Commercial trade rates in Atlanta.
Estimated commercial rates for all 8 trades tracked in Atlanta, built from O*NET OnLine (U.S. Dept. of Labor/ETA), from BLS OEWS metropolitan area wage estimates wage data, for facility and property teams benchmarking vendor invoices.
Rates by trade
Plumbing (estimated)$77/hr median · $55–$104 range
Source: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Dept. of Labor/ETA), from BLS OEWS metropolitan area wage estimates, using a documented service multiplier.
Electrical (estimated)$78/hr median · $56–$114 range
Source: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Dept. of Labor/ETA), from BLS OEWS metropolitan area wage estimates, using a documented service multiplier.
HVAC and Refrigeration (estimated)$78/hr median · $57–$108 range
Source: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Dept. of Labor/ETA), from BLS OEWS metropolitan area wage estimates, using a documented service multiplier.
General Maintenance (estimated)$66/hr median · $53–$89 range
Source: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Dept. of Labor/ETA), from BLS OEWS metropolitan area wage estimates, using a documented service multiplier.
Janitorial and Cleaning (estimated)$48/hr median · $37–$55 range
Source: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Dept. of Labor/ETA), from BLS OEWS metropolitan area wage estimates, using a documented service multiplier.
Landscaping and Grounds (estimated)$51/hr median · $44–$66 range
Source: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Dept. of Labor/ETA), from BLS OEWS metropolitan area wage estimates, using a documented service multiplier.
Roofing (estimated)$65/hr median · $48–$81 range
Source: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Dept. of Labor/ETA), from BLS OEWS metropolitan area wage estimates, using a documented service multiplier.
Carpentry (estimated)$67/hr median · $54–$85 range
Source: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Dept. of Labor/ETA), from BLS OEWS metropolitan area wage estimates, using a documented service multiplier.
What's different in Atlanta
- Labour market: Georgia is a right-to-work state with lower union density in the trades than Chicago or the two Canadian metros, a common factor in the lower wage and billed-rate levels seen here.
- Climate and seasonality: Humid subtropical climate with hot summers drives heavy HVAC/AC service demand; occasional winter ice events cause a short but sharp spike in emergency calls.
- Code and licensing: Trade licensing runs through the Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors and separate state boards for electrical/plumbing/HVAC; metro Atlanta spans many local permitting jurisdictions.
Frequently asked questions
- What do commercial trade rates cost in Atlanta?
- Across the 8 trades tracked here, the median commercial hourly rate in Atlanta runs around $66/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 Atlanta 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 Atlanta. 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 Atlanta specifically?
- Georgia is a right-to-work state with lower union density in the trades than Chicago or the two Canadian metros, a common factor in the lower wage and billed-rate levels seen here.
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.
Nearby cities
Cite this data
These Atlanta 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/us/atlanta.json.
Evalystar (2025). Commercial facility trade rate benchmarks, Atlanta. Retrieved from https://evalystar.com/rates/us/atlanta. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.