What is the going rate for installation of Crown Molding?

Question

Live in the Long Island area of NY and have had some outlandish quotes for install of crown molding is a fairly new house. Looking to see what I should expect. Three rooms, nothing fancy, 50x20, 50x22, 20x22.

Answer 1

Here is a suggestion from an Empty-Nesting Single Retiree (and yes, I am Female) ...

How about if you go to your local Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware or other Home Improvement Store, and ask about their classes for Crown Moulding Installation -- and spend an hour in the class.

The classes I attended had handouts (explaining the Cuts), how to fit/stain/paint the cut edges after sanding the cut surface smooth, how to measure , and how to install ... all very helpful and the hands-on explanations all were very understandable.

The reason I am mentioning this is I INSTALLED MYSELF my own Crown Mouldings -- and yes, it was a project that took a couple of weekends, but I can assure you that by taking my time, measuring everything twice, being very careful about my cuts (and sanding the cut surface, matching things up EXACTLY) -- that my mouldings look BETTER than something that the professional installers put in when the home was brand new (which I pulled down and tossed into the trash -- they were that bad).

A Bit of time on your part (and some effort) will save you much money on the backside -- and that is how I was able to purchase solid wood mouldings, stain them myself, and put them up myself, and I STILL had plenty of money left over.

Answer 2

Installation is usually equal to the cost of materials.

Most Crown runs over a $1 a foot so one room would cost about $350 dollars. It would cost about $800 to do the job in Georgia.

Answer 3

I live in Staten Island, and I do crown moulding myself. I usually charge $15 / foot for dentil moulding, $10 / foot for simple.

Answer 4

I have been installing crown molding, and all other types of trim, as professional contractor for over 10 years now. The price you play is going to be different from state to state because of many different factors. For example, many northern states will cost you more in labor because of the unions. Another factor is location. Materials in Hawaii and Alaska will pay about 60% more for materials. The crown material should run from $1 to $10 a foot, depending on style, size, painted or stained, and/or species of wood. Installation will also vary depending on how ornate the woodworking will be. To give a general idea Labor cost can be from $2-10 a foot. Also paint and/or stain is a factor. More work = more money.
Best thing to do is get multiple bids from companies in your area. Check out their reputation. A little research can go a long way. Also word of mouth is great. If you know any friends that have had work done, go over and take a look at it. They will tell you how their experience was.
Sometimes its better to hire a professional because they will finish the job in a timely manner and not stretch a crown molding job to over 2 weeks. There are many "tricks of the trade" that have taken years to learn and perfect.
In short, look to be paying from $3-$20 a linear foot.
Keep in mind crown is one of the more tricky types of molding to install. I can promise you a 1 hour home depot class will not explain even 10% of things that could go wrong and how to fix them. Those classes are designed to make you feel like you have all the answers so you will buy their products and take on a job you may not be ready for.
Also a good contractor should charge you less for the materials then home depot. I get all my trim for about 40% less then retail hardware stores, and only mark it up 20%. That's a 20% savings for all my my clients.