Every floor hole covered with plywood costs a carpenter's time, lumber, and a trip to the dumpster, then gets thrown away. Set your building below to see what plywood really costs and what reusable CoverMe covers save.
Set floors, size, and building type
Pick your region and labor
See your savings, crew hours, and waste
Multifamily: default 1 opening every 80 sq ft, a kitchen and bath stack in every unit.
Picking a building type sets a default spacing. Slide it to match your drawings: 50 sq ft is dense (labs, apartments), 500 is sparse (core and shell).
Sets carpenter pay, lumber prices, and dumpster rates for the area.
Non-union crews. The rate is the full cost to the contractor: wages, taxes, and insurance.
Set by region and labor. Slide to use your own number. Carpenters build plywood covers. Laborers set CoverMe covers at 75% of this rate.
About 25% of plywood covers get replaced after rain, traffic, and removal.
How many jobs like this your company runs in a year.
Middle-of-the-road carpenter times and cover life.
Old school: plywood$0cut, screwed, painted, thrown out
You save$0floor 12 of 12
CoverMe$0covers move up with the crew
Crew hours
Every hole covered by hand is a carpenter off the work that moves the job forward. Each figure is one carpenter's full work year (2,080 hours), filled with the hours this job takes.
0crew hours saved on this project
0carpenter days freed up
0work weeks of one carpenter
0crew hours saved over 5 years
What a shorter schedule is worth$00 days sooner
General conditions, loan interest, and lost rent while the building waits to open.
Most hole covering happens alongside other work. Only part of the saved time moves the finish date.
Covers stay on every floor until the building is done, so you buy one for every opening plus 10% for loss, rounded up to full packs. Price each is the average across the packs in your order.
2"-6" round cover set on a slabWedge cover around a pipeDiamond Cut set around a column
"Out of the other brands, they are definitely the best most secure covers we've ever used."
Rick, Penhall Company
"The covers themselves have worked well in our field applications, saving a lot of time building and installing traditional hole covers."
Cameron N., Pumford Construction
Injury risk$0expected cost with plywood covers
A lost-time fall injury costs about $54,499 in workers' comp on average, and indirect costs (lost time, investigation, training a replacement, schedule) add about the same again. Plywood covers get kicked, lifted, and left unmarked. CoverMe covers lock in place and come marked, so we count their injury risk at zero.
$16,550
OSHA's maximum penalty for a single serious violation in 2026. An unsecured or unmarked floor hole is a common citation under 29 CFR 1926.502(i). CoverMe covers arrive rated, locking, and marked.
Estimates for planning only. Opening counts use typical MEP penetration densities (2" and larger) by building type. Opening counts, plywood labor, and replacement rates vary by job and crew; adjust the assumptions below to match yours. CoverMe pricing reflects case pricing and may change. Call Matt at 616.881.1378 for an exact quote.
Assumptions
Every number behind the estimate. Items marked To confirm are placeholders until CoverMe verifies them.
Floor openings
Counts openings 2 inches and larger, the size OSHA treats as a hole.13
Each building type sets a default spacing: multifamily and hotel 1 per 80 sq ft, office 1 per 330, healthcare and lab 1 per 50, mixed-use 1 per 125, data center and core and shell 1 per 500.3 The spacing slider overrides it. See "How we counted openings" below.
Every opening stays covered from the time it's cut until the building is finished. Plywood covers are built once per opening and stay in place; they are never moved or reused. CoverMe covers also stay until the building is done, then move to the next job.3
Labor and region
Hourly rates are the full cost to the contractor: wages, fringe benefits, payroll taxes, and insurance.
Midwest carpenter, open shop: $60 an hour.3 Prevailing wage $80 and union $85.26To confirm For reference, the median carpenter wage before benefits and taxes is $29.12 an hour.25
Open shop means non-union crews. Union means wage plus fringe under a local agreement. Prevailing wage means public or publicly funded work under Davis-Bacon or state rules, usually close to local union rates.
Carpenters build and set plywood covers. Laborers set CoverMe covers, at 75% of the carpenter rate.3
Regional index for labor / lumber vs. the Midwest: Chicago 125% / 105%, New York 150% / 115%, Boston-Philadelphia-DC 130% / 110%, Southeast 85% / 95%, Texas 90% / 95%, Mountain West 95% / 100%, West Coast 140% / 115%.26To confirm
The rate slider overrides region and labor with your own number.
Plywood method
$60 per 4x8 sheet of 3/4" plywood in the Midwest,2 adjusted by region. Retail sheathing was $41.99 at Home Depot on Sept 30, 2026.16,17
A plywood cover is cut about twice the size of the hole so it overlaps the edges, never smaller than 12" square, plus 25% for scraps and offcuts.3 Typical hole sizes used: 4" standard and knockout, 3" small rectangle, 9" large, 18" XL, 21" diamond cut.26
Each cover gets a 2x4 cleat cut to the opening and screwed to the underside so it can't slide. Cleat lengths: 50% 6", 25% 12", 25% longer (24"), for an average of 12" plus 10% cut waste.3 2x4x8 stud $3.98,16 adjusted by region.
