RDC Renovation & Design Concepts is a flooring contractor in Phoenix, Arizona, that sells and installs flooring, tile and countertops from its Bell Rd showroom. Baseboards are part of many of those jobs, and real customers ask about them often. They sit on the estimate as their own line, next to our flooring installation in Phoenix.
Key takeaways
- You do not always need new baseboards with new flooring; Mohawk's LVT click guide calls baseboard removal optional when quarter round covers the gap.
- Mohawk's SolidTech guide takes the other view and recommends removing base trim and fitting new moldings after installation.
- New baseboards make sense when the old ones are damaged, or when the new floor is lower or higher than the old one.
- At RDC, new baseboards run $4 to $6 per linear foot installed, supplied by RDC, as a separate line on the estimate.
Quick answers
Should you replace baseboards when installing new flooring? Replace them if they are damaged or sit at the wrong height for the new floor. If they are sound, they can stay, with quarter round covering the wall gap where the plank's guide allows.
Do you need to remove baseboards to install flooring? Not always. Mohawk's LVT click guide says removal is optional because quarter round can be installed, while its SolidTech guide recommends new moldings after installation.
Do flooring companies replace baseboards? Some do and some do not, so check the written estimate. At RDC, new baseboards are a separate line on the estimate.
What baseboards do on a new floor: a baseboard is the trim along the bottom of the wall. It hides the gap that a floor needs at the wall. Quarter round is a thin curved molding added at the foot of the baseboard. Both cover the same gap in different ways.
Should You Replace Baseboards When Installing New Flooring?
You should replace baseboards when installing new flooring if they are damaged, stained or sit at the wrong height for the new floor. If they are sound, they can stay. At RDC in Phoenix, new baseboards run $4 to $6 per linear foot installed, and that line is separate from the floor itself.
The plank makers do not agree with each other, which is why you hear two answers. Each guide below is for a different product line, so read the one for the floor you choose.
| Your situation | Keep the baseboards? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sound boards, new floor about the same height | Usually yes | Quarter round can cover the wall gap |
| Damaged, chipped or stained boards | No | A new floor makes old damage easier to see |
| Old tile out, thinner plank in | Often no | The boards can sit above the new floor, and old paint lines may show |
| Whole-house change, dated profile | Your call | One new trim through every room, priced per linear foot |
| Baseboards glued or caulked tight | Decide at the measure | Removal may damage them, so new boards can be the cleaner choice |
Do You Need to Remove Baseboards to Install Flooring?
You do not always need to remove baseboards to install flooring. Mohawk's LVT click guide says: "Removal of wall baseboards is optional as quarter round can be installed to avoid baseboard removal." The same guide says quarter round or baseboard molding will cover the expansion space around the walls.
Mohawk's SolidTech guide leans the other way: "We recommend removing existing base trim and installing new moldings after installation of SolidTech flooring is complete." Two guides from one maker, for two different products, is the reason to read the exact one. RDC installs to the chosen maker's guide.
Do You Remove Baseboards When Installing Vinyl Flooring?
You remove baseboards when installing vinyl flooring if that plank's guide recommends it, or if the boards will not cover the gap. Vinyl plank needs a gap at every wall. Mohawk SolidTech asks for 1/4 inch, and 5/8 inch where temperatures pass 85°F, which matters in an Arizona room with west sun.
A wider gap needs more cover, so it can decide the question. Shaw's Floorte guidelines ask for 1/4 inch at the walls under 2,500 sq ft and 1/2 inch above. Mohawk's click guide also says never to let nails or screws enter the flooring or the expansion zone.
White oak LVP in a Phoenix guest bedroom, an RDC install.
Do Flooring Companies Replace Baseboards?
Flooring companies replace baseboards if the estimate says so, and that varies by company. At RDC, new baseboards are a separate line on the estimate. RDC supplies new baseboards and paints them when needed or when you ask. RDC does not reinstall old baseboards, since they may not stay intact once removed and RDC cannot guarantee them.
