How much should a plumber cost? It depends entirely on where you live.
We analyzed pricing data from 9,961 verified service providers across 50 US cities on Recommended.app to find out where homeowners pay the most — and least — for essential home services in 2026.
The findings surprised us. A plumber in San Francisco charges $120–$200/hour. The same quality plumber in Nashville charges $75–$135/hour. That’s a 67% price gap for identical work.
The 5 Most Expensive Cities for Plumbing
San Francisco: $120–$200/hr New York: $110–$190/hr Los Angeles: $100–$175/hr Seattle: $95–$165/hr Austin: $90–$160/hr
The 5 Most Affordable Cities for Plumbing
Download the Medium App
Nashville: $75–$135/hr Charlotte: $70–$130/hr Atlanta: $70–$125/hr Dallas: $80–$140/hr Houston: $85–$150/hr
The pattern holds across services. HVAC costs in Phoenix run 30–40% higher than Portland due to extreme heat demand. EV charger installation is the fastest-growing electrical service, up 340% in demand since 2023, with San Francisco leading at $800–$1,500 per install.
House cleaning is the most price-consistent service — only 20–30% variation between the most and least expensive markets, compared to 67% for plumbing and 40% for HVAC.
Why costs vary so much
Three factors drive the gap: cost of living (West Coast vs Southeast), licensing requirements (stricter states = higher overhead), and seasonal demand (Phoenix HVAC techs charge emergency rates when AC fails in 115°F heat).
How to save
Based on our data from nearly 10,000 service providers: get three written estimates (prices vary 40–60% between providers in the same city), book during off-peak seasons, and use community referral platforms where providers are pre-vetted by people you trust.
The full report covers all 50 cities across plumbing, electrical, HVAC, cleaning, landscaping, roofing, painting, and pest control — with comparison tables and cost-saving tips for each.
Read the full report with all 50 cities: Home Service Costs Across 50 US Cities: 2026 Pricing Report
James Matsuno is the CEO and founder of Recommended.app, a people-powered local discovery platform with data from 49,000+ businesses across 261 US cities.
Top comments (0)