, make sure to ask as many questions as possible.
Baseboard Labor Costs
The disconcerting issue with installing baseboards in and out of your home is that you don’t quite know whether you should hire a professional or not. Some materials, as previously stated above, can be extremely easy to install by yourself, but there are some materials listed above that will need a level of expertise applied.
Solid wood and MDF baseboards will have the labor costs running your budget up to about $4.50 to $6 per linear foot. You should also keep in mind that the level of expertise and skill required for the job will depend entirely on whether you wish to hire a handyman or a carpenter to perform the task.
Since carpenters are generally well-known for these kinds of projects, they’re usually the go-to person to look for when you want a baseboard to be installed. However, if you wish to save a couple bucks, it’s best you hire a contractor. Depending on the complexity of these kinds of projects, you need to make sure you have an idea in mind when creating a concise design. The finish and stain of your baseboard is what you’re precisely looking to change, so make the hiring decision based on these factors.
Baseboard Removal Costs
Although it isn’t necessary for you to keep this reminder, homeowners should typically measure out the blueprints of their homes. This way, when you hire a professional to come and evaluate the costs, the homeowner will have a gist of what the estimate will be. Other than the measurements, you should also think about the cost of removing any debris involved in this project.
At the lowest average cost range, removing any debris involving your old baseboard will cost about $1.93 per linear foot. At the highest average cost range of debris removal, homeowners will be looking to spend about $3.30 per linear foot. Hauling away the junk will cost you about $25.
Baseboard Trim Types
Rather than just considering the materials involved in this project, you also have to think about the trimming. Baseboards have a standardized style of trim, but there are other trim types to consider. Decorative trims will give your rooms a distinctive look that only some of your most keen guests may notice.
Although homeowners typically have a style in mind, there are options that carry more advantages than the other options that are out there. It’s surprising to see how big of a difference a certain trim can offer compared to the trim that homeowners may be contemplating.
The Four Major Trims
Within this consortium of baseboard trims and the designs that homeowners can decipher, there are considerable amounts of information that comes along with the knowledge provided. First, let’s take a look at the four most common trims that homeowners look out for and why these specific four are searched for in the first place.
Three-Inch Rounded (Stepped) Baseboard
The three-inch rounded baseboard or the stepped baseboard is a trim profile that most homeowners are suggested to install. A majority of these installations are meant for renovation or new construction projects. In other words, this common trim is meant for newer homes or homes that are objectively renewed. This moulding ranges from 5/8ths to 7/8ths inches in width and three to three and a half inches in height.
Flat Baseboard
As the name suggests, the flat baseboard trim type is a flat surface. It’s a simplistic design to administer through the construction of your project. The moulding ranges from three and a half inches to four and a half inches in both width and height, making it easy to install.
Sculpted Mid-Height Baseboard
Within the size ranges, the sculpted mid-height trim type is measured between four to five and a half inches in height, while remaining 5/8th inch in thickness. In all cases, the moulding is based on decorative scallops or more commonly referred to as tapered steps toward the wall. It has the most formal look compared to the other trim types out there.
Sculpted Taller Baseboard
In the realm of larger scales and wider scopes, the trim type of sculpted taller baseboards measures at the range of about five and a half inches to seven inches or above in height, while maintaining ⅝ to an inch in width. Since it provides a demonstrative and grandiose design, this provides a detailed look for rooms with grandiose appeal.
Hiring a Professional or Professionals Through House Tipster
There is quite a lot of information involved in the costs to install your baseboard and trim types, and find out the right professionals that can help you with your projects. Although you could probably install the baseboards by yourself, it can be quite a complex task to fulfill. Within your extensive notes and research about costs and types of installations available, eventually you’ll be wondering how you can find the perfect professional for the job.
As stated previously above, all the labor that stacks along with a DIY can be a tougher job than expected, think about all the carpenters or the craftsmen located in your area! Check out House Tipster, and find the perfect professional for your home repair needs. How much does a baseboard installation cost? Find out from professionals near you!
Featured Image by John Loo from Flickr
