How to use the baseboard calculator
- Enter the room length and width, the openings you will deduct (usually door widths), a waste percentage, and the stick length you will buy.
- The net length is the perimeter minus openings. Waste is then applied, and the stick count is rounded up. Crown molding usually continues over doors — set openings to 0 for a crown run; the default deduction is for baseboard that stops at the casing.
- Optionally turn on an installed-cost check for crown or for baseboard.
Paint quantity stays on the paint calculator. Interior painting prices are on the interior painting cost calculator. Bead length and caulk cartridges are on the caulk calculator.
Crown and baseboard installed-cost figures
Crown molding uses three independent published bands: HomeAdvisor (June 17, 2026) $4–$23 per linear foot, HomeGuide (April 5, 2023; an older snapshot, disclosed) $7–$16, and Fixr (January 31, 2025) $4–$8. The typical rate is the median of those three midpoints, $11.50 per foot; the displayed range is $4–$23.
Baseboard uses a single Thumbtack figure of about $4.75 per linear foot for 5¼-inch baseboard. That is not a three-source typical and is labeled as a single-source figure.
A worked example: 12×14 ft room, one 3-foot door
Perimeter is 52 ft. Minus a 3-foot door is 49 ft. With 10% waste you need 53.9 ft, or seven 8-foot sticks of baseboard. At the single Thumbtack baseboard rate that length is about $256. If the same room is crowned and the crown continues over the door, leave openings at 0: 52 × 1.10 = 57.2 ft, or eight 8-foot sticks, about $658 at the $11.50 crown typical (range $229–$1,316).
Sources & assumptions
How this calculator gets its numbers. Full method: our methodology.
- Net length = 2 × (length + width) minus openings. Length with waste = net × (1 + waste%). Stick count rounds up from length with waste ÷ stick length. The default 10% waste is a CalcTheJob planning starting point.
- Crown installed typical is the median of three independent midpoints: HomeAdvisor $4–$23/lf (Jun 17, 2026), HomeGuide $7–$16/lf (Apr 5, 2023, older snapshot, disclosed), and Fixr $4–$8/lf (Jan 31, 2025). Typical rate $11.50/lf; displayed range $4–$23. HomeAdvisor and Angi share data and are counted once.
- Baseboard installed cost uses Thumbtack’s single published figure of about $4.75 per linear foot for 5¼-inch baseboard (trim-installation page). It is disclosed as n = 1, not a three-source typical.
- This is not a paint-quantity page.
Sources
- HomeAdvisor, Crown Molding Installation Costs. Updated Jun 17, 2026: $4–$23 per linear foot installed, including labor and materials.
- HomeGuide, Crown Molding Cost. dateModified Apr 5, 2023 (older snapshot, disclosed): $7–$16 per linear foot installed.
- Fixr, Cost to Install Crown Molding. Jan 31, 2025: crown or cove molding $4–$8 per linear foot installed.
- Thumbtack, How Much Does Trim Installation Cost? 5¼-inch baseboard about $4.75 per linear foot installed (single-source figure used for the optional baseboard cost mode).
Last reviewed . A written local bid wins. The baseboard rate is a single-source figure.
Frequently asked questions
How much baseboard do I need for a 12×14 room?
With one 3-foot door and 10% waste, 53.9 linear feet, which is seven 8-foot sticks. Change the openings and waste to match the room.
Why is the baseboard price a single source?
The $4.75 per foot figure is Thumbtack’s published rate for 5¼-inch baseboard. We did not find three independent per-foot surveys to median, so it is disclosed as n = 1, not a typical of three.
Where does the crown typical come from?
The median of the midpoints of HomeAdvisor $4–$23, HomeGuide $7–$16 and Fixr $4–$8, which is $11.50 per foot. HomeGuide’s April 5, 2023 date is older than the others and is disclosed.
Does this tell me how much paint I need for the trim?
No. Use the paint calculator for gallons. This page is length, stick count, and an optional installed-cost check.