Craftsman Window Trim — 1x4 Casing With a Header and Stool
Flat boards, square cuts, a header that stands proud of the legs. Craftsman trim is simple to look at and exact to build, and it suits a 1920s bungalow or a new farmhouse the same.
Craftsman window trim is flat stock, not profiled molding: 1x4 legs on the sides, a taller header across the top with a cap and a parting bead under it, and a thick stool with horns over a flat apron. JMB Builders builds craftsman style window casing across the Twin Cities metro in paint-grade poplar, MDF or primed pine, or stain-grade hardwood, matched to your doors. Priced per window, quoted from photos within one business day.
- Priced per window, header, stool and apron included
- Paint-grade poplar, MDF or pine; stain-grade on request
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Craftsman window trim is built from flat boards instead of shaped molding. The side casings, or legs, are plain 1x4. The header across the top is a wider board, often a 1x6, that runs past the legs on both ends, with a small cap on top and a thin parting bead between the cap and the header. At the bottom there is a stool with horns that extend past the legs, and a flat apron under it. No miters anywhere; every joint is a butt joint, which is why it looks heavy and calm.
Simple does not mean easy. Flat stock shows every gap. The legs have to sit dead flush with the jamb reveal, the header has to be level and its overhang the same on both ends, and the stool has to be thick enough to carry the look, 5/4 stock rather than 3/4. The parting bead and cap are what separate real craftsman trim from three boards nailed around a window, and they are the pieces most people leave off.
JMB Builders builds craftsman style window casing across the Twin Cities metro, on old bungalows where the original trim was ripped out decades ago, on new farmhouse-style builds where the builder left drywall returns, and on remodels where a room is going from colonial casing to flat stock. We keep the proportions consistent from window to window, and we match the doors so the room agrees.
What you supply
- A straight-on photo of the window and one of a door in the same room, and a photo of any craftsman trim you are matching
- Paint-grade or stain-grade, and the species if it has to match existing woodwork
- Proportions if you have a preference: leg width, header height, how far the header overhangs
- Paint or stain — painting is quoted as a separate line, or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself
What JMB supplies
- Extension jambs where the window frame sits back from the wall
- 1x4 legs, header board, cap and parting bead in paint-grade poplar, MDF or primed pine, or hardwood for stain
- 5/4 stool with horns, notched to the wall, and a flat apron with the ends cut square or returned
- Shims, fasteners, glue, filler and paintable caulk
- A layout that keeps the header overhang, reveal and stool horns the same on every window in the house
- Painting or staining of the new trim when you want it done, quoted as its own line
- Photos of the finished window in your job folder
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Whether the window needs extension jambs first or already has jambs flush with the wall
- Header build: a plain board vs. a header with cap and parting bead vs. a built-up header with a back band
- Paint-grade vs. stain-grade hardwood, which takes tighter joints and no filler
- Windows in a row that share one header and stool, which is faster per window than separate frames
- Removing old casing and patching the wall where the old stool horns were
- Deep or out-of-square openings that take shimming before the flat stock goes on
- Number of windows in the same visit
Put a tape measure across the depth from the window frame to the wall and across the width of the door casing in the same room. That sets the jambs and the leg width.
How long it takes
About an hour and a half to two hours per window with the header and stool, more if jambs are needed. A main floor in a day or two, primed and caulked.
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
Classic craftsman: 1x4 legs, 1x6 header, cap and bead
The standard build. Legs in 1x4, a 1x6 header that runs past the legs on both ends, a parting bead under a small cap on top, a 5/4 stool with horns and a 1x4 apron. Paint-grade poplar or primed pine. The proportions that look right on most windows.
Simple flat stock without the cap
1x4 all the way around with a slightly taller head piece and a stool, no cap or bead. Cleaner and quicker, common on new farmhouse-style homes. Still butt joints, still a header that overhangs the legs a little.
Stain-grade craftsman trim
Oak, fir, maple or poplar for a clear finish, as in the original bungalows. Joints are cut tight because there is no filler or caulk to hide behind, and the grain is chosen so it reads consistently across the header and legs. Sanded and ready for stain.
Craftsman trim over drywall returns
New homes with drywall-wrapped windows get a jamb on all four sides flush with the wall first, then the craftsman frame. The stool sits on a wood jamb instead of the soft drywall sill, and the legs land on real wood.
Craftsman Window Trim — 1x4 Casing With a Header and Stool: questions, answered
What is craftsman style window trim?
It is window casing made from flat boards with square butt joints, not from profiled molding with mitered corners. The sides are plain 1x4 legs, the top is a wider header that runs past the legs and usually carries a small cap and a parting bead, and the bottom is a thick stool with horns over a flat apron. It came from the Arts and Crafts bungalows of the early 1900s and it is back on farmhouse-style new construction.
What boards make up craftsman window casing?
Two 1x4 legs on the sides. A header across the top, typically a 1x6, cut a little longer than the outside of the legs so it overhangs each end. A parting bead, a thin strip, on top of the header, and a cap on top of that, usually a 1x2 laid flat, also overhanging. A 5/4 stool at the bottom with horns that run past the legs, and a 1x4 apron under it. Paint-grade poplar, MDF or primed pine for paint; oak, fir or maple for stain.
Does craftsman window trim need a stool?
Yes, if you want it to read as craftsman. The thick stool with horns is half of what gives the style its weight; a picture frame with a header on top looks like something else. The stool should be 5/4 stock so it looks solid next to the 1x4 legs, with horns that run past the legs by about the same amount the header overhangs. On a window over a counter where a stool is in the way, we shorten the horns rather than drop the stool.
Can craftsman trim be MDF or does it have to be wood?
For paint, MDF works well for the legs, header and apron because it is flat, stable and takes paint smoothly, and it is what a lot of new-construction craftsman trim is. We use poplar or pine for the stool and for any window that sweats, because MDF swells when it gets wet. For stain, it has to be solid wood: oak, fir, maple or poplar. Either way, the joints are glued and the trim is primed, filled and caulked ready for paint.
Will craftsman window trim look right in a newer house?
Yes. Flat stock craftsman casing is one of the most common trim packages on new farmhouse-style and modern homes, and it works in a 1990s two-story just as well once the doors are done to match. What makes it look wrong is doing one window in craftsman next to colonial casing on the door beside it. We usually trim the doors and windows in a room together, or at least keep the leg width and reveal the same, so the room agrees.
How wide should the header be on craftsman window trim?
Wider than the legs. With 1x4 legs, a 1x6 header is the usual proportion, and with a cap and parting bead on top the whole assembly reads taller still. The header overhangs the legs on each end, and that overhang matches the stool horns below so the top and bottom balance. On tall windows or high ceilings a 1x8 header can look better. We lay it out on the first window and check it with you before doing the rest.
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 window trim pages
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Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: