For Washington contractors: modeled mixed rate-card references versus the national reference, national margin benchmarks, modeled roofing, HVAC and cleaning market estimates, and local wage context.
Key Finding
The median reference is $118/hr, while the top-decile reference is $168/hr versus $148/hr nationally. The median gap does not establish the same premium at the upper end. These modeled rate cards mix customer bill rates, loaded costs and wages; compare like-for-like definitions before using them to set a price.
Hypothetical selling-price scenario: if your customer price were $39/hr higher, 10 technicians × 2,000 billed hours each would mean $780K more gross billings. The mixed rate-card gap above does not establish that selling-price difference. Most technicians bill fewer than 2,000 hours; substitute your own recoverable hours. This is arithmetic, not observed revenue, a forecast or a profit difference.
For your quote, use productive hours you can actually recover, separately from paid hours, travel and callbacks. Then deduct your local labor burden and operating costs. A higher market reference cannot rescue an estimate that leaves those costs out. Compare paid hours, job hours and billed hours.
Median Bill Rate
$118/hr
75th Percentile
$142/hr
Top 10%
$168/hr
Editorial clarification: . Rate-card and public-data observation dates are unchanged. How we measure: state bill rates are modeled from Level's rate-card research across 1,770 contractors, blended across HVAC, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical, and skewed commercial. One caveat we surface openly: the underlying rate field is entered inconsistently, some firms record customer billing rates, others record loaded labor cost or base wages, so a state median blends both. Treat these as directional market estimates, not a precise per-state distribution. National operating metrics below are measured; see the contractor benchmark JSON for definitions and sample sizes.
About $3.5B in modeled combined annual services demand across roughly 3,079 employer firms summed across the three trades, with possible overlap for multi-trade firms. Roofing uses 2022 Census employer receipts; HVAC and janitorial use planning anchors. Revenue-tier allocations below are modeled estimates.
Commercial Cleaning
$1.4B
modeled annual services estimate
$0 residential / $1.4B commercial
1,480 employer firms
Modeled tier allocation: 110 at $1-5M · 27 at $5-10M · 7 at $10-25M
HVAC
$547.8M
modeled annual services estimate
$301.3M residential / $246.5M commercial
956 employer firms
Modeled tier allocation: 260 at $1-5M · 54 at $5-10M · 20 at $10-25M
Roofing
$1.6B
modeled annual services estimate
$923.2M residential / $668.5M commercial
643 employer firms
Modeled tier allocation: 173 at $1-5M · 27 at $5-10M · 11 at $10-25M
We estimate state business counts and company-size groups from national Census figures and each state’s share. Census did not directly count these state-by-size groups. HVAC also uses an estimated share of the combined plumbing, heating and AC category (NAICS 238220). These counts cover employers; businesses without employees are a different group, so not every competitor is included.
We count about 74,623 commercial buildings over 4,000 square feet. This building stock is relevant to HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and fire protection.
We count individual buildings, rather than land parcels. The records do not cover every building in every area. The property calculator uses a separate method for each trade, explains which work is included, and lets you change the assumptions.
Serviceable buildings
74,623
commercial structures over 4,000 sqft
Largest building segment
37,189
multifamily
Plumbing and HVAC context
33.3
buildings per NAICS 238220 location, not an all-trade rival count
| Building type | Buildings | Share of counted stock |
|---|---|---|
| Multifamily | 37,189 | 49.8% |
| Office | 9,204 | 12.3% |
| Education | 8,699 | 11.7% |
| Warehouse / distribution | 6,159 | 8.3% |
| Government | 4,270 | 5.7% |
| Healthcare | 3,063 | 4.1% |
| Worship | 3,005 | 4.0% |
| Hospitality | 1,570 | 2.1% |
| Industrial / manufacturing | 1,464 | 2.0% |
Buildings are counted per structure inside Washington, from FEMA/ORNL USA Structures, filtered to commercial occupancies over 4,000 square feet and excluding structures under 3.2 meters tall. Coverage varies by place, so these records do not count every building. USA Structures source catalog. We flag categories with fewer than 25 recorded buildings or less than 0.5% of the counted total. The flag asks you to check coverage; it does not tell us how many buildings are missing.
Competitor counts and employment are Census County Business Patterns for NAICS 238220, plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors. These counts describe plumbing and HVAC businesses only. They do not count roofing, electrical or fire-protection competitors. Census CBP methodology. Source observations remain available in the full geographic dataset.
Property opportunity by trade
Compare example revenue across 15 trades in Washington. For yearly services, we also show what the included buildings could represent together. For one-time projects, we show a per-property amount unless we know how often the work happens.
