Placing skirting boards costs

Skirting boards are used as a finish between the floor covering and the wall. By having skirting boards, you can give your floor a neat appearance and create a smooth transition between the edge of the floor covering and the wall. You can install the skirting boards yourself, or you can have them installed by the company that also does your floor. There are different types of skirting boards, each with a different look and price tag.

The costs

There are different types of skirting boards on the market. A simple adhesive plinth is the cheapest option. A top plinth is more expensive, both for the material and for the installation. The following table lists the costs.

A small room with adhesive skirting: if you have installed a new floor in your children’s room and you want to finish it with a simple adhesive skirting, this’ll only cost you $2 per 11 square feet if you do it yourself. A 10 x 16 feet room will only cost you $ 35 dollars.

A bead plinth: bead plinths give the room an attractive finish and are less tight than the standard wall plinths. Most of them have a round top and sometimes also consist of a cornice. You can also get them with different relief motifs. This is a higher plinth that fits well in rooms with high ceilings. Costs are about $12 per 11 square feet.

Have all skirting boards replaced: in case you want to have all your skirting boards replaced, it’ll cost you the most. Most companies charge a lower amount per 11 square feet as the size of the job increases, but it’ll cost about $11 per 11 square feet anyway. If you opt for a cover plinth (which you can put on top of the current plinth so that you don’t have to remove it), this can amount to up to $16 per 11 square feet. By matching all the skirting boards, you will ensure unity in your home.

The price structure

If we look at the average price, the installation of skirting boards consists for about half of materials and the other half of labor costs. Installing skirting boards is neither difficult nor labor-intensive. This can be done quickly by an experienced professional. By doing this yourself, you save about 50 percent of the total costs. Nowadays, call-out costs are often charged as well, which then take up an average of 2 percent. The following diagram shows a visual representation of this price structure.

Installing your own skirting boards

Placing skirting boards is not difficult. Wooden skirting boards match well with wooden floors, parquet and vinyl and can be glued with an adhesive. You can install MDF skirting boards with special clips. The color of the skirting boards depends on your personal taste. You can opt for a simple white skirting board or skirting boards that you can paint in the color of the wall. It’s also possible to place skirting boards of the same material as the floor.

Assembling skirting boards with glue

If you have purchased skirting boards that need to be glued, you must cut the skirting boards to the correct size with a miter saw at an angle of 45 degrees. This way they fit better together at the corners. In addition to glue, you can also use screws to fix the skirting boards and fill them later. The cracks can be neatly finished with acrylic sealant.

Mounting skirting boards with clips

First attach the clips to the wall by drilling holes and inserting a plug. You can then simply click the skirting boards into the clips and knock them on with a hammer and a piece of wood for protection. You can also use this method to hide cables. The skirting boards are easy to attach and remove if you need the cables.

Choices that influence the price

Installing or having skirting boards installed is not very expensive. It is the last job to be done after your new floor has been laid. You will be faced with a number of choices that will have a positive or negative impact on the price.

The type of skirting board

You can influence the price yourself by choosing the type of skirting board you want. If you have a limited budget, you can get a finished look with a simple sticky plinth. However, if you want to create a more luxurious ambience, you can do this by choosing a larger plinth with a relief. The last option obviously costs more.

Do it yourself or have it done?

If you are somewhat handy and you can use a drill or miter saw, then you’d have no problem installing the skirting boards yourself. This will take some time, but it’ll save you up to 50 percent on the handyman’s price.

Interesting savings tips

The following tips will help you to reduce the cost of having your skirting boards installed.

Choose a local handyman: only 2 percent of the total price consists of call-out costs, but when it’s a big job you can reduce or save by hiring a handyman from your own area.

A bigger job: if you have a bigger job to offer, the price per meter will go down. He can then work more effectively and is open to negotiations. So try to offer all the work you have in one go, possibly in combination with having your floor laid.

Compare quotations

The best way to find out how much you pay for having your skirting boards installed is by comparing quotations. You can do this quickly and easily with our comparison tool. You fill in your details, and the tool quickly finds a number of quotations for you from companies in your area. By comparing these with each other on points that are important to you, you can make the best decision with regard to your new skirting boards.