The cost of fitting skirting boards and architrave depends mostly on how many metres and how many corners there are, how straight the walls are, and whether the old trim has to come off first. A plain modern profile on flat new plaster goes on quickly. A tall period profile on uneven walls, with old boards to prise off and plaster to make good, can take several times as long for the same length of room. This guide explains those drivers so you can read a quotation properly, rather than giving a single figure that would not fit your house.
Cost to fit skirting boards: measuring the job
Skirting is measured in running metres around the room, less door openings. That length sets the material cost, but labour depends far more on the number of joints. Every internal corner needs a scribed joint, every external corner a mitre, and every radiator pipe a neat cut out.
A simple rectangular bedroom has four internal corners. A hallway with stairs, cupboard doors and a chimney breast can have twenty cuts before a single straight run.
Replace skirting and architrave together or separately?
When the architrave around a door is replaced, the skirting either side has to meet it cleanly. Doing both in the same visit means the profiles, heights and paint finish match, and the joints are made once. Replacing one and keeping the other can work, but old boards rarely come off without damage, so plan for some making good.
- Removing old trim carefully so plaster stays intact
- Making good holes and torn paper before new boards go on
- Fixing to masonry walls or timber studs as the wall needs
- Filling nail holes and caulking the top edge ready for paint
Architrave replacement cost: what is different
Architrave is short lengths with a mitre at each top corner, so it is quick per door but fiddly. The cost per door rises where the door lining is out of square, because the mitres have to be adjusted to close tightly. If the door itself is being replaced at the same time, hanging and trimming are usually priced together, which the door fitting cost guide covers.
Profiles, materials and walls
Pre primed MDF is the usual choice for painted trim. It is stable and takes paint well. Solid timber suits a natural or stained finish and costs more. Tall ogee or torus profiles cost more to buy and are less forgiving at the joints than a plain bullnose.
Wall condition matters as much as the board. Bowed walls leave gaps along the top edge that need scribing or caulking, and that time shows up in the price.
Making a quote comparable
Ask whether the price includes removing old trim, making good, filling and caulking, and painting. Painting is often priced separately. Ask too whether the boards are supplied or whether you are buying them. The skirting and architrave fitting page on this site explains how the work is done day to day.