Summary
- Four Los Angeles moving companies advertise $115 to $139 an hour for two movers and a truck, all below the national median of $142.50, and two LA HVAC contractors charge $125 for a service call.
- We found these and the other prices on this page on the websites of 69 Los Angeles electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors, carpenters, roofers and movers in October 2026, as part of the US Home Services Price Transparency Report 2026.
*Marketit research | October 2026*
Four Los Angeles moving companies advertise $115 to $139 an hour for two movers and a truck, all below the national median of $142.50, and two LA HVAC contractors charge $125 for a service call. We found these and the other prices on this page on the websites of 69 Los Angeles electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors, carpenters, roofers and movers in October 2026, as part of the US Home Services Price Transparency Report 2026.
For each trade you'll find what Los Angeles businesses advertise, the national figures from the same study, what LA-area tradespeople earn according to federal data, and the California rules that affect the bill.
Los Angeles prices at a glance
| Job | What Los Angeles businesses advertise | US median in the study |
|---|---|---|
| Two movers and a truck, per hour | $115 to $139 (4 businesses) | $142.50 (46 businesses) |
| Each additional mover, per hour | $30 and $40 (2 businesses) | $50 |
| HVAC service call | $125 (2 businesses) | $89.95 (37 businesses) |
| Clearing a sink stoppage | $145 flat (1 business) | $147.50 for a single drain (12 businesses) |
| Electrician dispatch fee | $89, credited to the job (1 business) | $77 (8 businesses) |
| Electrical panel upgrade, starting price | From $850 (1 business) | $2,500 (7 businesses) |
Most Los Angeles figures come from one to four businesses, so treat them as examples of what local firms charge rather than a typical Los Angeles price. The national medians come from all 25 metros in the study. All of them are advertised prices, not final bills.
How many Los Angeles businesses post prices
14 of the 69 Los Angeles businesses we checked list a price on their website (20.3%), against 13.8% across all 25 metros. Los Angeles is one of the five Pacific Coast metros, where one in five businesses lists a price, compared with one in eight elsewhere.
| Trade | Businesses checked | With a price |
|---|---|---|
| Moving companies | 12 | 5 |
| HVAC contractors | 12 | 2 |
| Plumbers | 10 | 2 |
| Electricians | 12 | 2 |
| Carpenters | 12 | 2 |
| Roofers | 11 | 1 |
With about 12 businesses per trade, read these as counts rather than rates.
What Los Angeles tradespeople earn
Los Angeles-area tradespeople earn more than the national median in all five trades, from 11% more for plumbers to 25% more for carpenters, according to federal wage data.
| Trade | LA-area median wage | US median wage | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | $35.49 an hour | $30.38 an hour | +17% |
| Plumbers | $34.19 an hour | $30.67 an hour | +11% |
| HVAC mechanics and installers | $35.49 an hour | $29.33 an hour | +21% |
| Carpenters | $36.41 an hour | $29.12 an hour | +25% |
| Roofers | $30.56 an hour | $26.65 an hour | +15% |
The figures are Bureau of Labor Statistics data for May 2025 for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area. They show what workers are paid, not what customers are charged. A business's rate also has to cover travel, vehicles, insurance and overhead.
Movers in Los Angeles
Five of the 12 Los Angeles moving companies list rates, more than any other trade in the city. One charges $120 an hour in cash or $140 by card for two movers and a truck, $160 or $180 for three, and $200 or $220 for four. Another charges $139 an hour on weekdays for cash and $159 on Saturdays and at month-end, adds $30 an hour per extra mover and charges a truck fee from $75. A third starts at $115 an hour for two movers and a 26-foot truck, and a fourth charges $129 an hour for two movers. The fifth bills $40 an hour per extra mover and a flat $39 for the truck.
Nationally, the median is $142.50 an hour for two movers and a truck, $190 for three and $249 for four. All four Los Angeles two-mover rates sit below the national median, even though LA wages are higher. Cash discounts, weekend and month-end surcharges and separate truck fees all change the final hourly cost.
