10 min reading time
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Updated Recently
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20 hrs active work
$400 - $950
Tools (30)
Materials (16)
Lead Test Kit(3 each)
~$25
Contractor Bags(1 pack)
~$18
Construction Screws 3-inch(1 box)
~$20
Primer(1 gal)
~$18
Interior Paint(1 gal)
~$35
Baseboard Molding(1 ft)
~$255
Finish Nails(1 box)
~$18
Paintable Caulk(3 tube)
~$18
Wood Filler(1 each)
~$8
Baseboard molding (measure + 10% waste)(1 each)
~$255
Contractor trash bags(1 each)
~$25
3" construction screws (squeak repair)(1 each)
~$20
Primer and trim paint(1 each)
~$55
Paintable caulk(1 each)
~$18
Finish nails(1 each)
~$18
Lead test kit (pre-1978)(1 each)
~$25
Estimated Total
$400 - $950
Remove carpet and pad, fix squeaky subfloor, and install fresh baseboards before new flooring arrives. Includes lead-safe prep for pre-1978 homes and tack-strip guidance if a pro is installing carpet.
Skill level: Intermediate · Typical time: 20 hours · Cost range: $400–950.
In homes built before 1978, test baseboards and door casing for lead paint before sanding or disturbing them. Use a 3M LeadCheck swab — pink/red = lead present. If positive, follow EPA RRP safe work practices: wet-sand only, HEPA vacuum, dispose of debris in sealed bags. Do not use a heat gun on lead paint.
Tools
Materials
Tips
Test the flat face of the baseboard and the edge closest to the floor — these are common high-contact spots
If uncertain, treat as lead-positive — the cost of a test kit is worth avoiding exposure
Warning
⚠️ Lead paint exposure is hazardous — especially for children and pregnant women
EPA RRP rules apply to contractors; as a DIYer you are responsible for your own safe work practices
Walk each room and measure total linear feet of baseboard needed. Add 10% waste for miters and mistakes. Write down the profile style (colonial, craftsman, flat) and height you want. Order or buy now — baseboards often need to be painted before install, and they need dry time.
Tools
Tips
Match the profile to what's in the rest of the house for a cohesive look
Taller baseboards (4.5"–5.5") make a bigger visual impact vs standard 3.5"
MDF baseboards are cheaper and easier to paint but not for moisture-prone areas
If a flooring contractor is installing the new carpet, contact them now to confirm: (1) Do they want tack strips left in place? (2) Do they require a specific reveal gap at the baseboard? (3) Are they hauling away old carpet, or are you? Note the date they're coming so your demo is complete in time.
Tips
Most carpet installers want tack strips preserved — never pull them unless explicitly told to
Run a utility knife along the top edge of each baseboard where it meets the wall. This breaks the paint seal and prevents tearing drywall paper when you pry the boards off. Use a sharp blade and make one clean pass — score, don't saw.
Tools
Tips
Keep the blade tight to the wall face, angled slightly inward
On plaster walls, score firmly — the paint bond is stronger
Starting at an inside corner, work the putty knife behind the baseboard to break the caulk seal. Slip the pry bar behind and lever gently — protect the drywall with a scrap of wood or wide putty knife as a fulcrum. Work along the board in 12" increments. Number the backs of boards if reinstalling. Pull any remaining nails from the wall with pliers.
Tools
Tips
Never pry at a single point — work in short increments to avoid splitting the board
Leave the nail in the wall and pull it out with pliers rather than hammering it back through the board face
Warning
Wear safety glasses — old painted nails can snap and fly
Once baseboards are off, pull back a corner of carpet in each room and look at the subfloor. If you see 9"×9" or 12"×12" vinyl floor tiles — especially tan, brown, or black — stop. These are common asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in pre-1980 homes. Do not disturb them. Arrange professional abatement if tiles are cracked or crumbling. Intact tiles can often be covered but not sanded or broken.
Tools
Tips
9"×9" tiles are the highest-risk indicator — any pre-1980 home should be treated as potentially containing ACM
Warning
⚠️ Asbestos fibers cause mesothelioma — do not sand, scrape, or disturb suspect tiles
Testing is inexpensive ($30–50/sample) — worth doing before any floor work in pre-1980 homes
Start at a wall — grab the carpet and pull it up from the tack strips (it will pop free). Fold back a section and cut it into 2–3 ft wide strips with a utility knife (score from the back — easier). Roll each strip tightly and tape with duct tape. Move to the next strip. Work across the room systematically.
Tools
Materials
Tips
Cutting from the back side (pile facing down) keeps your blade sharper longer
Strips under 3 ft wide are easier to carry and fit in disposal bags
Wear work gloves — the backing edge is sharp
Carpet pad is stapled or glued to the subfloor. Pull it up in sections — stapled pad peels off in chunks. Glued pad is harder; use the floor scraper to separate it. Roll and bag the pad as you go. After pad is out, remove all staples from the subfloor with pliers or a floor scraper — any remaining staple will squeak under new flooring.
