Wood Repair Cost Calculator
Estimate structural wood member repair or replacement cost after termite, beetle, or fungal damage — sill plates, joists, studs, and subfloor.
About this calculator
This calculator prices structural wood repair by combining per-member material costs (pressure-treated sill plate at $2.50/linear ft, an average 14-foot floor joist at $3.50/linear ft, a $7 wall stud, $1.50/sqft subfloor sheathing) with a repair-method multiplier that reflects how much lumber and labor each approach actually consumes: sistering a damaged member alongside new lumber (0.6× material) uses less wood but similar labor time, partial replacement sits in the middle (0.85×), and full replacement (1.0×) is priciest since the whole member comes out. Labor is priced separately at $75/hour, with joist labor scaling from 1.5 hours (sistering) up to 3.5 hours (full replace) per joist, and everything gets multiplied by an access-difficulty factor — up to 1.7× for tight, confined crawl spaces — since cramped conditions slow every step of the job. Hardware (joist hangers, structural screws, Simpson ties) is priced per member count rather than folded into material cost.
The calculator also adds temporary shoring (a flat $200 plus $25 per load-bearing member) whenever joists, studs, or more than 8 linear feet of sill plate are being replaced, since removing structural members mid-repair requires supporting the load above them, plus a waste-removal fee scaled to material cost. What it can't know is your local lumber pricing, whether hidden damage extends beyond what's visible, or unusual framing (balloon framing, engineered I-joists) that changes both material cost and labor time — get it inspected and quoted by a structural contractor before committing to a repair method.
Inputs
Results
Total repair cost ($)
$946.88
≈ 7 pairs of sneakers
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the linear feet or square feet of damaged wood requiring replacement.
- Select the wood type: framing lumber, sill plate, fascia, decking, or structural beam.
- Input your material cost per linear foot and labor rate per hour.
- Review the Total Material Cost, Labor Hours, and Total Repair Cost.
- Use the Cost per Square Foot output to benchmark against insurance claim estimates or contractor bids.
How the result changes with Floor joists to repair
| Floor joists to repair | Total repair cost ($) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $610.94 |
| 1.5 | $778.91 |
| 3 | $1,282.82 |
| 5 | $1,954.70 |
What each input means
- Sill plate to repair (linear ft)
- Linear feet of damaged sill plate (mudsill) to repair or replace.
- Floor joists to repair
- Number of floor joists needing repair or replacement.
- Wall studs to repair
- Number of wall studs needing repair or replacement.
- Subfloor to replace (ft²)
- Square feet of damaged subfloor sheathing (3/4" OSB or plywood).
- Method (0=Sister, 1=Partial, 2=Full replace)
- 0 = Sister/reinforce alongside damaged member. 1 = Partial replacement. 2 = Full member replacement.
- Access (1=Easy, 2=Moderate, 3=Difficult)
- 1 = Open/exposed framing. 2 = Standard crawl space. 3 = Tight/confined area.
What each result means
- Total repair cost ($)
- Complete cost including materials, labor, shoring, and waste removal.
- Lumber material cost ($)
- Cost of replacement lumber and sheathing.
- Hardware cost ($)
- Joist hangers, structural screws, Simpson ties, etc.
- Labor cost ($)
- Carpenter labor at $75/hour with access difficulty adjustment.
- Estimated labor hours
- Total carpenter hours including access difficulty.
- Temporary shoring cost ($)
- Cost for temporary support during load-bearing member replacement.
- Waste removal ($)
- Disposal of damaged wood and debris.
- Avg cost per member ($)
- Average repair cost per structural member.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersSill plate to repair (linear ft) = 0, Floor joists to repair = 2, Wall studs to repair = 0, Subfloor to replace (ft²) = 0 = 6 input(s) provided
- Calculate Total repair costTotal repair cost = totalMaterial + hardwareCost + totalLaborCost + shoringCost + wasteRemovalCost946.88 = $946.88
- Calculate Lumber material costLumber material cost = sillMaterial + joistMaterial + studMaterial + subfloorMaterial83.3 = $83.3
- Calculate Hardware cost24 = $24
Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does sistering cost less in materials but not much less in labor than full replacement?
Sistering (repair method 0) applies a 0.6x multiplier to material cost since you're adding new lumber alongside the damaged member rather than removing and replacing it entirely — less wood is needed. But joist labor for sistering is still 1.5 hours per joist versus 3.5 for full replacement, because attaching new lumber, aligning it, and fastening it through the old member is still time-consuming work, just less than removal and reinstallation.
How much does difficult crawl-space access actually add to the cost?
Access difficulty applies a multiplier of 1 + (level − 1) × 0.35 to total labor hours only, not materials or hardware. That means level 3 (tight/confined) adds a 1.7x labor multiplier versus level 1 (open/exposed), so the same repair job in a cramped crawl space can cost significantly more in labor alone, while lumber and hardware costs stay identical.
When does the calculator add temporary shoring cost, and why?
Shoring ($200 flat plus $25 per floor joist or wall stud being repaired) is added whenever you're repairing any floor joists, any wall studs, or more than 8 linear feet of sill plate — because removing a load-bearing member, even temporarily, requires supporting the structure above it during the work. Sill plate repairs of 8 feet or less, or subfloor-only jobs, don't trigger shoring cost.
Why is hardware cost shown separately instead of folded into the lumber material cost?
Hardware (joist hangers, structural screws, Simpson ties) is priced per member count rather than as a percentage of lumber cost — $12 per joist, $8 per stud, plus $1.50 per linear foot of sill plate — because hardware needs scale with the number of connection points, not with how much lumber is used or which repair method you choose.
Related Calculators
The questions that sit next to this one — chosen by subject, including calculators filed under a different category.
WDO Inspection Calculator
Estimate wood-destroying organism inspection cost, time, and scope based on property size, features, and inspection purpose (real estate, VA/FHA, commercial).
Structural PestFumigation Coverage Calculator
Calculate tenting coverage, fumigant volume (Vikane/sulfuryl fluoride), cylinder count, and cost for structural fumigation by building dimensions and target pest.
Structural PestTermite Barrier Cost Calculator
Estimate physical and chemical termite barrier cost per linear foot, including trenching, drilling, and material costs for new or existing structures.
More in Home, Garden & Maintenance.