Calgary's estimated commercial trade rates below cover all eight trades tracked on this site, built from Job Bank Canada wage data (2023-2024 reference period), for facility and property teams pricing work in Alberta's open-shop, chinook-driven market.
Rates by trade
Plumbing (estimated)$83/hr median · $49–$129 range
Wagex Multiplier= Estimate
Low$19.62/hrx 2.5$49/hr
Median$30/hrx 2.75$83/hr
High$43/hrx 3$129/hr
Source: Job Bank Canada (ESDC), Small Area Estimation wage model, using a documented service multiplier.
Electrical (estimated)$110/hr median · $60–$138 range
Wagex Multiplier= Estimate
Low$24/hrx 2.5$60/hr
Median$40/hrx 2.75$110/hr
High$46/hrx 3$138/hr
Source: Job Bank Canada (ESDC), Small Area Estimation wage model, using a documented service multiplier.
HVAC and Refrigeration (estimated)$105/hr median · $63–$156 range
Wagex Multiplier= Estimate
Low$25/hrx 2.5$63/hr
Median$38/hrx 2.75$105/hr
High$52/hrx 3$156/hr
Source: Job Bank Canada (ESDC), Small Area Estimation wage model, using a documented service multiplier.
General Maintenance (estimated)$77/hr median · $60–$125 range
Wagex Multiplier= Estimate
Low$24/hrx 2.5$60/hr
Median$28/hrx 2.75$77/hr
High$41.51/hrx 3$125/hr
Source: Job Bank Canada (ESDC), Small Area Estimation wage model, using a documented service multiplier.
Janitorial and Cleaning (estimated)$58/hr median · $38–$90 range
Wagex Multiplier= Estimate
Low$15/hrx 2.5$38/hr
Median$21/hrx 2.75$58/hr
High$30/hrx 3$90/hr
Source: Job Bank Canada (ESDC), Small Area Estimation wage model, using a documented service multiplier.
Landscaping and Grounds (estimated)$58/hr median · $43–$94 range
Wagex Multiplier= Estimate
Low$17/hrx 2.5$43/hr
Median$21/hrx 2.75$58/hr
High$31.21/hrx 3$94/hr
Source: Job Bank Canada (ESDC), Small Area Estimation wage model, using a documented service multiplier.
Roofing (estimated)$80/hr median · $58–$119 range
Wagex Multiplier= Estimate
Low$23/hrx 2.5$58/hr
Median$29/hrx 2.75$80/hr
High$39.81/hrx 3$119/hr
Source: Job Bank Canada (ESDC), Small Area Estimation wage model, using a documented service multiplier.
Carpentry (estimated)$88/hr median · $55–$120 range
Wagex Multiplier= Estimate
Low$22/hrx 2.5$55/hr
Median$32.12/hrx 2.75$88/hr
High$40/hrx 3$120/hr
Source: Job Bank Canada (ESDC), Small Area Estimation wage model, using a documented service multiplier.
What's different in Calgary
Labour market: Alberta's construction market is predominantly open-shop with lower union density than Ontario or Quebec; wage levels also track the oil and gas sector's demand for skilled trades.
Climate and seasonality: Cold winters and Calgary's frequent chinook winds create unusually sharp freeze-thaw cycling, a recurring driver of plumbing and roofing repair work.
Code and licensing: Alberta licenses plumbers, electricians, and gasfitters provincially; City of Calgary permitting applies on top of the Alberta Building Code.
Across the 8 trades tracked here, the median commercial hourly rate in Calgary runs around $82/hr, though it varies significantly by trade: see the table above for each one.
Is this a real measured rate, or an estimate?
Every rate on this page is currently an estimate: each trade's Calgary wage, multiplied by a documented service multiplier that converts an employee wage into a billed commercial rate. It is not drawn from actual invoices or job records. The full model is on the methodology page.
Why a range instead of a single number?
A single average hides the real spread: in the underlying wage data for estimated trades, and between emergency/scheduled and contract/ad-hoc work for measured ones. We show low, median, and high so the range reflects that honestly.
Is this a residential or commercial rate?
Commercial. These figures track facility-side trade work for businesses, property managers, and multi-site operators in Calgary. Commercial rates typically run above residential rates for the same trade, reflecting insurance, code compliance, and scheduling requirements that residential work doesn't carry.
What's driving trade rates in Calgary specifically?
Alberta's construction market is predominantly open-shop with lower union density than Ontario or Quebec; wage levels also track the oil and gas sector's demand for skilled trades.
Methodology
These figures are built from regional wage data multiplied by a documented service multiplier, or, where enough real job records exist, measured directly from vendor work logged in Evalystar. See the full model, sources, and what upgrades an estimate to a measured rate on the methodology page.
These Calgary benchmarks are published under CC BY 4.0: reuse them anywhere, including commercially, as long as you attribute Evalystar. The machine-readable version is at /api/rates/ca/calgary.json.
Evalystar (2024). Commercial facility trade rate benchmarks, Calgary. Retrieved from https://evalystar.com/rates/ca/calgary. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
