Painting: Trim and Molding by the Linear Foot

All versions

Trim is not part of the wall — it is a separate, slower line of work, and painters price it by the linear foot. Measure the run of baseboard, crown, or casing, multiply by a per-foot rate, and keep it off the wall-area bid.

Quick formula: Linear feet of trim times the per-foot rate:

=B2*C2

Sixty feet of baseboard at $2.50 a foot is $150 for that room's trim.

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

PRODUCT

The example

Three rooms, each with a run of trim in linear feet and a per-foot rate for that trim type.

	A	B	C	D
1	Room	Lin ft	Rate/ft	Trim $
2	Living	60	2.50	150
3	Kitchen	42	2.50	105
4	Hall crown	30	3.50	105

The formula

Linear feet, straight into a per-foot rate:

=B2*C2 // linear feet of trim x the per-foot rate

How it works

Just two inputs:

B2 is the run of trim in linear feet — measure the perimeter for baseboard, the top of the wall for crown, around openings for casing.
C2 is your per-foot rate for that trim type; crown and detailed casing carry a higher rate than plain baseboard.
Keep each trim type on its own row with its own rate, since they paint at different speeds.
Sum the rows for the room's total trim charge, and keep it as a line separate from the walls.

Add a coats factor if the trim needs two coats plus a primer — multiply the rate or the linear feet accordingly.

Try it: interactive demo

Interactive

Enter the run of trim in linear feet and your per-foot rate.

Linear feet

Rate per foot ($)

Variations

Two coats

Roughly double the per-foot rate for a second finish coat.

=B2*C2*2

Whole-house trim total

Sum every room's trim charge for the job line.

=SUM(D2:D10)

Pitfalls & errors

Do not subtract trim from the wall area and do not roll it into the per-square-foot wall price. Trim is slower per unit and belongs on its own linear-foot line.

Crown and multi-piece casing take longer than flat baseboard. Use a separate, higher rate for those rather than one blended trim rate.

Practice workbook

📊

Download the free Painting: Trim and Molding by the Linear Foot practice workbook

Edit the yellow linear-foot and rate cells; the trim charge recalculates.

Frequently asked questions

Why price trim separately from walls?

Walls roll on fast by the square foot; trim is careful brush-and-tape work that goes far slower per unit. Pricing it by the linear foot on its own line keeps both estimates accurate.

Should crown cost more than baseboard?

Usually yes. Crown is overhead, often multi-piece, and harder to cut in, so most painters set a higher per-foot rate for it than for straight baseboard.

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Function references: PRODUCT