The question to ask any installer is simple: who takes the boards off, who supplies the new ones, and is that on the written estimate? A floor price that says nothing about trim leaves that for later. RDC's guide on how to choose a flooring contractor in Phoenix lists what else to check.
How Much Does It Cost to Replace Baseboards in a Whole House?
Replacing baseboards in a whole house at RDC costs $4 to $6 per linear foot installed, material and labor together. A house with 250 linear feet of wall runs $1,000 to $1,500. The real footage comes from measuring your rooms, less the openings where no baseboard runs.
Worked examples at RDC's published price:
- One 12 by 12 ft room with a 3 ft doorway: 45 linear ft × $4 = $180 to 45 × $6 = $270
- Three such rooms: 135 linear ft = $540 to $810
- A house with 250 linear ft of wall: 250 × $4 = $1,000 to 250 × $6 = $1,500
Those figures sit on top of the floor. Full floor prices are in the Phoenix flooring installation cost report. Removing the old floor runs $3 to $5 per square foot.
Please note: these are typical ranges and can vary. Final pricing is set individually for each customer based on their specific project, after a free measure and a written estimate.
RDC's installed floor prices per square foot; baseboards are a separate line.
Should You Install Baseboards Before or After Flooring?
You should install new baseboards after the flooring, and that order follows the plank guides. Mohawk's SolidTech guide says to fit new moldings after the flooring is complete. New boards then sit on top of the finished floor and cover the wall gap.
Paint order follows from that. If you are repainting too, ask where it falls on the schedule, since fresh baseboards may need a final coat. The cost report covers floor timing, and most RDC flooring installations take 1 to 3 days.
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The floor was built and installed with exceptional care. They paid attention to every detail and made sure it turned out perfectly.
Baseboards and New Floors Across Arizona
Across Arizona, heat is what makes the baseboard question different. A wall gap sized for a cool room can be too small for a sun-struck one. That is why the 85°F line in Mohawk's guide matters more here than in a cooler state.
Should You Replace Baseboards With New Flooring in Phoenix?
In Phoenix, baseboards are worth a look on any job that takes out old tile. If the new floor is thinner than the tile, the old boards can end up sitting high. The median Phoenix home was built in 1985, per the American Community Survey 2020-2024.
- Tile out, plank in. Look at the height of the boards once the tile is gone. RDC's guide to tile removal and replacement in Phoenix covers that job.
- Carpet out, plank in. See whether replacing carpet with LVP is worth it.
- West and south rooms. Rooms past 85°F take the wider gap, so check that the trim covers it.
Ask about it at the free measure: RDC measures the linear footage along with the floor. RDC is fully insured, and each installation comes with its 1-year workmanship warranty. Call or text (602) 788-1446 to book it.
Seeing Full-Size Floors at the North Phoenix Showroom
The Bell Rd showroom, Suite 101 in North Phoenix, sets out full-size planks and tiles across roughly 1,200 sq ft. Free samples go home with you, so you can hold them against your own baseboards. No appointment is needed Sunday through Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM; on Saturday the showroom is closed.
Baseboards in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Mesa and Peoria
RDC's baseboard price is the same across the Valley. What changes is the job the boards are part of.
- Scottsdale. In a condo, ask your HOA before replacing floors and trim. See flooring contractor in Scottsdale.
- Paradise Valley. Long runs mean more linear feet, so measure before you budget. See flooring in Paradise Valley.
- Mesa. Whole-home jobs like RDC's tile-to-LVP work in Mesa are the natural time to decide. See flooring contractor in Mesa.
- Peoria. RDC has taken out old tile and installed LVP in Peoria, the job where board height matters. See flooring contractor in Peoria.
Wide plank LVP in a Phoenix hallway, where trim runs on both sides.
An LVP job in progress in Scottsdale.
For what the floor itself includes, read flooring installation in Phoenix. For one plank through every room, read should you put LVP in your whole house in Arizona.
Sources
- Mohawk Residential Installation Guide, LVT Click (12/2021).
- Mohawk SolidTech Installation Guidelines (Rev. October 2018).
- Shaw Floorte and Floorte Plus WPC Installation Guidelines (03/18/2021).
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates, table B25035.