A handful of screws ($0.80) and a shot of spray paint ($0.70) per cover.2
11, 13, and 15 minutes to measure, cut, fasten, and paint a small, large, or XL and diamond cover, plus 2 minutes for the cleat and 5 minutes to find, carry, set up, and put away the saw, screw gun, cord, and tape (typical estimate style).3
Diamond cuts are openings with a steel beam or pipe running through them, so the plywood cover is 3 to 4 pieces cut to fit around it, with 2x4 framing assembled around the opening.3 We use 3.5 pieces, 8 more minutes for each extra piece, and four 24" 2x4s at 2 minutes each.26To confirm
1 minute per cover to carry scrap to the dumpster.26To confirm
Covers replaced after damage or removal, set by job conditions: 15% enclosed, 25% typical, 40% open deck or winter. Each replacement costs the same material and labor again.3
Scrap goes in a 30-yard roll-off dumpster. About 100 loose sheets of cut plywood fill one.20,26 Midwest pull about $800;18 other regions $450 to $750.19To confirm
CoverMe method
One CoverMe cover for every opening, plus 10% for loss.3 Standard and large openings use adjustable rounds, knockouts use the 2"-6" wedge, small rectangles use the 2"-4" small rectangle, XL openings use XL rounds, and diamond cuts use one 18"-24" Diamond Cut set each.
Orders round up to full packs: 20 for 2"-6" and 2"-4", 10 for 6"-12", 2 for XL, 1 set for diamond cuts. Each order is built from the largest packs first, so the price matches the website cart.1
Volume pricing is set by the size of the order, not the size of the building. Prices on Sept 30, 2026:1 2"-6" round and wedge: $15.95 at 10, $12.95 at 20+, $11.95 at 1,000+, $10.95 at 10,000+. 2"-4" small rectangle: $13.95 at 10, $11.95 at 20+, $10.95 at 1,000+, $9.95 at 10,000+. 6"-12" round: $22.95 at 10+, $21.95 at 500+, $20.95 at 1,000+, $19.95 at 10,000+. 12"-24" XL round: $97.50 at 2+, $95 at 100+, $92.50 at 500+, $90 at 10,000+. 18"-24" Diamond Cut set: $395 to 20 sets, $390 at 50+, $385 at 500+, $380 at 1,000+, $375 at 10,000+.
Region does not change CoverMe prices. They are the same online everywhere.1
Each cover lasts 5 projects and 10% are lost each project (typical estimate style). This project carries its share of the cover cost; the full upfront order is shown separately.3
The defaults are CoverMe's field numbers.3 No published standard counts floor openings per square foot, so as an independent check we counted from the parts of the building that need a hole: plumbing fixtures the code requires, the risers that serve them, and electrical, telecom, and fire protection risers. Pipes 1" to 2" are listed for floor openings of 4" to 6", so nearly every pipe or conduit through a slab leaves a hole OSHA counts.8,13 Each floor also gets about 10 building-wide openings: 2 standpipes, 4 telecom sleeves,11 2 electrical risers, and 2 roof drain leaders.26
Building type
How it's counted
Our count
Default
Multifamily
New apartments average 910 sq ft4 and apartments are about 75% of the floor,5 so about 1,215 gross sq ft per unit. Each unit needs a toilet, sink, tub or shower, and kitchen sink.6 That's about 12 openings per unit: toilet and tub drains through the slab,7 waste, vent, hot, and cold risers for the bath and the kitchen, and a power and low-voltage sleeve.26
Select-service hotels run about 615 gross sq ft per room.9 Every room needs a toilet, sink, and tub or shower.6 About 4 openings per room: toilet and tub drains, and half of a shared waste, vent, hot, and cold riser group for back-to-back bathrooms.26 Full-service hotels with larger rooms run lower.
150 gross sq ft per person,10 so a 20,000 sq ft floor holds about 133 people and needs 4 toilets, 3 sinks, and a service sink.6 About 15 plumbing openings, 8 telecom sleeves for 2 telecom rooms,11 8 electrical riser conduits, 4 duct shafts, plus standpipes and roof leaders: about 41 per floor. 26
Every exam room and patient room needs its own hand-washing station, and each patient toilet room adds a toilet, sink, and bedpan washer.12 Plus medical gas, exhaust, and lab waste. No room-by-room count yet.26To confirm
Our count uses code minimums (one bath per unit, the fewest fixtures allowed), so it runs lower than what crews see on real jobs with extra baths, sleeves, and spare cores. Slide the spacing to 100 (multifamily), 140 (hotel), or 490 (office) to use our count instead. Best check: count the openings on the sleeve or core-drill drawings for a real job of each type.
Crew hours and schedule
Crew hours saved = plywood build, replacement, and scrap-hauling hours minus CoverMe install hours.
Carpenter days = hours ÷ 8. Work weeks = hours ÷ 40.
