ArcaMax

A beadboard chair rail wainscoting in a dining area is a charming element that does the added job of protecting the walls behind the chairs when they’re pushed away from the table. While original beadboard was a thick wall cladding of tongue-and-groove boards, today you can use a lighter weight beadboard that comes in 4-by-8-sheets of 1/4-inch thick panels. Plan to install the wainscot about 3 feet high and capped with a chair rail molding.

A carpenter will charge $2,700, which includes labor and material, to install 180 square feet of unfinished beadboard wainscoting capped with a chair rail molding in a 12-by-15-foot room. If you have carpentry skills and tools, you can buy the material for $780, do it yourself and save 71%. The beadboard can be fastened to the wall with construction adhesive or installed on furring strips nailed to the wall. To finish the wainscot and chair rail, plan to sand it lightly before priming and applying a finish.

Tip: A carpenter told us it's a good idea to lay out the job according to how you work. If you are right-handed, begin in a left-hand corner and work toward your right; you lefties should begin in a right corner and work toward the left.

Pro Cost: $2,700 — DIY Cost: $780 — Pro time: : 19.9
DIY Time: 30.0 — DIY Savings: $1,920 — Percent Saved: 71%

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©2025 Gene and Katie Hamilton. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.