Crown Molding Cost: 2026 Installation Pricing Guide
Crown molding installation costs $8 to $50 per linear foot installed, depending on profile complexity and material. A typical living room runs $500 to $2,500. Here is what drives the price and how to quote it accurately.
Crown Molding Cost at a Glance
Crown Molding Cost by Project Type
Prices below include material and installation labor. Paint-grade moldings are primed and ready for finish painting. Stain-grade prices include raw material only and exclude finish coats.
| Project | Linear Feet | Material | Labor Hours | Installed Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single bedroom, simple colonial | 45–55 | Paint-grade MDF | 2–3 hrs | $500–$900 |
| Living room, 3.5-inch poplar | 60–80 | Paint-grade poplar | 3–4 hrs | $700–$1,300 |
| Dining room, built-up 3-piece profile | 50–65 | Paint-grade poplar | 6–8 hrs | $1,400–$2,400 |
| Kitchen with vaulted ceiling section | 70–90 | Paint-grade maple | 6–9 hrs | $1,800–$3,200 |
| Study, white oak stain-grade | 55–70 | White oak | 5–7 hrs | $2,800–$4,800 |
| Full house trim package | 350–600 | Paint-grade poplar | 20–35 hrs | $4,500–$12,000 |
| Full house, white oak or walnut | 350–600 | White oak / walnut | 30–50 hrs | $12,000–$28,000 |
Crown Molding Cost Per Linear Foot
Prices include material and labor for a simple single-piece profile. Built-up profiles add 60 to 100 percent to the installed price due to additional cut and nail time.
| Material | Raw $/lf | Installed $/lf | Best For | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDF (finger-jointed) | $1.50–$2.50 | $8–$13 | Paint-grade, budget builds | Budget |
| Primed pine | $2.00–$3.50 | $9–$15 | Paint-grade, easy to work | Budget |
| Poplar | $3.00–$5.00 | $11–$18 | Paint or light stain, smooth grain | Mid-Range |
| Paint-grade maple | $4.00–$7.00 | $13–$22 | Paint-grade, crisp milling | Mid-Range |
| White oak | $8.00–$14.00 | $22–$38 | Stain-grade, open grain character | Premium |
| Walnut | $12.00–$20.00 | $30–$50 | Stain-grade, dark dramatic grain | Premium |
Crown Molding Profile Styles
Colonial / Cove
The most common residential crown molding profile. A simple cove or ogee cut, typically 3 to 4.5 inches wide. Installed in one piece. Fast to cut and nail. Ideal for paint-grade work in bedrooms, hallways, and basic living rooms.
Built-Up 2-Piece Profile
Combines a base cap with a cove or bed molding above to create a deeper 5 to 7 inch reveal. Requires two separate cut-and-nail passes per room but costs far less than one large profile. Common in dining rooms and formal living spaces.
Built-Up 3-Piece Profile
Three-piece builds stack a base cap, flat frieze board, and crown molding to achieve a 7 to 10 inch architectural reveal. The most labor-intensive standard option. Common in high-end custom homes and estate renovations.
Custom-Milled Hardwood
Router-milled or shaper-cut from solid hardwood (white oak, walnut, cherry). The client selects the exact profile from a custom template or router bit. Requires custom milling time on top of installation. Best for stain-grade work that will be a focal feature.
What Drives Crown Molding Cost
Profile Complexity
High ImpactA simple 1-piece colonial installs at 30 to 40 lf per hour. A 3-piece built-up profile installs at 10 to 15 lf per hour. Profile choice alone can triple labor cost per linear foot.
Material Species
High ImpactMDF at $1.50/lf vs. walnut at $18/lf is a 12x material cost difference. For a 300 lf house, that gap is $4,950 in material alone before any markup.
Ceiling Height and Access
High ImpactCeilings above 9 feet require scaffolding or pump jacks instead of a standard ladder. This adds 20 to 40 percent to labor time. Vaulted or cathedral ceilings require compound angle cuts and add 1 to 2 hours per section.
Corner Count and Type
Medium ImpactInside corners are coped or mitered and take about 15 minutes each. Outside corners require precise compound cuts and take 20 to 30 minutes each. Bay windows with multiple outside corners can add 2 to 3 hours to a single room.
