Analysis
Readings, not calculators.
These are readings, not calculators. Each one takes public data, works out what it implies for a real bill, and states what it cannot tell you.
If you came here to price a job, use the cost guides instead — every one of them has a calculator.
AnalysisThe Same Roof Costs $3,500 More in Illinois Than OklahomaFederal wage data says a roofer in Illinois earns 78% more than one in Oklahoma.AnalysisIn Hawaii, a Construction Laborer Earns More Than a RooferAcross the United States, a roofer earns about 9% more than a general construction laborer.AnalysisWhy a 2,000 sq ft Roof Costs Less Per Square Foot Than a 1,000 sq ft OneA roof twice the size does not cost twice as much.AnalysisRoof Pitch Adds Up to 41% to the Bill, and Almost Nobody Quotes ItA 2,000 sq ft house does not have a 2,000 sq ft roof.AnalysisElectricians Earn 40% More Than Laborers. Here Is What That Does to Your BillAcross the ten trades that show up in a home renovation, pay runs from $49,118 for a general laborer to $68,972 for a plumber.AnalysisA Roofer in California Earns $20,000 More Than One in Ohio. After Rent, It Is Not CloseThe federal data ships with a regional price index.AnalysisHawaii Pays More for Construction Labour Than Any Other State, and It Is Not CloseHawaii is the highest-paying state for carpenters, painters, cement masons, drywall installers and general laborers.AnalysisOne State Is the Cheapest in America for Four Different Construction TradesArkansas sits at the bottom of the pay table for four of the ten trades we track.AnalysisPainting Is 65% Labour, the Highest of Any Trade on This SiteA painting bill is mostly somebody's hours.AnalysisCabinetry Is 40% of a Kitchen Remodel, and It Is Where Every Budget Argument HappensIn a mid-range kitchen remodel, cabinetry runs about 40% of the budget.AnalysisTile Costs Three Times What Sheet Vinyl Does, and the Material Is Only Half the ReasonSheet vinyl installs for $3 to $10 per square foot.AnalysisHow Many Bundles of Shingles: The Arithmetic Behind a Roof OrderA 2,000 sq ft house does not need 2,000 sq ft of shingles.AnalysisThe Same Labour Line Moves 44% Between States, and Which Trade You Hire Changes How MuchThe highest-paying state pays more than twice what the lowest-paying state pays in several trades.AnalysisA Renovation Is Five Trades, and Only One of Them Is ExpensiveElectrical and plumbing are the two best-paid trades in the dataset.AnalysisFlorida Has 17% of America's Roofers and Still Pays Them Below AverageFlorida employs 23,550 roofers out of 135,490 nationally.AnalysisWe Expected States With More Tradespeople to Pay Them Less. The Data Says NoAcross ten construction trades, the relationship between how many people work in the trade in a state and what they are paid there is close to nothing.AnalysisFloor Layers Are 47 Times Rarer Than Labourers, and That Changes How You Hire ThemThe smallest trade in a renovation is 47 times smaller than the largest.AnalysisElectricians Beat the Cost of Living. Drywall Installers Lose 3.4% to ItAfter adjusting for regional prices, labourers gain 0.AnalysisCarpenters Are the Most Common Trade in a Renovation and Earn More in Hawaii Than AnywhereCarpentry is the trade that shows up in almost every project and the one whose state wage varies most predictably with the local market.
Updated October 2026
Figures on this page are computed from the same model used by every calculator on the site, with labor adjusted by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS wage data.