Schedule value = carpenter days saved × the share that shortens the schedule (default 10%) × the GC's cost per day (default $5,000).26To confirm Set both to match the job.
Schedule value is left out of the savings unless you check the box.
Injury risk
Average lost-time workers' comp claim for a fall or slip: $54,499.21
Indirect costs add about 1.1 times the direct cost for claims over $10,000.22
Rate: one lost-time injury for every 20,000 plywood covers installed and replaced. No published rate per cover exists.26To confirm
Context: falls to a lower level cost construction $2.34 billion a year,23 and falls through skylights and floor holes killed 165 workers from 2011 to 2016.24
Injury risk is left out of the savings unless you check the box. A claim also raises the contractor's experience mod (EMR) and workers' comp premiums for about 3 years; that is not counted.
How the numbers are figured
Openings = square feet per floor ÷ spacing × floors.
Plywood cost = every opening × (plywood + 2x4 cleat + screws and paint + carpenter time), plus replacements and dumpsters.
CoverMe cost = this project's share of the cover order + laborer time to set every cover.
Payback floor: the first floor where plywood spent so far passes CoverMe spent so far.
Landfill tons = plywood sheets used × 60 lb per 3/4" sheet ÷ 2,000.
Across your company = this project's savings × projects per year, assuming similar projects. Five years = that × 5.
Estimate style sets carpenter minutes, tool time, and cover life together. Conservative: 9/11/13 min, 4 min tools, 3 projects, 15% lost. Typical: 11/13/15 min, 5 min tools, 5 projects, 10% lost. Aggressive: 13/15/18 min, 6 min tools, 8 projects, 5% lost.3,26
Not counted
OSHA citations (up to $16,550 per serious violation in 2026)15 and stop-work time.
Plywood storage and trips to the lumber yard.
Freight on CoverMe orders from Grand Rapids and sales tax.
Overtime, shift premiums, and apprentice rates.
Round corner covers for diamond cuts ($89 per case of 16).1
"The Old Way" cost figures (carpenter, plywood sheet, screws, paint), holecoverme.com. holecoverme.com
CoverMe field estimates from Steve Millman and the CoverMe team, Sept 30, 2026: opening mix, open shop carpenter rate, build and tool minutes, cleat mix, cover size, replacement rate, cover life and loss, install time.
RentCafe (Yardi Matrix), "U.S. apartment sizes are growing," Aug 10, 2026. New apartments average 910 sq ft. www.rentcafe.com
Multifamily Executive, "Cost Cutters," June 3, 2005. Apartment net-to-gross averages 70% to 75%. www.multifamilyexecutive.com
International Plumbing Code 2021 Table 709.1, trap and fixture drain sizes (via NordixHQ DFU chart). www.nordixhq.com
Firestop listings showing 1" to 2" pipes through floor openings up to 4" to 6": 3M System C-AJ-2738 (2015) and STI System C-AJ-5155. multimedia.3m.com
Hampton by Hilton US prototype brochure (2017): 611 to 618 gross sq ft per room. griffinstafford.com
IBC 2021 Table 1004.5 occupant load factors: business 150 gross sq ft per person (City of Houston 2021 code changes memo, Dec 1, 2023). www.houstonpermittingcenter.org
University of Michigan Design Guide 5.4 (2016): one telecom room per floor and per 10,000 sq ft; Clemson University telecom standard (2013, per TIA-569): at least four 4" riser sleeves between telecom rooms. umaec.umich.edu
FGI Guidelines 2022, via Massachusetts DPH checklists OP1 and IP1 (Dec 2024): hand-washing station in every exam room and patient room; patient toilet room with toilet, hand-washing station, and bedpan washer. www.mass.gov
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.500: a hole is a gap or void 2 inches or more in its least dimension. www.osha.gov
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.502(i): covers must hold twice the load, be secured, and be marked "HOLE" or "COVER." www.osha.gov
OSHA penalties: maximum $16,550 per serious violation in 2026. www.osha.gov
NAHB, framing lumber prices: Madison's Lumber Price Index $507 per thousand board feet, Sept 25, 2026. www.nahb.org
ZTERS, Grand Rapids dumpster rental: 30-yard $745 to $845 (2026). www.zters.com
Tapdump, roll-off dumpster rental prices by city, Apr 3, 2026. www.tapdump.com
EPA volume-to-weight conversion factors (2016): wood waste by volume. www.epa.gov
National Safety Council Injury Facts, workers' comp costs (NCCI 2022-2023 claims): average lost-time claim for a fall or slip $54,499. injuryfacts.nsc.org
OSHA Safety Pays: indirect costs 1.1 times direct costs for claims over $10,000. www.osha.gov
Liberty Mutual 2025 Workplace Safety Index, construction: falls to a lower level cost $2.34 billion a year. stopconstructionfalls.com
CPWR, falls through skylights and floor holes: 165 deaths, 2011-2016. www.cpwr.com
BLS Occupational Employment and Wages, carpenters (May 2025). www.bls.gov
StudioGrey estimate, not from a published source. To confirm with CoverMe.