HVAC / mechanical
$25,293
per example property, per year
about $6,096 example gross profit at 24.1%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$1.9B a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 74,623 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →Electrical
Total annual account revenue
$19,045
per example property, per year
about $4,856 example gross profit at 25.5%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$1.4B a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 74,623 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →Plumbing
Typical permitted plumbing upgrade, when it occurs
$13,805
per example property, if the project goes ahead
about $3,051 example gross profit at 22.1%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
No area-wide total: we do not know how often these projects happen.
Edit the assumptions →Roofing
Public-award scope reference
$19,855
per example property, if the project goes ahead
about $7,525 example gross profit at 37.9%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
No area-wide total: we do not know how often these projects happen.
Edit the assumptions →Elevator service
Modeled annual revenue per service location; equipment units are a separate input
$10,607
per estimated service location, per year
about $3,214 example gross profit at 30.3%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$54M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 35,970 buildings in the records used for this trade; about 5,089 estimated service locations and 14,142 estimated equipment units.
Edit the assumptions →Commercial refrigeration
Modeled annual revenue per service location; equipment units are a separate input
$1,489
per estimated service location, per year
about $564 example gross profit at 37.9%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$35M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 35,970 buildings in the records used for this trade; plus 17,295 Census food establishments; about 23,482 estimated service locations and 123,985 estimated equipment units.
Edit the assumptions →Fire protection
Sprinkler inspection floor only
$658
per example property, per year
about $207 example gross profit at 31.4%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$49.1M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 74,623 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →Cleaning / janitorial
Modeled annual cleaning revenue per standard property, calculated from cleanable square footage
$41,500
per example property, per year
about $5,105 example gross profit at 12.3%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$3.1B a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 74,623 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →Landscaping / grounds
Modeled annual landscaping revenue per standard property, calculated from maintained acreage
$1,174
per example property, per year
about $274 example gross profit at 23.3%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$87.6M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 74,623 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →Pest control
Routine recurring general IPM comparison
$291
per example property, per year
about $153 example gross profit at 52.7%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$21.7M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 74,623 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →Solar service
Commercial solar installation project, when it occurs
$71,635
per example property, if the project goes ahead
about $27,436 example gross profit at 38.3%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
No area-wide total: we do not know how often these projects happen.
Edit the assumptions →Controls / building automation
Planned BAS labor only
$3,360
per example property, per year
about $1,273 example gross profit at 37.9%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$250.7M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 74,623 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →General contracting
Interior-renovation contract, when this scope exists
$2,303,000
per example property, if the project goes ahead
about $320,117 example gross profit at 13.9%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
No area-wide total: we do not know how often these projects happen.
Edit the assumptions →Restoration
Restoration project reference, when work occurs
$35,358
per example property, if the project goes ahead
about $11,951 example gross profit at 33.8%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
No area-wide total: we do not know how often these projects happen.
Edit the assumptions →Commercial doors / docks
Scheduled maintenance for an example property with 8 covered doors or gates
$1,130
per example property, per year
about $428 example gross profit at 37.9%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$84.3M a year if every included property or location bought this service, with 8 covered doors or gates per property
Based on 74,623 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →These examples help with planning. They are not quotes or sales forecasts. The area-wide total assumes every included building buys the selected service, including any multifamily buildings in the count. It is not a realistic sales target. Do not add it to the separate market-demand estimate elsewhere on the page; they use different groups and methods. Check which addresses are covered and how many customers you could actually reach, then change the calculator inputs. We use the same price assumptions across regions, but the mix of building types changes the average. When project timing is unknown, the download leaves the area-wide total blank (null), rather than showing zero.
Residential roofing and HVAC demand tracks the single-family housing stock and its age. Here is the public Census picture for Washington, the base the market is sized on.
Single-family homes
2,218,258
3,400,980 total housing units
Median year built
1987
Newer housing stock
2024 building permits
38K
19,136 single-family (new-construction signal)
Owner-occupied
1,992,341
Homes occupied by their owners
What drives demand here: A wet climate accelerates roof wear; steady Puget Sound growth.
Housing figures: US Census ACS 2024 1-year (B25001 housing units, B25024 single-family, B25035 median year built) (Census). Permits: US Census Building Permits Survey 2024 (annual state file) (Census BPS). Permits are a new-construction signal; roofing and HVAC demand is mostly replacement-driven, so read them together with housing age.
These metrics are reported nationally. Where your Washington business falls depends on your specific operations. See the full national breakdown.
