Washington indexes 8 services across 3 categories, with hourly rates spanning $43/hr (Roofer) to $765/hr (Attorney). The city median of $155/hr runs 81% above the national average across all indexed cities. Home Repair & Maintenance is the largest service block here (4 of 8 services).
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data adjusted for Washington cost of living. Read the methodology.
DC electrician rates $80-$134/hr (avg $107). Quadrant breakdown, DCRA permits, knob-and-tube remediation, Pepco interconnect for EV charger.
Read articleDC handyman rates run $50-$84/hr (avg $67). Quadrant breakdown, DCRA HIC rules, row-house turnover, and embassy/HPRB constraints that move pricing.
Read articleDC HVAC rates run $69-$115/hr (avg $92). Quadrant breakdown, DCRA permits, HPRB historic rules, and how Georgetown steam heat changes pricing.
Read articleDC plumber rates $69-$115/hr (avg $92). Neighborhood breakdown, DCRA Master Plumber permits, Lead Free DC service line, HPRB Georgetown rules.
Read articleDC GC rates $103-$172/hr (avg $138). Quadrant breakdown, DOB and HPRB permits, DLCP licensing, row-house and Georgetown federal premiums.
Read articleDC painter rates run $53-$88/hr (avg $70). Quadrant breakdown, HIC license, EPA lead rules, and how Georgetown HPRB review changes pricing.
Read articleDC roofer rates $43-$71/hr (avg $57). Quadrant breakdown, DCRA HIC + HPRB approvals, flat row-house EPDM vs slate vs asphalt, hail and storm pricing.
Read articleAcross the 8 home and professional services we index in Washington, the median consumer rate is $155/hr. Hourly rates span $116/hr at the affordable end to $193/hr at the premium end, depending on service type and contractor.
Attorney carries the highest typical rate in Washington at $459–$765/hr. Premium professional and licensed services consistently command the highest rates across our index.
Roofer sits at the lower end of the Washington index at $42.78–$71.3/hr. Routine maintenance and cleaning categories typically cluster at the bottom of any city's price spread.
Washington is 81% above the national average of $86/hr across our 49-city corpus. Local wage data and cost of living drive most of this difference — see the geographic precision note for the underlying data.
Home Repair & Maintenance has the most indexed services in Washington (4 guides), reflecting both local demand and the breadth of BLS wage data available for that segment.
Consumer-facing rates. We apply industry-standard 1.5–2.5× multipliers to BLS hourly wages to account for business overhead, insurance, licensing, employer costs, and profit margin. The full calculation is documented in the methodology.
Pricing reflects the BLS OEWS May 2024 release. The next refresh lands when May 2025 data is published in April 2026. Cadence is documented in the update schedule.
Data: BLS OEWS May 2024 · Methodology · Last refreshed January 2026