Contractor costs in Florida
Regional labor cost ranges for common DIY projects in Florida. These are estimates for planning purposes - always get multiple quotes from licensed local contractors.
Construction labor wages in Florida
Official BLS data · OEWS 2024The actual pay range for 20 building trades in Florida — 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.
| Trade | 10th %ile | Median /hr | 90th %ile | Employed in FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction supervisors | $22.86 | $34.16 | $51.50 | 71,300 |
| Carpenters | $17.48 | $23.12 | $31.22 | 44,130 |
| Cement masons & concrete finishers | $17.26 | $22.34 | $36.03 | 15,000 |
| Drywall & ceiling-tile installers | $13.10 | $22.56 | $27.31 | 4,970 |
| Tapers | $18.02 | $19.26 | $24.31 | — |
| Tile & stone setters | $13.35 | $23.12 | $34.50 | 5,010 |
| Floor layers (non-carpet) | $19.33 | $24.50 | $34.17 | 1,390 |
| Floor sanders & finishers | $19.28 | $24.88 | $28.17 | 210 |
| Carpet installers | $18.46 | $23.60 | $34.40 | 450 |
| Painters | $16.95 | $22.14 | $28.54 | 20,910 |
| Glaziers | $15.53 | $22.93 | $32.27 | 5,770 |
| Insulation workers | $18.09 | $23.25 | $28.84 | 1,910 |
| Plasterers & stucco masons | $15.42 | $22.83 | $35.57 | 2,170 |
| Brickmasons & blockmasons | $17.06 | $24.03 | $35.55 | 3,640 |
| Roofers | $15.04 | $22.23 | $30.11 | 23,610 |
| Electricians | $18.22 | $25.53 | $34.58 | 47,980 |
| Plumbers & pipefitters | $17.98 | $24.30 | $32.45 | 26,730 |
| HVAC technicians | $18.17 | $24.32 | $35.90 | 38,290 |
| Equipment operators | $18.06 | $23.45 | $42.69 | 29,420 |
| Construction laborers | $15.11 | $19.63 | $28.13 | 75,770 |
How building-trade pay has moved since 2019
Median hourly wage by year for Florida's headline trades — a 6-year OEWS series (2019–2024) that deepens with each annual BLS release.
$19.19 in 2019 → $23.12 in 2024
$21.00 in 2019 → $25.53 in 2024
$20.78 in 2019 → $24.30 in 2024
$15.13 in 2019 → $19.63 in 2024
State-specific BLS wage signals
These comparisons are calculated from the same official OEWS 2024 rows above, so they vary by Florida'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
$34.16/hr
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Largest reported construction trade
Construction laborers
75,770 employed
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Biggest premium vs trade median
Floor sanders & finishers
+$1.24/hr vs $23.64
Median across states with this BLS trade row, OEWS 2024
Fastest median-wage growth
Carpet installers
+ 58% since 2019
Source: BLS OEWS 2019-2024
Pending wage detail pages for review
These generated detail pages are noindex and excluded from sitemap until the YMYL data audit approves them.
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).
Notes for Florida
Florida requires state contractor licensing (CBC/CGC). Hurricane-impact requirements may affect fence and exterior project costs.
Source: https://www.myfloridalicense.com/intentions2.asp?chBoard=true&boardid=21 (verified 2026-Q2)
Find a contractor in Florida
When a project is beyond DIY scale, get quotes from licensed local contractors. Always verify contractor license status with Florida's contractor licensing board.