Collection Rate
85.1%
Top quartile: 92.7%
n=464 companies
Service agreement gross margin
37.9%
Top quartile: 53%
n=259 companies
Billing Speed
1 day
Raw median (incl. progress billers); ~7 days for post-completion invoicers
n=733 companies
Billing Capture
97.1%
Hours invoiced divided by hours logged on jobs, not "utilization". Top quartile: 100%
n=963 companies
Quote Conversion
73.9%
Top quartile: 83.2%
n=794 companies
Washington Bill Rate
$118/hr
Top quartile: $142/hr
Older reference: 68 contractors. We have not confirmed who was included, so use each metric’s own sample count.
What you will pay for skilled labor and what it takes to operate legally in Washington, the two inputs that decide whether the demand above is worth chasing.
| Trade | Median wage (BLS) |
|---|---|
| Roofers | $29.01/hr |
| HVAC mechanics and installers | $32.51/hr |
| Janitors and building cleaners | $21.02/hr |
Specialty-trade establishments
16,240
NAICS 238 (all specialty trades), Census 2022
Licensing
All contractors (roofing and HVAC) must register with L&I. Surety bond $30,000 general / $15,000 specialty, plus general-liability insurance.
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024, state data, hourly median (Colorado roofer wage suppressed in the 2024 state file, so CO uses May 2023) (BLS OEWS WA; Roofers SOC 47-2181; HVAC mechanics/installers 49-9021; janitors and building cleaners 37-2011). Establishments: US Census County Business Patterns / SUSB 2022, NAICS 238 (specialty trade contractors) (Census SUSB). Licensing from state board and statute; verify current requirements before operating.
National contractor-services revenue uses a Census roofing reference and Level HVAC/janitorial planning assumptions: roofing ~$70B (US Census 2022 Economic Census, NAICS 238160 employer receipts), HVAC services ~$24B and commercial janitorial ~$60B (Level estimates; we have not confirmed a primary source measuring the same service categories). Each national total is allocated to states by that state's relative share of housing (residential) and commercial activity (commercial), then residential vs commercial is split by the national-average share for the trade. Competitor counts start with national Census employer counts and company-size groups, then use estimated state shares. The state-by-size numbers are calculated estimates, rather than groups directly counted by Census. This is directional market sizing; treat the numbers as estimates and read residential/commercial as an assumed split, not a measured one.
Directional market sizing, not an independent per-state survey. The model retains national scale assumptions; exact primary support for HVAC and janitorial anchors is unresolved; the state distribution is a modeled share and residential vs commercial is applied as a national-average split, not measured per state. Figures are estimates, ranges where noted.
The modeled median contractor bill rate in Washington is $118/hr, with the 75th percentile at $142/hr and the top 10% at $168/hr. That compares to a $79/hr national median. State bill rates are modeled from Level's rate-card research (blended across HVAC, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical, and skewed commercial), so treat them as directional market estimates, not a precise per-state distribution. The underlying field mixes customer bill rates, loaded labor costs and base wages, not a verified customer selling price.
About $3.5B a year combined: Commercial Cleaning $1.4B, HVAC $547.8M, Roofing $1.6B. This is a modeled allocation: roofing uses 2022 Census revenue for employers; HVAC and commercial janitorial use Level estimates. State shares and residential/commercial splits are assumptions, not measured local buyer demand (method below).
Across these three trades, Census records list about 3,079 businesses with employees. Businesses working in more than one trade may be counted more than once. Our estimates for businesses with $1M-$25M in annual revenue are: Commercial Cleaning has 144, HVAC has 334, Roofing has 211. The Census counts exclude sole proprietors without employees. The revenue groups are our estimates, not Census counts of competitors in that revenue range.
Washington's median bill rate runs about $39/hr above the $79/hr national median. Separately, the national median share of billings converted to cash is 85.1%, but it is a cross-company comparison, not a state-specific estimate or a promised result. The rate field mixes customer prices, loaded labor costs and base wages, so it is not a customer selling price. Before acting on the rate gap, compare your own job and contract mix. For collections, check invoice ages and which invoices you count as collected.
Simple pricing
$500+/mo
Bookkeeping
The clean data layer: monthly books, reconciliations, and organized financials AI can work with.
$1,500-$5,000/mo
Scale
The full AI operating layer: custom agents, weekly actions, and benchmarks to grow margin per hour.
Custom
Platform / Multi-Office
Multi-branch benchmarking and scorecards for PE-backed and multi-location groups.
We'll benchmark you against Washington and national data.
No commitment. Real numbers, not generic advice.