What does wood rot repair on frames cost?

First, see how deep it goes

Wood rot often starts invisibly under the paint. In places where water sits, such as the sill of a window, the corner joint of a frame or the bottom of a door, the wood slowly goes soft. On the outside you may only see a small crack or a bubble in the gloss. Which signs you can spot yourself is covered under recognising wood rot in window frames.

During an inspection a skilled painter probes the wood with an awl to feel how far the damage goes. Only then can anyone say what is needed.

• How deep and how wide the rot has spread into the wood
• The number of affected spots and frames
• Whether it can be repaired or part of the frame needs replacing
• Access, such as a dormer or a window on the second floor

What a repair involves

With wood rot and frame repair, all the affected wood is removed until only sound timber is left. The spot is then filled with a wood repair compound or, with larger damage, fitted with a new piece of timber. Sanding, primer and a top coat follow, so the repair becomes invisible and lasts for years again. The painting is therefore always part of the price. You can see what that can look like in a window frame before and after repair.

National market rates and VAT

As a national market indication, a single small repair generally falls somewhere between tens of euros and a low three-figure sum, finish included. If there are several spots, or a sill or upright has to be partly renewed, the amount goes up. At Oranje Kwast a minimum charge of €300 excluding VAT per job applies, so it pays to have all the spots repaired in one go. Do compare it with the price of a new frame, though: that is often many times higher, even before the building work around it.

The painting that follows the repair generally falls under the reduced VAT rate of 9% on labour for homes more than two years old. A different rate may apply to the repair work itself. How that works exactly is explained under VAT on painting work. If you are unsure, look at belastingdienst.nl.

What does Oranje Kwast charge?

Wood rot is always bespoke work: how deep it goes and how many spots there are differs from frame to frame. That is why Oranje Kwast does not use a fixed price per item here.

• Wood rot repair: priced to measure after the free consultation
• Minimum charge per job: €300 excluding VAT

All amounts are excluding VAT. The final price is in the quote after the consultation, and the quote form gives you a first price indication straight away.

A fixed price from Oranje Kwast

Not sure whether that soft patch is wood rot? Take one close-up photo and one of the whole frame, and send them with the quote form. Our painter replies personally within 24 hours and then comes to have a look. Within 48 hours of that visit you have a written quote, free and without obligation. The repair and the painting both come with a guarantee.