Stop the water first, always
Wood rot is a fungus, and the fungus needs wood above roughly 20 percent moisture content to survive. Dry wood does not rot, no matter how old it is. That means every rot repair starts with finding and fixing the water.
The usual sources are a failed caulk joint, missing or backwards flashing, a gutter that overflows onto the trim below, splash-back from a hard surface at grade, or a downspout that discharges against the wall. Repairing the wood without correcting the source guarantees the same repair again in a few years.
A good pro will tell you what the water source is before quoting the carpentry. If nobody mentions it, ask.
Epoxy consolidation versus cut and replace
Two-part wood epoxy is a legitimate professional repair, not a shortcut. A liquid consolidant soaks into the softened fibers and hardens them, then a paste filler rebuilds the missing profile. Done properly the result is harder than the original wood, takes paint well, and holds fasteners. It is the right choice for small to medium areas on non-structural trim, and for pieces that would be expensive to replicate — a decorative bracket or a historic molding profile.
Cut and replace is right when the rot is deep, widespread, or in anything carrying load. The rule of thumb is to cut back at least six inches past the last soft fibers into clearly sound wood. Anything less and you have entombed live fungus behind new paint.
Replace with something that will not rot again
When a location has rotted once, it will rot again — that spot gets wet. The smart repair substitutes a material that does not care.
Cellular PVC trim is the common choice: it machines like wood, takes paint, and is completely immune to rot. Fiber cement works for some applications. Where the look of real wood is required, cedar and redwood are naturally more resistant, and pressure-treated lumber is appropriate for anything in ground contact or structural exterior use.
Whatever goes in, prime all six sides before installation — including the cut ends and the back face nobody will ever see. Unprimed end grain is where the next failure starts.
Signs you need this work
- Wood that feels soft or spongy when probed with a screwdriver or awl
- Paint bubbling or peeling in one localized area while the rest looks fine
- Dark staining or a crumbly, stringy texture at the bottom of trim boards
- Window sills and door casings that have visibly sunk or lost their shape
- Mushrooms or fungal growth on or near exterior wood
- Fasteners that no longer hold — screws spin freely in the wood
- Carpenter ants or termites, which follow moisture and are often the first sign found
Cost by property type
| Property | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment / condo | $215 – $1,690 | Exterior envelope is typically the association's responsibility. Report it rather than repairing it yourself. |
| Small home (under 1,500 sq ft) | $230 – $1,780 | Usually limited to trim, sills, and the bottoms of door casings — the accessible and inexpensive end of the range. |
| Midsize home (1,500–2,500 sq ft) | $230 – $1,800 | The baseline for this estimate: one or two trim locations plus prime and paint. |
| Large home (2,500+ sq ft) | $255 – $2,000 | More elevations, more windows, and more height mean more locations and more staging cost. Second-story fascia and rake boards are the expensive ones. |
| Older home (pre-1978) | $280 – $2,190 | Old-growth lumber is often more rot-resistant than modern framing, but decades of paint failure catch up. Matching historic profiles adds milling cost, and pre-1978 paint means lead-safe practices. |
| Rental / turnover unit | $205 – $1,600 | Address the water source and repair structurally; cosmetic perfection on trim is usually not worth the premium between tenants. |
| Small commercial / office | $275 – $2,160 | Rot on a storefront or entry canopy may involve permits and engineering if any of it is load-bearing. |
Ranges assume national-average handyman labor rates ($60–$100/hr) and mid-grade materials.
Cost by state
| State | Typical range | |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $215 – $1,590 | |
| Alaska | $275 – $2,010 | |
| Arizona | $230 – $1,730 | |
| Arkansas | $200 – $1,520 | |
| California | $275 – $2,150 | |
| Colorado | $245 – $1,870 | |
| Connecticut | $260 – $1,940 | |
| Delaware | $230 – $1,730 | |
| Florida | $230 – $1,800 | |
| Georgia | $215 – $1,660 | |
| Hawaii | $290 – $2,150 | |
| Idaho | $215 – $1,660 | |
| Illinois | $245 – $1,870 | |
| Indiana | $215 – $1,590 | |
| Iowa | $200 – $1,590 | |
| Kansas | $200 – $1,590 | |
| Kentucky | $200 – $1,590 | |
| Louisiana | $215 – $1,660 | |
| Maine | $230 – $1,730 | |
| Maryland | $260 – $1,940 | |
| Massachusetts | $275 – $2,080 | |
| Michigan | $215 – $1,730 | Find a handyman in Michigan |
| Minnesota | $230 – $1,800 | |
| Mississippi | $200 – $1,520 | |
| Missouri | $215 – $1,590 | |
| Montana | $215 – $1,660 | |
| Nebraska | $200 – $1,590 | |
| Nevada | $245 – $1,870 | |
| New Hampshire | $245 – $1,800 | |
| New Jersey | $275 – $2,010 | |
| New Mexico | $215 – $1,660 | |
| New York | $275 – $2,080 | |
| North Carolina | $215 – $1,730 | |
| North Dakota | $215 – $1,590 | |
| Ohio | $215 – $1,660 | Find a handyman in Ohio |
| Oklahoma | $200 – $1,590 | |
| Oregon | $245 – $1,870 | |
| Pennsylvania | $230 – $1,800 | |
| Rhode Island | $245 – $1,870 | |
| South Carolina | $215 – $1,660 | |
| South Dakota | $200 – $1,590 | |
| Tennessee | $215 – $1,660 | |
| Texas | $230 – $1,800 | |
| Utah | $230 – $1,730 | |
| Vermont | $230 – $1,730 | |
| Virginia | $230 – $1,800 | |
| Washington | $260 – $2,010 | |
| Washington DC | $290 – $2,150 | |
| West Virginia | $200 – $1,520 | |
| Wisconsin | $215 – $1,730 | |
| Wyoming | $215 – $1,590 |
State ranges reflect typical independent handyman labor rates for a midsize home.
Common questions
How do I know if rot is structural or just cosmetic?
Probe it. If the soft area is confined to trim that carries no load, it is cosmetic. If it is in a post, beam, joist, deck ledger, or the framing behind a sill, it is structural and needs a proper assessment before anyone paints over it.
Is epoxy wood repair a permanent fix?
Yes, when the water source is corrected and the repair is properly done. The epoxy itself does not degrade. What fails is a repair applied over still-wet wood or with the leak still active.
How much does it cost to replace a rotted window sill?
Typically $250 to $700 per sill depending on size, height, and whether the framing underneath is affected. If the rot has reached the wall framing, the cost rises substantially.
Can I just fill rot with wood filler from the hardware store?
Ordinary wood filler is designed for nail holes, not structural voids. It shrinks, it does not bond to soft fibers, and it falls out within a season outdoors. Use a two-part epoxy system designed for exterior wood repair.
Related project cost guides
Sources and further reading
Primary sources behind this page. Federal safety, emissions and consumer-protection references — worth reading before you authorize any repair.
- EPA Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule Certification required to disturb paint in most housing built before 1978.
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