How much do tradies charge? Australia's most affordable tradespeople revealed

New data reveals Victoria is the cheapest state to procure trade services, with the state’s tradespeople charging 10 per cent less than the national average.

The findings (derived from a sample of 52,000 quotes submitted on ServiceSeeking.com.au) show Victorian-based painters, plasterers, landscapers and tilers are currently the four most affordable tradespeople to hire across the country, with their average rates ranging from $39.79 to $50.72 an hour.

This is despite the national hourly rate of all Australian tradespeople climbing to $67.16 – 10 per cent higher than the previous year.

“Property prices [in Victoria] have lagged behind NSW, which has the most expensive tradies,” says Jeremy Levitt, CEO of ServiceSeeking.com.au.

“Relative to other states, demand is soft with far more available tradies, which has driven charge-out rates downwards. With a surplus of tradies looking for a steady flow of work, many have been forced to charge competitive prices far lower than the national charge-out rate in order to win work.”

Also included in the data are the price changes recorded across eight popular industries in Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales: building and renovations; carpentry; electrical; landscaping; painting; plastering; plumbing; and tiling and paving.

Victorian-based painters, plasterers, landscapers and tilers offer the lowest prices nationwide. Photo: Stocksy

The industry with the biggest year-on-year price decrease is landscaping in Western Australian, where prices have declined 10 per cent to $53.90 an hour.

“There are far more landscapers in Western Australia competing for fewer jobs, placing downward cost pressure on landscapers’ charge-out rates in these states,” Levitt says.

In NSW, however, landscaper prices have risen a huge 48 per cent to $95.91 an hour, making this the best paid trade in the country.

The ServiceSeeking.com.au data is a helpful resource for those looking to build on a budget over the peak renovation season. It can be viewed in its entirety online.

“Customers can compare a wide range of prices and pick a tradie that is right for the job,” Levitt says.

“Our data has shown that you can save up to 40 per cent on trades and services as competitive pressure drives down prices.”

The top 10 most affordable Australian tradies​:

Industry, Location, Hourly rate FY18-Q2

1. Painter, VIC, $39.79
2. Plasterer, VIC, $46.83
3. Landscaper, VIC, $50.35
4. Tiler, VIC, $50.72
5. Painter, WA, $52.38
6. Landscaper, WA, $53.90
7. Plasterer, NSW, $54.22
8. Landscaper, QLD, $54.47
9. Carpenter, WA, $54.56
10. Plasterer, WA, $54.96