Estimated — not yet source-verified.Estimated - not yet source-verified. This cost range is a general knowledge estimate we have not yet confirmed against current regional pricing data. Treat it as a rough guide only and get local contractor quotes.
Contractor costs in Colorado
Regional labor cost ranges for common DIY projects in Colorado. These are estimates for planning purposes - always get multiple quotes from licensed local contractors.
Construction labor wages in Colorado
Official BLS data · OEWS 2024The actual pay range for 20 building trades in Colorado — 10th percentile, median, and 90th percentile hourly wages straight from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the verified labor-cost floor behind the project estimates below, not a national average.
Scroll the table horizontally to compare all wage columns. Keyboard: focus the table, then use the arrow keys.
| Trade | 10th %ile | Median /hr | 90th %ile | Employed in CO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction supervisors | $27.41 | $38.06 | $58.10 | 21,090 |
| Carpenters | $19.23 | $28.60 | $36.39 | 13,840 |
| Cement masons & concrete finishers | $21.98 | $29.19 | $35.14 | 5,090 |
| Drywall & ceiling-tile installers | $22.55 | $28.19 | $34.90 | 1,610 |
| Tapers | $25.04 | $27.68 | $31.55 | 80 |
| Tile & stone setters | $19.20 | $27.47 | $41.23 | 550 |
| Floor layers (non-carpet) | $17.00 | $24.92 | $39.56 | 200 |
| Floor sanders & finishers | $22.11 | $23.64 | $31.35 | 220 |
| Carpet installers | $21.24 | $25.33 | $32.21 | 200 |
| Painters | $18.85 | $24.35 | $31.46 | 3,700 |
| Glaziers | $22.25 | $29.49 | $44.68 | 1,880 |
| Insulation workers | $18.22 | $23.38 | $31.21 | 980 |
| Plasterers & stucco masons | $20.11 | $25.00 | $37.17 | 690 |
| Brickmasons & blockmasons | $22.00 | $30.52 | $35.91 | 1,030 |
| Roofers | $22.57 | $26.83 | $35.14 | 3,240 |
| Electricians | $20.37 | $29.85 | $43.33 | 17,140 |
| Plumbers & pipefitters | $22.29 | $30.58 | $47.44 | 9,970 |
| HVAC technicians | $22.40 | $30.49 | $48.46 | 8,870 |
| Equipment operators | $23.26 | $29.60 | $37.20 | 12,050 |
| Construction laborers | $17.96 | $22.41 | $28.76 | 19,230 |
How building-trade pay has moved since 2019
Median hourly wage by year for Colorado's headline trades — a 6-year OEWS series (2019–2024) that deepens with each annual BLS release.
$24.07 in 2019 → $28.60 in 2024
$26.08 in 2019 → $29.85 in 2024
$25.12 in 2019 → $30.58 in 2024
$17.65 in 2019 → $22.41 in 2024
State-specific BLS wage signals
These comparisons are calculated from the same official OEWS 2024 rows above, so they vary by Colorado's actual trade mix instead of repeating a national average. These are worker wages, not contractor billing rates - a contractor's quote adds overhead, insurance, equipment, and margin.
Highest median wage in state
Construction supervisors
$38.06/hr
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Largest reported construction trade
Construction supervisors
21,090 employed
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Biggest premium vs trade median
Tile & stone setters
+$3.54/hr vs $23.93
Median across states with this BLS trade row, OEWS 2024
Fastest median-wage growth
Floor sanders & finishers
+ 56% since 2019
Source: BLS OEWS 2019-2024
Trade wage detail pages
Official BLS wage detail pages for high-employment construction trades in Colorado.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS 2019–2024. These are worker wages, not contractor billing rates — a contractor's quote adds overhead, insurance, equipment, and margin (commonly 1.5–3× the base wage).
Find a contractor in Colorado
When a project is beyond DIY scale, get quotes from licensed local contractors. Always verify contractor license status with Colorado's contractor licensing board.