Frequently Asked Questions
costs.fyi is operated by Zephry Homes, LLC.
Where does your cost data come from?
Our benchmarks combine community submissions, publicly available reports, and trusted partner datasets. We normalize costs into consistent units (hourly, per-fixture, per-sq-ft), apply regional adjustments, and aggregate across categories. This covers plumbing, home building, electronics, and other contractor services so homeowners and professionals can compare prices with confidence.
How current is the data?
Updates are continuous as new invoices and submissions arrive. Each benchmark shows when it was last updated, sample size, and geographic coverage. Quick-changing areas like plumbing service calls and electronics repairs refresh more frequently than large-scale projects like home building.
Can I submit my contractor invoice?
Yes—your contributions help improve accuracy. Please remove any personal identifiers and upload via your dashboard. We anonymize and validate each submission, then incorporate it into our datasets. Submissions with itemized labor and materials are especially valuable.
How do you calculate the ranges I see?
We calculate robust medians and interquartile ranges after normalizing costs and applying regional indices. Outliers (such as emergency jobs or unusually complex projects) are reduced so they don’t distort results. Where possible, labor and material costs are shown separately for clarity.
Is the data free?
Core cost benchmarks are free to browse. Advanced features such as regional drill-downs, historical trends, downloadable reports, and API access are available through paid plans for professionals, insurers, and marketplaces.
Do you sell personal data?
No. We never sell personal data. We may share anonymized, aggregated insights with partners to help improve price transparency in the industry. For full details, please see our Privacy Policy.
I found an error in a listing. How do I report it?
Accuracy matters. If you spot an error, please use our contact form or email support with the page URL and details. Our team reviews and corrects entries quickly, and significant fixes trigger an updated dataset.
How do I delete my account and data?
You can request deletion from your profile settings or by contacting support. We process requests in compliance with privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA). Any data used in aggregated benchmarks remains only in anonymized, non-identifiable form.
Do you have an API?
Yes. Our API provides programmatic access to benchmarks by category, region, and time window, including labor vs. materials where available. Please contact us to discuss access, terms, and pricing.
What project details improve plumbing estimates?
For more accurate plumbing estimates, include the number of fixtures, pipe type and diameter, run length, access conditions, and whether it’s emergency work. Photos of access points (crawlspaces, slab, or walls) also help reduce uncertainty.
How do you handle home building costs that vary by scope?
We break projects into phases—site work, foundation, framing, mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP), exterior, and interiors. Costs are normalized per square foot or per unit where possible, and we include contingency guidance for expected change orders.
Do electronics repair prices include parts?
Diagnostics are often listed separately. When parts are included, we show a split between part cost and labor. Prices may vary depending on OEM vs. third-party parts and current availability.
Can contractors claim or update their profiles?
Yes. Licensed contractors can claim their profiles to add service areas, license details, insurance information, and typical rates. All updates are reviewed to prevent manipulation and ensure data quality.
What regions and currencies do you support?
We support national and metro-level benchmarks in multiple countries. Currency is set automatically based on your location, with the option to override in your account settings. Regional indices adjust for local wages, taxes, permits, and logistics.
Didn’t find your answer? Reach out and we’ll help.