Baseboard and Trim Installation Cost in Martinez & Contra Costa County
What baseboard, door casing and trim installation costs in Martinez and the East Bay, and how to avoid the gaps and wavy lines that make trim look cheap.
Trim is the finishing step that makes a room look done. It’s also what shows scuffs, dents and water damage first. Here’s what handyman-scale trim work costs in Martinez and nearby East Bay towns.
These are general ranges, not a quote. Materials are extra.
Typical Prices
- Baseboard installation (labor): about $4–$8 per linear foot
- A typical bedroom (about 50 linear feet of baseboard): about $250–$450 in labor
- Door casing replacement: about $75–$150 per door
- Quarter-round after new flooring: about $2–$4 per linear foot
- Small crown molding run: quoted by room, since corners and ceilings add time
- Small trim repairs (a dent, a gap or a chipped corner): about $75–$150
Painting is separate. I leave trim primed and caulked, ready for paint, or I can paint it as a small painting job.
What Changes the Price
Material. MDF is cheap and smooth for painted rooms. Pine and finger-jointed pine hold up better in damp areas.
Room shape. A square room has four corners. A room with bays, closets and alcoves has many more, and each is a cut.
Existing trim. Removing old trim carefully without damaging the wall takes time. Glued-on trim can pull drywall paper with it.
Matching profile. Matching old trim can mean visiting a lumberyard with a sample, and sometimes combining pieces to make the profile.
Wall condition. Walls aren’t flat, and the trim has to be scribed and caulked to hide gaps.
Order of Work
A common sequence for new floors: baseboard first, then flooring, then quarter-round to cover the gap. For existing flooring: baseboard, then quarter-round. Painting before or after installation depends on the finish, and I’ll tell you what I’d do.
What’s Too Big for a Handyman
Whole-house trim packages, built-ins, and stairs go quickly past California’s $1,000 limit for unlicensed work. I’ll tell you before I start if the scope is heading that way.
Get a Quote
I’m a one-person, insured handyman based in Martinez, serving about 35 miles around. See the baseboard & trim carpentry page for what’s included, then send me photos and I’ll quote before I start, or call 925-257-2685.
Related guides