Moves within California are regulated by the state's Bureau of Household Goods and Services. Movers need a permit from the bureau, and its Maximum Rate Tariff 4 sets the maximum rates for moves within the state: a mover can charge less, but not more (BHGS). More in our moving price guide.
HVAC contractors in Los Angeles
Two of the 12 Los Angeles HVAC contractors list prices. One charges service calls from $125 and a diagnostic fee of $125 to $175 that goes toward the repair. The other charges $125 for an initial inspection.
The national median diagnostic fee in the study is $89.95, so the Los Angeles fees are about $35 higher. Both sit inside the $75 to $200 that HomeAdvisor's AC repair guide gives for a diagnostic visit. Nationally, the median tune-up is $134 and new furnaces start at a median of $4,200. More in our HVAC price guide.
Plumbers in Los Angeles
Two of the 10 Los Angeles plumbers we checked list prices. One posts flat rates: $145 to clear a sink stoppage, $249 for tankless water heater maintenance and garbage disposal replacement from $695. The other charges from $189 for garbage disposal service and from $159 for an emergency visit.
The national median for clearing a single drain is $147.50, almost the same as the LA flat rate. Across the study, plumbers charge a median of $97 to come out, and HomeAdvisor's plumber guide puts most plumbers at $70 to $120 an hour nationally. More in our plumber price guide.
Electricians in Los Angeles
Two of the 12 Los Angeles electricians list prices. One charges an $89 dispatch fee that is credited to the job. The other posts starting prices of $850 for a panel upgrade and $1,250 for moving a panel, and $80 an hour for commercial work.
Nationally, electricians that post a fee just to come out charge a median of $77. Seven US electricians post a starting price for a panel upgrade, from $850 to $3,000, with a median of $2,500, so the LA price is the lowest of them. HomeAdvisor's panel guide puts a 200-amp upgrade at $1,300 to $2,000. More in our electrician price guide.
Carpenters in Los Angeles
Two of the 12 Los Angeles carpenters list prices. One posts starting prices for structural work: rot repair from $650, joist or beam repair from $3,500, seismic retrofits from $4,200 and wall removal from $8,500. The other prices painting work: touch-ups from $95, a room from $400 and cabinets from $1,200.
Carpenters across the study rarely post comparable prices, so there's no national median for these jobs. LA-area carpenters earn a median $36.41 an hour, 25% above the national median.
Roofers in Los Angeles
One of the 11 Los Angeles roofers we checked lists a price: an optional $199 roof check.
Roofers are the trade least likely to post a price nationally (7.5%). HomeAdvisor's roof repair guide puts a typical repair at $395 to $1,968, with an average of $1,174. Roofers in the study that do post prices mostly give starting prices for repairs, from $250 to $500.
Sales tax on Los Angeles home repairs
California doesn't charge sales tax on the labor to install or repair things in your home. Contractors are treated as the buyers of the materials they use: "Construction contractors are generally the consumers of the materials they use," according to the state's tax guide for contractors (CDTFA). They pay sales tax when they buy materials and build it into their price, so a quote normally won't show a separate sales tax line for the work.
Checking a Los Angeles contractor
California's Contractors State License Board licenses general contractors and specialty trades, including electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing contractors. Since January 2025, a license is required for any job of $1,000 or more in labor and materials combined, up from $500 (CSLB). CSLB's Check a License tool shows whether a license is active and which trades it covers (CSLB).
How the figures were collected
Los Angeles prices come from the websites of 69 Los Angeles businesses, the top Google Maps results with their own website for each of six trades. The sites were read in October 2026 and coded with an AI-assisted process against a written codebook. National medians come from all 1,782 businesses in the study, each counted once at its lowest price for a job. Wage figures are Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Full method and limitations: US Home Services Price Transparency Report 2026.