Baseboard and Trim Installation in Fort Collins
Trim is the most visible carpentry in a house and the least forgiving. Nothing in a real house is square, so the job is not cutting 45 degree angles, it is cutting whatever angle the corner actually is.
Every trim job is the same problem: the material is straight and the house is not.
Coped, not mitred
The single thing that separates trim that stays tight from trim that opens up is how the inside corners are cut.
A mitred inside corner is two pieces cut at 45 degrees meeting in the middle. It looks perfect on the day and opens into a visible gap the first time the house moves, which in a dry Colorado winter is within months.
A coped joint has one piece run into the corner square, and the second piece cut to the exact profile of the first so it sits against its face. When the corner moves, the two pieces slide against each other and the joint stays closed. It takes longer to cut and it is the correct way.
Nothing is square
Outside corners in real houses are rarely 90 degrees. Walls bow. Floors slope, especially in the older stock near Old Town. Ceilings are the worst offenders of all, which is why crown moulding takes a full day per room and anybody quoting you two hours has not done much of it.
So the actual work is measuring the angle that is there, not the one that should be, and scribing pieces to follow surfaces that wander. This is most of the skill and all of the time.
Filling, caulking, finishing
Nail holes get filled and sanded, not just filled. The top edge where trim meets the wall gets caulked, which is the step that makes the difference between looking fitted and looking finished, and it is the one most often skipped.
If the wall behind the trim is damaged, that is a drywall repair before it is a trim job, and I will tell you when I quote.
Pre-1978 houses
If your house predates 1978, removing painted trim can disturb lead paint, and that is regulated work. I am not a Lead-Safe Certified Firm yet, so I decline that rather than doing it anyway. New trim in a newer house, or work that does not disturb old paint, is unaffected.
What is included
- Removing existing trim carefully where it is being replaced.
- Cutting to the actual angle of each corner rather than assuming 45 degrees.
- Coping inside corners rather than mitring them, so they do not open as the house moves.
- Scribing to floors that are not level, which is most floors.
- Nailing into studs, then filling and sanding the nail holes.
- Caulking the top edge where trim meets wall, which is what makes it look finished.
- Painting or staining if you want it done rather than left raw.
What it costs
| Job | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Baseboard, per room | $190 to $340 | Plus material. Depends on room size and corners |
| Door or window casing, per opening | $85 | Plus material |
| Crown moulding, per room | $340 to $640 | Half to full day. Ceilings are unforgiving |
| Shoe or quarter round only | $125 to $210 | Good fix for a gappy floor edge |
| Repair a damaged section | $125 | Minimum call-out |
Full rates, block pricing and the minimum call-out are on the pricing page.
On homes built before 1978 I do not take on work that disturbes painted surfaces, because I am not currently an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm. That certification is pending. Until it is issued, that work goes to a certified contractor rather than getting done anyway.
What I do not do here
- Anything that disturbs paint on a pre-1978 home. See the scope note below.
- Structural work behind the trim.
- Solid hardwood floor installation or refinishing.
- Cabinet making and built-in furniture.
- Removing trim that is part of a load path, which is rare but happens on older houses.
Who to call instead: a finish carpenter or joiner for built-ins and cabinetry, and an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm for pre-1978 paint disturbance.
The full list is on what I do not do.
How it works
- Send a photo. Text or email a picture. Most jobs get priced without a site visit.
- Get a flat price. Written and fixed before I start.
- I show up and finish. On the day I said, parts in the truck, swept up after.
Why a solo operator
The same person quotes the job, does the job and cleans up after it. There is no call centre, no dispatcher and no rotating crew who have not seen your house. The price you were given is the price, because the person who quoted it is the person holding the tools.
Related work
Trim & baseboard questions
Why do my trim corners have gaps?
Almost always because the inside corners were mitred rather than coped, and the house has since moved. A mitred inside corner opens as soon as anything shifts. A coped joint, where one piece is cut to the profile of the other, stays tight because the two pieces slide against each other instead of pulling apart.
Can you match my existing trim?
Usually. Standard profiles are still available and I will bring a sample to match. If your house has an unusual older profile, it can sometimes be sourced and sometimes has to be built up from two pieces. I will tell you which before quoting.
Do you paint it too?
If you want. Pre-primed trim painted after fitting looks better than pre-painted trim with filled nail holes touched up, so I would usually suggest fitting then painting. That is the difference between a half day and a full day on most rooms.
My floors are not level. Is that a problem?
It is normal, not a problem. Baseboard gets scribed to follow the floor so there is no wedge-shaped gap, or a shoe moulding covers the variation. Older houses near Old Town need this more than newer builds do.
Is crown moulding worth it?
It transforms a room and it is the hardest trim to do well, because a ceiling is never flat and every corner is a compound angle. Budget a full day per room and do not let anyone quote you a couple of hours.