Summary
- Austin HVAC contractors that post a service call fee charge $79 or $89, at or just below the national median of $89.95, and one Austin plumber charges $165 for the first hour with travel included.
- We found these and the other prices on this page on the websites of 72 Austin 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*
Austin HVAC contractors that post a service call fee charge $79 or $89, at or just below the national median of $89.95, and one Austin plumber charges $165 for the first hour with travel included. We found these and the other prices on this page on the websites of 72 Austin 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 Austin businesses advertise, the national figures from the same study, what Austin-area tradespeople earn according to federal data, and the Texas rules that affect the bill.
Austin prices at a glance
| Job | What Austin businesses advertise | US median in the study |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC service call | $79 and $89 (2 businesses) | $89.95 (37 businesses) |
| Plumber, first hour including travel | $165 (1 business) | $180 and $230 (2 businesses) |
| Tank water heater, installed | $2,019 to $3,800 (1 business) | From $1,900 (5 businesses) |
| Electrical panel upgrade, starting price | From $3,000 (1 business) | $2,500 (7 businesses) |
| Two movers, per hour | $129 (1 business) | $142.50 with a truck (46 businesses) |
| Three movers and a truck, per hour | $209 including tax (1 business) | $190 (25 businesses) |
Every Austin figure comes from one or two businesses, so treat them as examples of what local firms charge rather than a typical Austin price. The national medians come from all 25 metros in the study. All of them are advertised prices, not final bills.
How many Austin businesses post prices
9 of the 72 Austin businesses we checked list a price on their website (12.5%), against 13.8% across all 25 metros. Across the 11 Southern metros in the study, 13.0% do.
| Trade | Businesses checked | With a price |
|---|---|---|
| Moving companies | 12 | 3 |
| HVAC contractors | 12 | 2 |
| Plumbers | 12 | 2 |
| Electricians | 12 | 1 |
| Roofers | 12 | 1 |
| Carpenters | 12 | 0 |
With about 12 businesses per trade, read these as counts rather than rates.
What Austin tradespeople earn
Austin-area electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians earn close to the national median. Carpenters and roofers earn well below it, 17% and 15% less, according to federal wage data.
| Trade | Austin-area median wage | US median wage | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | $29.03 an hour | $30.38 an hour | −4% |
| Plumbers | $30.20 an hour | $30.67 an hour | −2% |
| HVAC mechanics and installers | $29.24 an hour | $29.33 an hour | 0% |
| Carpenters | $24.16 an hour | $29.12 an hour | −17% |
| Roofers | $22.76 an hour | $26.65 an hour | −15% |
The figures are Bureau of Labor Statistics data for May 2025 for the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos 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 Austin
Three of the 12 Austin moving companies list rates. One charges $129 an hour for two movers. Another charges $209 an hour for three movers and a box truck, with a two-hour minimum and tax included. The third lists a $380 minimum for junk removal.
Nationally, the median is $142.50 an hour for two movers and a truck, $190 for three and $249 for four. The Austin three-mover rate is $19 above the national median, and it includes tax.
Moves within Texas are regulated by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Movers must be licensed with TxDMV, show their certificate number on both sides of their trucks and give you a written proposal before loading. After you sign, a licensed mover can't add charges unless you both agree in writing. TxDMV's Truck Stop lookup shows whether a mover is licensed (TxDMV). More in our moving price guide.
Plumbers in Austin
Two of the 12 Austin plumbers list prices. One charges a one-hour minimum of $165, travel included, and $110 an hour after that. The other charges $99 to flush a tank water heater, $199 to flush a tankless one and $2,019 to $3,800 to install a new tank water heater.
Across the study, plumbers charge a median of $97 to come out and $147.50 to clear a single drain, and water heater installations start at a median of $1,900. HomeAdvisor's water heater guide gives $600 to $2,500 installed for a tank model, so the Austin range starts near the top of that. HomeAdvisor's plumber guide puts most plumbers at $70 to $120 an hour, and the Austin plumber's $110 rate after the first hour falls inside it. More in our plumber price guide.
HVAC contractors in Austin
Two of the 12 Austin HVAC contractors list a price, both for a service call: $79 and $89.
The national median diagnostic fee in the study is $89.95, so both Austin fees sit at or below it. HomeAdvisor's AC repair guide puts a diagnostic visit at $75 to $200. Nationally, the median tune-up is $134 and new furnaces start at a median of $4,200. More in our HVAC price guide.
Electricians in Austin
One of the 12 Austin electricians lists a price: electrical panel upgrades from $3,000.
Seven US electricians in the study post a starting price for a panel upgrade, from $850 to $3,000, with a median of $2,500, so the Austin price is at the top of that range. HomeAdvisor's panel guide puts a 200-amp upgrade at $1,300 to $2,000. Nationally, electricians that post a call fee charge a median of $77 just to come out, or $149 to $275 for a visit that includes troubleshooting or the first hour. More in our electrician price guide.
Roofers in Austin
One of the 12 Austin roofers lists prices: roof replacement from about $10,000, and $425 per square (100 square feet of roof) for estimates made from satellite measurements.
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.
Carpenters in Austin
None of the 12 Austin carpenters we checked list a price. Austin-area carpenters earn a median $24.16 an hour, 17% below the national median and the widest gap of the five trades on this page.
Sales tax on Austin home repairs
Texas doesn't tax the labor on home repairs. The state Comptroller's guidance says: "Labor to repair, remodel, or restore residential real property is not taxable." On a lump-sum job, the contractor pays tax on materials when buying them and doesn't charge you tax. On a contract that lists materials separately, the contractor can charge sales tax on those materials (Texas Comptroller). Work on commercial property is taxed on the full charge.
Checking an Austin contractor
Texas licenses some trades and not others. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses electricians and air conditioning and refrigeration contractors, and the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners licenses plumbers. Both have free online license searches (TDLR, TSBPE). Texas has no state license for general contractors, roofers or carpenters, so for those trades ask for proof of insurance and check whether the job needs a city permit.
How the figures were collected
Austin prices come from the websites of 72 Austin 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.