Skip to content
Carpenter Next Door

Window sill and trim repair

A pro replaces a damaged interior window sill or trim and makes it ready for paint.

About two hours per window on siteLead-safe work if the home is pre-1978

What this job involves

The inside sill, called the stool, gets water stains, cracks, and peeling paint. The pro removes the damaged sill and apron, checks the wood under it, and fits a new one. The trim is nailed, filled, and caulked. If the wood under the sill is soft, the window may be leaking from outside, and the pro will tell you. This job covers the inside only.

What to have ready

  • Photos of each window sill, up close
  • The number of windows
  • Whether the wood feels soft or just looks bad
  • The year the house was built

What a fair price looks like

Most homeowners in our area pay between $150 and $400 for this job. Labor per window with wood included. Painting is separate. Homes built before 1978 may need lead safe practices.

This is a range to help you judge a quote, not a quote. The pro you are matched with gives you their own price, in writing for anything over $1,000, and you pay them directly. We charge the pro a small flat fee only after the job is done. We never ask you for payment.

What a good pro will ask you first

  • How many windows?
  • Is the wood soft or rotted?
  • Does the window leak when it rains?
  • Is the trim painted or stained?

People often add

Doors, trim, and carpentryInstall baseboard and casingA pro removes old trim and installs new baseboard and door or window casing with tight corners.One day per two roomsWalls, ceilings, and paintPatch and textureA pro repairs a textured wall or ceiling and blends the new texture so the patch disappears.Half a day, often across two visitsWalls, ceilings, and paintInterior painting by roomA pro preps, cuts in, and rolls one or more rooms with two coats of paint.One day per room