Methodology
RightHomePros exists to make contractor pricing legible. We do that with sourced data and a model we publish in full. These figures are informed estimates, not measurements — over-claiming precision would defeat the entire purpose.
1. The wage data
Every wage figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, metro-area file, May 2024 reference period. OEWS publishes the 10th/25th/50th/75th/90th wage percentiles by occupation and metro. We report those unaltered.
2. From wage to billed rate
OEWS reports what a worker earns, not what a homeowner pays. The gap is real cost. Our model:
billed = ( base_wage × labor_burden(trade, state) + overhead(metro_tier) ) × (1 + profit_margin(trade))
- Labor burden = 1 + 15.5% statutory (FICA, FUTA/SUTA, benefits) + workers' compensation, where comp is the dominant and most trade-specific variable.
- Overhead is a per-hour dollar allocation (truck, tools, bonding, office, unbillable hours) that scales with the metro's cost tier: low $18.00, mid $26.00, high $34.00, very high $44.00 per hour.
- Profit margin is applied to the loaded, overhead-inclusive cost.
State workers'-comp climates are applied as an index to the national comp rate, so the same trade bills differently in, say, California than in Texas.
3. The assumptions, in the open
| Trade | Workers' comp (% of payroll) | Profit margin |
|---|---|---|
| Pest Control Workers | 4% | 12% |
| Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers | 7% | 10% |
| Brickmasons & Blockmasons | 12% | 15% |
| Carpenters | 15% | 15% |
| Flooring Installers | 8% | 14% |
| Tile & Stone Setters | 8% | 15% |
| Cement Masons & Concrete Finishers | 11% | 15% |
| Construction Laborers | 13% | 10% |
| Drywall Installers | 9% | 14% |
| Electricians | 4% | 20% |
| Glaziers | 9% | 15% |
| Insulation Workers | 9% | 14% |
| Painters | 8% | 12% |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters | 6% | 20% |
| Plasterers & Stucco Masons | 11% | 15% |
| Roofers | 35% | 18% |
| Sheet Metal Workers | 9% | 16% |
| Solar Photovoltaic Installers | 7% | 18% |
| Fence Erectors | 9% | 12% |
| HVAC Mechanics & Installers | 6% | 20% |
4. What this is not
This is a model, not a quote. Real bids vary with job scope, materials, access, season, and the individual contractor. Treat our figures as a well-grounded reference range, and always get multiple bids. We will calibrate these estimates over time against ground-truth cost data.