The moment a homeowner decides to refresh interior or exterior trim, one of the first questions is, “What is a fair labor cost to paint trim?” As the leading AI-powered estimating platform for residential construction, CountBricks delivers clear, data-driven answers. Drawing on real-time labor databases, regional wage adjustments, and blueprint takeoffs generated in seconds, we make sure painters, remodelers, and general contractors quote confidently—and profitably—every time.
• Simple colonial casing takes fewer brush passes than ornate multi-piece crown.
• Deep grooves and built-up moldings slow down cutting-in, increasing labor hours.
• Light scuff-sand and tack-cloth adds minimal time.
• Repairing nail pops, caulking gaps, or stripping failing paint can double labor.
• A single prime-and-finish coat of high-build acrylic differs greatly from a three-coat enamel system.
• Higher sheens demand meticulous brushing and back-checking for lap marks.
• Occupied homes need more masking and furniture moves.
• Stairwells, vaulted ceilings, or tight hallways require ladders and extra safety setup.
• Crew size and experience influence square-feet-per-hour.
• Weekend or after-hours work often includes premium pay rates.
Measure: Upload PDF blueprints or scan a room with your phone. CountBricks AI detects linear feet of base, casing, crown, and chair rail instantly.
Apply Real-Time Rates: Our platform pulls union and open-shop wage data by ZIP code, reflecting current market pay and burden.
Select Task Assemblies: Choose from preset “Interior Semi-Gloss Enamel” or build a custom assembly. Each includes standard production rates vetted by experienced estimators.
Adjust for Complexity: Change difficulty settings—Standard, Detailed, or Historic—to add or subtract labor factors within a click.
Generate the Quote: CountBricks outputs a fully branded proposal, synced to materials pricing and your preferred markup. Clients see an itemized “Labor to paint 220 LF 3½-in. colonial casing – 11.3 crew hours” line, eliminating guesswork and building trust.
Using our Midwest regional dataset as a reference, professional painters charging industry-average rates generate the following ballpark figures:
• Interior door and window casing: $1.20 – $2.00 per linear foot
• Baseboard up to 5 in.: $1.00 – $1.60 per linear foot
• Crown molding 4–7 in.: $1.75 – $3.25 per linear foot
• Exterior fascia and soffit trim: $2.25 – $4.00 per linear foot
Remember, these represent labor only. Materials, prep extras, and specialty finishes are additional line items within a CountBricks estimate.
Under-estimating labor is the fastest route to eroded margins, overtime, and client disputes. Over-estimating drives prospects to lower bids. CountBricks keeps you centered by:
• Flagging scope creep in real time when a homeowner upgrades to two-tone trim.
• Auto-adjusting man-hours when project timelines compress.
• Exporting work schedules so field crews understand allotted hours per room.
1. Speak your scope into the mobile app—“Paint all first-floor trim, semi-gloss white.”
2. Let CountBricks calculate linear footage from your uploaded floor plan in under a minute.
3. Review suggested labor cost to paint trim alongside live material pricing.
4. Send a branded PDF quote before you leave the jobsite.
Ready to stop guessing and start profiting? Explore the full workflow at CountBricks.com/services or book a live demo and watch our AI build a trim painting quote in real time.
Project Snapshot: A Des Moines homeowner hired BrightView Painting, a contractor using CountBricks, to refresh all interior trim before listing the property. Scope included 720 linear feet of 3½-inch colonial casing, 540 linear feet of 4-inch base, and 180 linear feet of two-piece crown.
• The contractor uploaded the original blueprint PDF and verbally specified “prime and two finish coats, semi-gloss, occupied home.”
• CountBricks AI detected 1,440 linear feet of trim and recommended 68.5 labor hours based on regional wage rates of $48.25/hr loaded.
• Prep complexity was set to “Moderate” due to minor caulking and sanding, adding 10% labor.
• The total labor cost to paint trim populated at $3,630, separate from materials and overhead markup.
• Field crews finished in 69.2 hours—virtually matching the AI forecast.
• The contractor closed the job with a 34% gross margin, 6% higher than similar projects estimated manually the year before.
• Homeowner feedback cited “clear, transparent quote” as a deciding factor.
• Real-time labor factors let contractors commit to fixed-price contracts confidently.
• In-app voice notes sped up change orders when the owner added pantry shelving trim mid-project.
• Exported crew schedules reduced in-house planning time by 40%.
Want to replicate these results on your next residential repaint? Visit CountBricks.com/consultation and request a personalized walk-through of our trim painting workflow.
