Trim installation: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering trim installation

Trim work is judged on tight corners, even reveals and a finish that looks seamless from the doorway. Win the job by measuring the openings, showing the profile and the corner method on a sample, and naming the fill and caulk products in the quote.

What customers ask

  • Will the corners stay tight after a few years?
  • What profile and width will look right for this house?
  • Will you fill the nail holes and caulk the joints?
  • Can you match the trim I already have in the rest of the house?
  • How long will the job take in a house with many rooms?

How to win the job

  • Measure each door, window and wall on the first visit, and photograph the existing trim so the new profile can be matched in the quote.
  • Show a sample of the profile on a short piece of trim, with a miter or cope joint cut, so the customer sees the corner quality.
  • Name the wood species or material, the profile and the nails in the proposal, and say whether the trim is nailed into studs.
  • Quote the joint method for each corner and the fill and caulk products, with the finish coats named.
  • Explain the reveal and the wall condition, and state whether the old trim will be removed and the wall patched.
  • Put the room sequence in the schedule, so the customer knows the order of the trim work and the paint.
  • Walk the finished rooms with the customer and check each joint in raking light before you leave.

What to put on your profile

  • Before and after photos of rooms with the new trim, showing the corners and the reveal
  • Close-up photos of coped and mitered joints, with the caulk line visible
  • Photos of the trim before paint, showing the filled nail holes and the joint quality
  • A list of the profiles and species you install and the finish options you offer

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • A caulk and touch-up note for the joints, with the paint color and sheen used
  • A check visit after the first heating season to look at the corners and any gaps
  • A quote for a new door casing or a built-up profile, offered only if the customer asks

Licenses and permits

Trim installation commonly does not need a license or a permit, since it is finish work. Confirm your business registration and insurance in your state and locality, and refer any framing or electrical changes to the right licensed trades.

Questions

Should I warranty the joints?

Warranty your workmanship on the corners and the fill, and state that movement from humidity or a building settling is outside the warranty. Explain how the joints are caulked to limit that movement.

How do I match old trim that is no longer sold?

Take a sample of the old profile to a mill or a custom shop, and ask for a matched profile. State in the quote that the match is made from the sample and may differ slightly.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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