Summary
- St.
- Louis moving companies that post rates charge $110 to $160 an hour for two movers, and one St.
*Marketit research | October 2026*
St. Louis moving companies that post rates charge $110 to $160 an hour for two movers, and one St. Louis HVAC contractor charges $125 for a diagnostic. We found these and the other prices on this page on the websites of 72 St. Louis 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 St. Louis businesses advertise, the national figures from the same study, what St. Louis-area tradespeople earn according to federal data, and the Missouri rules that affect the bill.
St. Louis prices at a glance
| Job | What St. Louis businesses advertise | US median in the study |
|---|---|---|
| Two movers, per hour | $110 to $160 (2 businesses) | $142.50 with a truck (46 businesses) |
| HVAC diagnostic | $125 (1 business) | $89.95 (37 businesses) |
| Drain cleaning | $195 (1 business) | $147.50 for a single drain (12 businesses) |
| Electrician weekend emergency call | $299 (1 business) | No national median |
| Rot repair, starting price | From $650 (1 business) | No national median |
| Roof decking replacement, per sheet | $85, or $95 on a steep roof (1 business) | No national median |
Most St. Louis figures come from a single business, so treat them as examples of what local firms charge rather than a typical St. Louis price. The national medians come from all 25 metros in the study. All of them are advertised prices, not final bills.
How many St. Louis businesses post prices
8 of the 72 St. Louis businesses we checked list a price on their website (11.1%), against 13.8% across all 25 metros. Across the four Midwestern metros in the study, 9.9% do, the lowest share of any region.
| Trade | Businesses checked | With a price |
|---|---|---|
| Moving companies | 12 | 3 |
| HVAC contractors | 12 | 1 |
| Plumbers | 12 | 1 |
| Electricians | 12 | 1 |
| Carpenters | 12 | 1 |
| Roofers | 12 | 1 |
With about 12 businesses per trade, read these as counts rather than rates.
What St. Louis tradespeople earn
St. Louis-area electricians and plumbers earn 22% and 21% more than the national median, and carpenters 17% more. HVAC technicians and roofers earn close to it, according to federal wage data.
| Trade | St. Louis-area median wage | US median wage | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | $37.10 an hour | $30.38 an hour | +22% |
| Plumbers | $37.02 an hour | $30.67 an hour | +21% |
| HVAC mechanics and installers | $30.29 an hour | $29.33 an hour | +3% |
| Carpenters | $34.13 an hour | $29.12 an hour | +17% |
| Roofers | $28.25 an hour | $26.65 an hour | +6% |
The figures are Bureau of Labor Statistics data for May 2025 for the St. Louis metro area, which spans Missouri and Illinois. 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 St. Louis
Three of the 12 St. Louis moving companies list rates. One charges $145 an hour for a two-man crew on weekdays and $160 on Fridays and Saturdays, plus a flat $125 travel fee. Another starts at $110 an hour for two people, $180 for three and $250 for four. The third offers a student storage package for $395.
Nationally, the median is $142.50 an hour for two movers and a truck, $190 for three and $249 for four. The St. Louis two-mover rates run from $32.50 below the national median to $17.50 above it, and the four-mover rate matches it. Moves between St. Louis and the Illinois side of the metro cross a state line, so federal rules apply: the mover needs a USDOT number, which you can check through the federal regulator's Protect Your Move site (FMCSA). More in our moving price guide.
HVAC contractors in St. Louis
One of the 12 St. Louis HVAC contractors lists a price: a diagnostic that regularly costs $125.
That's $35 above the national median of $89.95, and 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 St. Louis
One of the 12 St. Louis plumbers lists a price: $195 for drain cleaning.
The national median for clearing a single drain is $147.50, so the St. Louis price is $47.50 higher. 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 St. Louis
One of the 12 St. Louis electricians lists a price: $299 for a weekend emergency call.
Nationally, electricians that post a fee just to come out charge a median of $77 during normal hours, or $149 to $275 for a visit that includes troubleshooting or the first hour. HomeAdvisor's electrician guide gives $100 to $200 for a service call that covers the first hour. St. Louis-area electricians earn a median $37.10 an hour, 22% above the national median. More in our electrician price guide.
Carpenters in St. Louis
One of the 12 St. Louis carpenters lists prices for structural repairs: rot repair from $650, rim joist repair from $1,200, framing from $1,500 and header replacement from $3,500.
Carpenters across the study rarely post comparable prices, so there's no national median for these jobs. St. Louis-area carpenters earn a median $34.13 an hour, 17% above the national median.
Roofers in St. Louis
One of the 12 St. Louis roofers lists a price: $85 per sheet to replace damaged roof decking, or $95 on a steep roof. Decking is the plywood or OSB layer under the shingles, and rotten sheets are often found only once the old roof is off.
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 St. Louis home repairs
In Missouri, contractors pay sales tax on the materials they buy as the final consumer and should not add it to the customer's bill. The Department of Revenue says: "Contractors should not charge sales tax on the lump-sum contract price of a real property addition" (Missouri Department of Revenue). Contractors can build the tax they pay into the contract price. Illinois rules apply on the Illinois side of the metro.
Checking a St. Louis contractor
Missouri doesn't license general contractors, electricians or plumbers at the state level, so licensing is local. In the St. Louis area, St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis each license trades such as electrical, plumbing and mechanical work. Ask which local license a contractor holds and confirm it with the county or city before the job starts.
How the figures were collected
St. Louis prices come from the websites of 72 St. Louis 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.