Construction costs in Portland, OR
Local construction labor: $36.29/hr median wage — 1.27× the U.S. median ($28.63/hr).
Below, 22 common trades with their installed cost basis in Portland (material + labor, labor scaled by the local BLS OEWS 2025 wage) and the typical retail range once a contractor adds overhead & profit. Material holds near the national average across the contiguous U.S., so the wage is what moves these numbers.
Installed cost by trade in Portland
Common questions
Is construction more expensive in Portland, OR?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA has a median construction wage of $36.29/hr (BLS OEWS 2025), a 1.27× factor against the U.S. median of $28.63/hr. Labor is the part of an installed cost that moves with location, so local costs run above the national average — by how much depends on each trade's labor share.
Which trade's cost changes most in Portland?
Of the 22 trades here, interior painting cost per square foot moves the most: $1.51 per sq ft cost basis locally vs $1.23 nationally (+23%), because labor is the largest part of its cost.
Where do these numbers come from?
Each figure is the national cost basis from Ask Donnie's deterministic estimator with its labor scaled by this metro's BLS wage factor; the price range adds typical contractor overhead & profit. They are budgeting benchmarks, not quotes.
Construction costs in other metros
Pricing a job in Portland?
Ask Donnie’s estimator prices your actual takeoff against your ZIP — deterministic, itemized, with an AACE accuracy class. Free to start.
Try Ask Donnie →Cost-basis figures (material + labor) are built by the deterministic estimator from national-average material pricing (2026-06) and U.S. BLS OEWS 2025 construction wages (SOC 47-0000); regional figures scale labor by each state's or metro's BLS wage factor. A retail price adds typical contractor overhead & profit (15–25%). Benchmarks for budgeting — not a binding quote. Confirm with local contractor quotes before you commit. BLS series OEUM003890000000047000008.