Room Count and Mobilization
Medium ImpactEach room requires a setup trip, measurement, cut sequence, and cleanup. Pricing per room rather than just per linear foot accounts for this fixed time. A 5-room house takes 2 to 3 hours more than the raw linear footage implies.
Finish Type
Medium ImpactPaint-grade work can be caulked and painted by the homeowner after installation. Stain-grade work requires hand-sanding, filling nail holes with color-matched putty, and applying the finish coat in a separate visit, adding 1 to 3 hours per room.
How to Price a Crown Molding Job
Measure linear footage and count corners
Walk every room. Measure wall-to-wall at the ceiling line, subtract door openings. Add 10 to 15 percent for waste at corners, splices, and cutting errors. List inside and outside corners separately since they price differently.
Select profile and material
Confirm paint-grade vs. stain-grade with the client. Match the spring angle and scale to existing trim in the house. For custom-milled profiles, add milling setup time (1 to 3 hours) to your quote. For stock profiles, verify the supplier has sufficient length in one run.
Calculate material cost
Multiply (linear footage with waste) by raw material cost per lf. Add nails, caulk, primer, and touch-up paint (estimate $50 to $150 per house for consumables). For stain-grade work, add finish materials (oil, hardwax, or polyurethane) to the quote.
Estimate labor hours
Use 30 to 40 lf per hour for simple single-piece colonial crown. Use 10 to 15 lf per hour for built-up 3-piece profiles. Add 30 minutes per room for setup and cleanup. Add 1 to 2 hours per vaulted or cathedral section. Multiply total hours by your shop rate.
Add overhead and profit
Add 15 to 20 percent overhead to cover truck, tools, insurance, and shop time. Add 20 to 30 percent profit margin. Present as a fixed price per room or per linear foot. Use CraftQuote to track the full estimate with itemized labor and material line items.
Worked Example: Living Room + Dining Room Crown Molding
Project: 14x18 living room + 12x14 dining room, painted 3.5-inch poplar colonial crown, 8-foot ceilings, 8 inside corners, 2 outside corners.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does crown molding cost per linear foot installed?
Crown molding installation costs $8 to $50 per linear foot installed, depending on material and profile complexity. Paint-grade MDF or poplar runs $8 to $14 per linear foot. Custom-milled hardwood like white oak or walnut runs $20 to $50 per linear foot. A typical living room with 50 linear feet of simple colonial molding costs $500 to $900 installed.
How much does it cost to install crown molding in one room?
Crown molding for a single room typically costs $400 to $2,500 installed, depending on room size, profile complexity, and material. A 12x14 bedroom with simple 3.5-inch MDF colonial molding costs around $500 to $800. A large living room with a built-up 3-piece hardwood profile costs $1,500 to $3,500.
What is the best wood for crown molding?
For paint-grade crown molding, MDF and finger-jointed pine are the most cost-effective choices at $1.50 to $3.00 per linear foot of raw material. For stain-grade or clear-finish molding, poplar mills cleanly and takes paint well at $3 to $5 per linear foot. For high-end stain-grade work, white oak and walnut are premium choices at $8 to $18 per linear foot of raw material and produce exceptional results.
How long does it take to install crown molding?
An experienced carpenter installs roughly 20 to 40 linear feet of crown molding per hour depending on profile complexity and corner count. A standard bedroom with 4 inside corners and 50 linear feet takes 2 to 3 hours. A complex room with vaulted ceilings, outside corners, and a built-up 3-piece profile takes 5 to 8 hours for the same linear footage.
What is a built-up crown molding profile?
A built-up crown molding profile combines two or more individual molding pieces to create a deeper, more architectural look. A typical 3-piece built-up profile stacks a base cap, cove, and bed molding to achieve a 6 to 9 inch reveal. Built-up profiles cost 2 to 3 times more to install than single-piece crowns because each piece must be measured, cut, and nailed separately.
How do you price a crown molding job?
Price crown molding jobs by calculating linear footage (perimeter of all rooms minus door openings), adding 10 to 15 percent for waste at corners, then applying your material and labor costs. Add setup, caulk, and touch-up time for each room transition. A typical formula: (linear footage x material cost per lf) + (labor hours x shop rate) + overhead (15 to 20 percent) + profit margin (20 to 30 percent). Use CraftQuote to calculate board feet for custom-milled hardwood profiles.
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