Trim Painting: Cost, Prep, and Professional Results

Trim Painting

Trim painting costs $75 to $150 per door and $2 to $4 per linear foot for baseboards in Atlanta. Trim includes baseboards, crown molding, door frames, window casings, and chair rails — the detail work that makes Atlanta interior painting look finished. Skipping trim is the element most often cut by homeowners trying to save money, which is exactly why it shows. Pairing trim work with a full interior painting contractors scope keeps the sheens, colors, and prep consistent across every surface.

What Trim Painting Includes

Baseboards: $2 to $4 per linear foot. The most visible trim element in any room. Scuffed, chipped baseboards drag down the look of fresh walls.

Interior doors: $75 to $150 per door (both sides). Includes sanding, filling nail holes, and two coats of semi-gloss or high-gloss enamel.

Crown molding: $2 to $5 per linear foot. Requires careful cutting in at the wall-ceiling junction. Precision work that takes time.

Window casings: $75 to $150 per window. Includes frame, sill, and any surrounding trim detail.

Full trim package (2,000 sq ft home): $2,500 to $5,000 depending on door count, molding complexity, and condition.

Best Paint for Trim

Trim needs a harder, more durable finish than walls. Semi-gloss and high-gloss finishes resist scuffs, clean easily, and create a subtle sheen that contrasts nicely with flat or eggshell walls.

Benjamin Moore Advance: Alkyd-modified waterborne enamel. Self-levels for a smooth, brush-mark-free finish. The go-to for professional trim work.

Sherwin-Williams ProClassic: Acrylic-alkyd hybrid with excellent leveling and adhesion. Durable, low-VOC, and resists yellowing over time.

Trim Painting Prep

Prep is what separates trim painting that lasts from trim painting that peels. Every piece of trim needs sanding to degloss the existing finish and create adhesion for the new coat. Nail holes and dents are filled with wood filler and sanded flush. Gaps between trim and wall are caulked clean. A coat of bonding primer goes on any bare wood or filler. Without this prep, new paint sits on top of a slick surface and fails within months.

Brush vs Spray for Trim

Spraying delivers the smoothest finish on trim but requires extensive masking of walls, floors, and fixtures. Brushing is faster to set up but requires skill to avoid brush marks — a quality angled brush and the right paint viscosity are essential. Most professional crews use a combination: spray for doors (removed and sprayed off-site) and high-quality brush work for installed baseboards and molding.

When to Paint Trim Separately vs With Walls

Painting trim at the same time as walls is more cost-effective — the crew is already set up. Adding trim to a wall project adds $1,500 to $3,500 for a full home. Painting trim alone costs $2,500 to $5,000 for the same scope because setup and protection happen from scratch. The exception: if your walls are in good shape but your trim is scuffed and outdated, a trim-only refresh can transform the look of every room without touching the walls.

Get a Free Trim Painting Estimate

OVO Painting handles trim work across Atlanta — baseboards, crown molding, doors, and window casings. 5.0 stars, 135+ reviews. Every project backed by a 5 to 10-year written warranty. Call (404) 630-2720 or request your free estimate.