Rotted Door Trim Replacement — Casing, Brickmould & Flashing
The paint is bubbling at the bottom of the door casing and a screwdriver sinks right in. We replace the rotted trim and fix the water path that caused it, so it stays fixed.
Rotted trim at the bottom of a door is a water problem first. JMB Builders replaces rotted door casing and brickmould across the Twin Cities metro: we cut out the rot, check the jamb and sill behind it, add the drip cap and flashing that were missing, then install new PVC or cedar trim with the end grain sealed. Priced per opening, quoted from your photos within one business day.
- Priced per opening
- Flashing and drip cap fixed before new trim goes on
- PVC or cedar, your call
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Door trim almost always rots at the same three spots: the bottom of the side casings, the bottom of the brickmould, and the corners where the casing meets the sill. The reason is simple. Water runs down the face of the trim, hits the end grain at the bottom, and wicks up. Add splash from the step or a driveway and it never dries out. If there is no drip cap above the door, the water that runs behind the head trim comes out at the bottom too.
The usual fix is to paint over it or fill it with Bondo. That buys a season. The rot keeps going behind the paint, into the jamb leg and sometimes into the framing and subfloor at the sill. By the time the threshold feels soft, the repair has grown from trim to a door replacement.
We do it in the order that lasts. Pull the trim, cut back to sound wood, probe the jamb and sill, add a drip cap and flash the opening, then put on new trim that cannot rot: cellular PVC, or cedar if you want to keep the look of the old house. The end grain gets sealed, the trim is held off the step, and the top edge is caulked but the bottom is left open to drain.
What you supply
- Photos: a close-up of the rot, the whole door from a few steps back, and one looking up at what is above the door
- Your choice of PVC or cedar, or leave it to us and we match what is on the rest of the house
- Your exterior paint color, if we are painting it; PVC goes in white and cedar goes in primed either way
What JMB supplies
- Removal and haul-away of the rotted casing, brickmould and any bad jamb material
- Metal drip cap and self-adhered flashing tape at the head and jambs
- New cellular PVC or cedar trim cut to match the existing profile and reveal
- Stainless or coated ring-shank nails, PVC cement at the joints, exterior sealant
- Jamb bottom or sill repair when the rot went past the trim, quoted from the photos
- Photos of the finished opening in your job folder
- Painting the new trim when you want it done, quoted as its own line
How it is priced: per opening
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Casing and brickmould only, or the jamb legs and sill too
- PVC vs. cedar and whether we are matching an old profile
- Stucco, lap siding or brick around the door, which changes how the drip cap goes in
- Whether the door has to come out to repair the sill or subfloor
- Deck or step tight against the door, which means working the trim up off the surface
- Second door in the same visit is cheaper than the first
Push a screwdriver into the soft spot and tell us how far it goes. That one detail tells us whether the jamb is involved and makes the quote firm.
How long it takes
Casing and brickmould on one door: most of a day. Add a half day when the jamb bottoms or the sill need to be rebuilt. Painting is quoted as its own line, or paint it yourself after we leave.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Casing and brickmould only
The rot stopped at the trim. We pull it, flash the opening, add the drip cap and install new PVC or cedar. The door and jamb stay in place.
Jamb bottoms rotted too
The bottom few inches of the jamb legs are soft. We cut them out square, splice in PVC or treated blocks, re-set the weatherstrip, then trim over the repair so it disappears.
Sill and subfloor involved
The threshold moves or the floor inside the door is spongy. That means the door comes out, the subfloor and rim get repaired, a sill pan goes in, and the door goes back or gets replaced. We show you the photos before we go past the trim.
Stucco or brick openings
Trim on stucco and brick is usually a brickmould nailed to the jamb. We replace it in PVC, cut a kerf for the drip cap, and seal the joint to the masonry with a backer rod and sealant, not a smear of caulk.
Rotted Door Trim Replacement — Casing, Brickmould & Flashing: questions, answered
Why does the trim at the bottom of my door keep rotting?
Because the bottom of a piece of trim is end grain, and end grain drinks water. Rain runs down the face of the casing, hits the step or sill and wicks up into the wood. If there is no drip cap above the door, water also runs behind the head trim and comes out at the bottom. Painting over it does not stop any of that. New trim with the end grain sealed, a drip cap up top and a small gap at the bottom to drain does.
Should rotted door trim be replaced with PVC or wood?
For the bottom of a door we lean PVC. Cellular PVC does not rot, does not need paint to survive, and takes the splash off a step without complaint. Cedar is the right call when the house has stained or detailed trim you want to keep matching, and it holds up well when it is primed on all sides and kept off the step. Either way the flashing behind the trim matters more than the trim itself.
Can you fix the rotted door frame or only the trim?
Both. If the rot went into the bottom of the jamb legs, we cut the bad section out square and splice in a new piece, then re-set the weatherstrip and trim over it. If the sill or subfloor is soft, the door has to come out so the floor can be repaired and a sill pan installed. We quote each step from the photos and tell you where the line is before we start cutting.
Do you install a drip cap when you replace the door trim?
Yes, every time, unless one is already there and doing its job. A drip cap is a bent metal flashing above the head trim that sends water out and over the trim instead of behind it. It is the cheapest part of the repair and the one most likely to have been skipped the first time. We also run flashing tape at the jambs before the new trim goes on.
How do I know if the rot is just the trim or something worse?
Push a screwdriver into the soft spot. If it stops within the thickness of the trim, it is a trim job. If it keeps going into the jamb behind it, the jamb bottom needs a splice. Open the door and step on the threshold and the floor just inside; if either one gives, the sill and subfloor are involved. Send us the photos and tell us what the screwdriver did and we can quote it from there.
Will the new trim match the rest of the house?
We match the profile and the reveal so it reads as the same trim. Common brickmould and flat casing sizes are stocked in PVC. Older profiles that are no longer sold get built up from stock or run in cedar. The new piece goes in white or primed; once it is painted to match the rest of the trim it disappears.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All exterior trim pages
Where we work
Exterior trim near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: