Cost guide
How much does skirting and architrave cost?
Skirting and architrave cost £12 to £25 per metre fitted. A three-bedroom house typically comes to £900 to £2,200 including architrave to every door.
Typical prices
| Work | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| MDF skirting, supplied and fitted, per metre | £12 to £20 |
| Softwood or hardwood skirting, per metre | £18 to £30 |
| Architrave per door opening | £45 to £90 |
| Matched period profile, run to order, per metre | add £8 to £20 |
| Remove existing skirting, per metre | £3 to £6 |
Painting is nearly always separate. A skirting quote that seems complete usually leaves the room needing a decorator.
What moves the price
- Profile. Stock square-edge and ogee are cheapest; matched period profiles are run to order.
- Height. 145mm and 170mm boards cost more per metre than 119mm.
- Wall condition. Bowed walls need scribing, which is slow.
- Removing existing trim and making good behind it.
- Whether the price includes painting, which it usually does not.
What the job involves
The skill is in the joints and the walls. Internal corners are scribed rather than mitred, because a scribed joint stays closed when the timber shrinks and a mitre opens up. External corners are mitred and usually glued and pinned. On an old house with bowed walls, the back of the board gets scribed to the wall so there is no gap to fill along its length, which is slow and is what separates a good job from a caulked one.
Questions about skirting and architrave
MDF or softwood skirting?
MDF for painted work: it is stable, has no knots and gives a flatter painted finish. Softwood where the trim will be stained, or where it may take knocks.
Can new skirting match my Victorian profile?
Often from stock, and otherwise a joinery workshop can grind a cutter to a sample. Take a 200mm offcut when you ask.
Should skirting go on before or after flooring?
Flooring first, then skirting over it, which hides the expansion gap and avoids a visible line if the floor is ever changed.