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 Rhode Island
Regional labor cost ranges for common DIY projects in Rhode Island. These are estimates for planning purposes - always get multiple quotes from licensed local contractors.
Construction labor wages in Rhode Island
Official BLS data · OEWS 2024The actual pay range for 14 building trades in Rhode Island — 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 RI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction supervisors | $28.74 | $46.30 | $61.83 | 1,970 |
| Carpenters | $21.59 | $29.09 | $44.26 | 2,870 |
| Cement masons & concrete finishers | $22.87 | $29.93 | $44.16 | 250 |
| Tile & stone setters | $23.02 | $31.24 | $32.01 | — |
| Carpet installers | $20.72 | $20.72 | $37.78 | — |
| Painters | $18.09 | $24.72 | $38.90 | 780 |
| Glaziers | $20.26 | $39.96 | $49.04 | — |
| Brickmasons & blockmasons | $19.21 | $26.79 | $47.55 | 150 |
| Roofers | $19.01 | $28.13 | $38.06 | — |
| Electricians | $20.33 | $33.73 | $49.94 | 2,300 |
| Plumbers & pipefitters | $23.02 | $31.07 | $51.21 | 1,790 |
| HVAC technicians | $17.87 | $30.57 | $41.48 | 1,320 |
| Equipment operators | $26.62 | $36.55 | $46.65 | 850 |
| Construction laborers | $19.25 | $28.02 | $39.07 | 2,080 |
How building-trade pay has moved since 2019
Median hourly wage by year for Rhode Island's headline trades — a 6-year OEWS series (2019–2024) that deepens with each annual BLS release.
$23.40 in 2019 → $29.09 in 2024
$28.06 in 2019 → $33.73 in 2024
$24.13 in 2019 → $31.07 in 2024
$24.30 in 2019 → $28.02 in 2024
State-specific BLS wage signals
These comparisons are calculated from the same official OEWS 2024 rows above, so they vary by Rhode Island'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
$46.30/hr
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Largest reported construction trade
Carpenters
2,870 employed
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Biggest premium vs trade median
Glaziers
+$12.68/hr vs $27.28
Median across states with this BLS trade row, OEWS 2024
Fastest median-wage growth
Tile & stone setters
+ 105% since 2019
Source: BLS OEWS 2019-2024
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 Rhode Island
When a project is beyond DIY scale, get quotes from licensed local contractors. Always verify contractor license status with Rhode Island's contractor licensing board.