Tools
Materials
Tips
A floor scraper on a pole saves your back during pad and staple removal
Glued pad residue on concrete: use a floor chisel or oscillating tool with scraper blade
If a carpet contractor is installing the new floor: DO NOT remove tack strips. They re-use them to save you cost. Confirm with your contractor. If DIY-installing carpet or switching to hard flooring: remove tack strips with the pry bar. Wear thick gloves — the tacks are sharp.
Tools
Tips
Mark any missing or broken tack strips so the contractor knows to replace them
Warning
⚠️ PRESERVE tack strips unless explicitly told otherwise by your carpet installer
Start at the top of the stairs. The carpet is typically stapled to each tread and riser — use a stair tool or pry bar to pop it free at the nose of each tread. Work one tread at a time downward. Remove the carpet in one long piece or cut into sections. Pull all staples from treads and risers after the carpet is off.
Tools
Materials
Tips
Most stair carpet is a single piece — roll it as you go down rather than cutting it up
A stair carpet tool (specialized angled pry bar) makes this much easier — rent or buy for ~$20
Warning
Work carefully on stairs — always have a clear foot path to step on
After carpet and staples are removed, inspect each tread and riser. Drive a 3-inch screw wherever a tread is loose or squeaks. Fill any staple holes with wood filler if finishing the stairs with hard flooring or paint.
Tools
Materials
Tips
Secure each tread with 2–3 screws driven at a slight angle into the riser below for maximum hold
With carpet and pad out, systematically walk every square foot of each room. When you find a squeak or soft spot, mark it with masking tape. Use the stud finder to locate the joist nearest each squeak — the squeak is usually where the subfloor has separated from the joist.
Tools
Tips
Walk slowly and pause after each step to listen — squeaks often trail behind your weight
Mark both the squeak location and the nearest joist direction so you know where to drive screws
At each marked squeak, drive two 3-inch construction screws through the subfloor into the joist below, set 2 inches apart. Drive them at a slight angle if the squeak is at a gap. The screws draw the subfloor tight to the joist and eliminate the movement causing the squeak. Countersink the screw heads flush or slightly below the surface.
Tools
Materials
Tips
If the squeak is between joists, drive screws at an angle toward the joist from both sides
On a concrete slab you cannot use this method — squeaks on slab subfloor indicate loose sleepers (contact a flooring professional)
Warning
⚠️ Eye and hearing protection required — screws can strip and fly
After screws are driven, walk every repaired area again. Apply body weight slowly — listen and feel for any remaining movement. If a squeak persists, drive 1–2 more screws adjacent to the first. Remove all masking tape markers.
Before the installer arrives, do a final walkthrough: subfloor clean of debris, no staples, tack strips intact, no soft spots. Move all furniture out of the rooms. Confirm the contractor has access and knows where to dispose of old materials.
Tools
Remove all remaining furniture from the rooms. Vacuum or sweep the subfloor to remove carpet fibers, dust, and debris. A clean subfloor helps the new floor lie flat and prevents grit from working up through the new carpet over time.
Tools
Paint your new baseboards before installing them — it's much faster to brush on a solid coat while they're flat on sawhorses than to cut-in against carpet and wall after install. Apply one coat of primer, let dry, then two coats of trim paint. After install you'll only need to touch up nail holes and caulk lines.
Tools
Materials
Tips
Lay boards flat across sawhorses or across chair backs — face side up
Paint the face and top edge, but leave the back uncoated (it doesn't matter)
Semi-gloss or gloss trim paint for baseboards — wipes clean and resists scuffs
Measure each wall segment. For inside corners, cope the joint: cut the first piece square to the corner and cope (back-cut with a jigsaw) the second piece to overlap it. For outside corners, miter both pieces at 45°. For long straight runs, cut square. Mark each cut piece with the room and wall location.
Tools
Materials
Tips
Always cut long and sneak up on the final length — trim 1/16" at a time for inside corner fits
Coped joints hold up better than mitered inside corners over time as wood expands and contracts
Warning
⚠️ Eye protection required for miter saw — wear N95 if cutting near old paint
Hold the baseboard in position with one end, then nail into wall studs every 16 inches with 1-5/8" finish nails through the top section of the board. Drive a second nail near the floor to pull the bottom edge to the wall. On outside corners, drive a nail through the mitered face to lock the joint. Set nail heads with a nail set.
Tools
Materials
Tips
Use stud finder to mark all studs before starting — mark lightly with tape on the wall above the baseboard line
Pre-drill near the ends of boards to prevent splitting
Leave a 1/4" to 3/8" gap at the floor for carpet installation (confirm gap with contractor)
Fill all nail holes with wood filler or spackle — smooth flush with a putty knife. Caulk the top edge of the baseboard where it meets the wall with paintable caulk — run a thin bead and smooth with a wet finger. Let dry, then touch up with trim paint. The caulk line closes any gap from uneven walls and gives a clean, professional finish.
Tools
Materials
Tips
Use paintable caulk (latex) — silicone cannot be painted
Wipe a damp cloth along the caulk line immediately after applying for a clean joint
Touch up paint after caulk is fully dry — typically 2–4 hours
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