Rockingham County · Boston-Cambridge-Newton labor area · 31,588 residents
Home project costs in Salem, NH
What a roof, siding, deck, fence, driveway or heat pump costs in Salem after national installed prices are adjusted for local trade wages. 4 of the six have their own page here because the town's fee schedule sets a permit fee for them.
- 1Roof $8,600–$13,200
- 2Siding $6,750–$20,200
- 3Deck $8,850–$17,700
- 4Heat pump $11,450–$22,850
Six projects at their reference sizes
| Project | Size, material | Estimate | Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft, architectural | $8,600–$13,200 | $100 |
| Siding replacement | 1,500 sq ft, vinyl | $6,750–$20,200 | $100 |
| Deck building | 320 sq ft, pressure-treated | $8,850–$17,700 | $128 |
| Fence installation | 150 linear ft, wood | $3,250–$8,300 | no line |
| Driveway paving | 600 sq ft, asphalt | $3,500–$8,200 | no line |
| Heat pump installation | 2,000 sq ft home, ducted air-source | $11,450–$22,850 | $111.50 |
“No line” means the town's schedule, as read on October 20, 2026, sets no fee this site could apply to that work; the building department can say whether a permit is needed.
Labor index by trade
Rockingham County sits in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH. Each project's labor is scaled by the trade that does it:
| Trade | Local median | US median | Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roofers | $31.90 | $26.65 | +19.7% |
| Carpenters | $36.16 | $29.12 | +24.2% |
| Construction laborers | $30.49 | $22.66 | +34.6% |
| Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators | $32.94 | $25.64 | +28.5% |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers | $30.23 | $27.41 | +10.3% |
| HVAC mechanics and installers | $37.75 | $29.33 | +28.7% |
* BLS publishes no estimate for this trade in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton area; New Hampshire statewide median used. Wages: BLS 2025 wage data via O*NET OnLine.
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton area BLS uses for Rockingham County is mostly Massachusetts, where trade wages run higher than in New Hampshire. The statewide New Hampshire medians are shown on each project page next to the area figure, so the gap is visible rather than hidden in one number.
Salem in numbers
Salem had 31,588 residents in the state's 2025 estimate, up 9.8% from 28,776 in 2010, faster than the state's 7.5% over the same years. At 1,276 people per square mile it is one of the most built-up places on this site (3 of 19 by density), so crews often work on tight lots with neighbours close by.
75.6% of Salem's occupied homes are lived in by their owners, more than the 72.8% statewide, and the median owner-occupied home is valued at $473,300 (New Hampshire: $402,500).
The town's permit schedule
Read from Salem Fire Department, Inspectional Services, Permit Schedule (effective 1/1/2025, adopted 10/2024). The lines this site uses:
“RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT FEES (Min $100)”
“Additions/Alterations $6.50 Per thousand of construction value”
“Decks $.40 Per Square foot”
“Residential mechanical: Any Residential $6.50 Per thousand of construction value”
Nearby towns
Same labor area (Boston-Cambridge-Newton): Durham · Exeter · Londonderry · Portsmouth · Rochester · Somersworth.
All towns: town list · Guides: permit fees by town, labor costs in New Hampshire
Population: NH Office of Planning and Development, 2025 Population Estimates of New Hampshire Cities and Towns (published July 17, 2026); housing: Census QuickFacts, Salem (ACS 2020-2024). Checked October 20, 2026. Estimates are ranges from published averages, not quotes.