Trim is where a room's finish is judged
New wall paint with tired trim still looks unfinished. Fresh trim with clean, crisp lines makes a room look cared for. But trim and doors take far longer per foot than walls, because every inch is brushed by hand and the finish has to be smooth and tough. This guide explains what drives the price of a trim-and-doors job.
How much trim
Count the baseboards, door casings, window casings, crown molding, chair rail and doors. A room with tall baseboards, wide casings and crown has several times the trim of a plain room. Ask the painter to price trim by room, or by linear foot and door, so you can see where the time goes.
Profile and detail
Flat, square trim is quickest. Built-up moldings with many curves and steps take longer to sand and brush. Paneled doors take longer than flat ones, since each panel and rail is painted in order. Built-ins, bookcases and stair parts add more.
Condition
Trim with sound paint needs cleaning, a scuff-sand and new coats. Trim with chips, dents, old drips and layers of built-up paint needs more sanding and filling. Gaps where trim meets walls are caulked. On older trim with many layers, details can be blurred, and getting them crisp again adds time.
Oil or water-based
Older trim was often finished in oil-based enamel. Water-based paint applied straight over oil will peel unless the surface is sanded and given a bonding primer first. A painter can test which you have. Moving from oil to water-based adds a priming step; staying with oil means more odor and longer drying. Either way, ask which product and why. Our paint sheens guide explains why trim usually gets a glossier finish.
Doors on or off
Doors can be painted on their hinges, or taken down and laid flat for a smoother finish with fewer runs. Taking them off adds handling time and leaves openings without doors for a while. Hardware is removed or masked. Ask how doors will be done.
Drying in damp hours
In an average year at the Champaign/Urbana station, NOAA counts 517 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and 1,421 hours above 67°F. Those are the station's counts, quoted as NOAA gives them.
Wet-bulb temperature combines heat and moisture, so those are warm, damp hours. Enamels on trim and doors dry more slowly in damp air, and a door closed too soon can stick to its stop. During damp spells, a crew may need longer between coats and longer before doors are rehung, which can stretch the job. Air conditioning or a dehumidifier helps.
Older paint
Under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978 must hold RRP certification, firms included, even sole proprietorships, and their workers must be trained in lead-safe work practices. Sanding window stools, doors and baseboards is just the kind of work that disturbs paint. In a house built before 1978, lead-safe containment and cleanup add time and cost.
Protecting floors and walls
Trim painting is done right next to floors and freshly painted walls. Careful taping, drop cloths and steady hands all take time. If walls are being painted too, the painter will usually do walls and trim in a set order.
Comparing proposals
- Trim and doors listed by room or by measure.
- Sanding, filling and caulking included.
- Primer and enamel products, by name.
- Doors on or off, and how long rooms are out of use.
See our interior painting page and the pricing guide for more.