Delineator Installation Cost Per Post (2026)

Delineator installation labor runs between $15 and $80 per post in 2026, depending on mounting method and project size. The per-post labor cost on a standard 36-inch surface-mount install lands at $20 to $40. Base-mount removable installs add $10 to $30 per post for the additional socket-setting time. Lockable installs add another $15 to $25 for security hardware torque and verification. Project size is the biggest variable -- traffic-control overhead is largely fixed per shift, so smaller jobs carry proportionally higher per-post labor.

This guide breaks down the install labor side of delineator pricing -- separate from the post and material costs covered in our delineator post cost 2026 article.

What is the labor breakdown for a single delineator install?

Six labor steps build into a per-post install:

Step	Time per Post	Labor Cost (per post)
Layout and marking	1 to 3 min	$1.50 to $4
Pavement prep (clean, dry)	1 to 2 min	$1 to $3
Drill anchor hole	2 to 5 min	$3 to $8
Mix and apply adhesive	1 to 3 min	$1.50 to $4.50
Set post and torque anchor	2 to 4 min	$3 to $6
QA and adjustment	1 to 2 min	$1.50 to $3
Per-post labor subtotal	8 to 19 min	$11.50 to $28.50

That subtotal does not include traffic control, mobilization, or fixed-cost overhead. Add those at the project level rather than per-post.

What labor adds to base-mount removable installs?

Base-mount installs require setting a socket flush and true to grade before any post goes in. The added steps:

Additional Step	Time per Post	Added Labor Cost
Drill larger socket pocket	3 to 6 min	$4 to $10
Set socket level and flush	2 to 4 min	$3 to $7
Cure socket epoxy bond	(passive)	--
Verify socket flush per ADA	1 to 2 min	$1.50 to $3
Subtotal added	6 to 12 min	$8.50 to $20

Total per-post labor for base-mount removable lands at $20 to $48 vs. $11.50 to $28.50 for surface-mount. Lockable installs add another 4 to 8 minutes per post for security-hardware torque, bringing total per-post labor to $25 to $60.

What is the traffic control overhead?

Traffic control is the largest fixed-cost component of any delineator install. Costs depend on lot type and shift duration.

Industry Baseline Range

Traffic Control Scenario	Cost per Shift
Closed retail lot during off-hours	$200 to $600
Open retail lot with cone deployment	$400 to $900
Drive-thru active during install	$600 to $1,300
State-ROW-adjacent install with flagger	$1,200 to $2,800
Overnight shift with lighting	$800 to $1,800

These figures reflect published industry averages. Current market pricing varies significantly and actual quotes may fall well outside these ranges based on site-specific conditions, material costs, and project complexity.

Current Market Reality

Traffic-control labor rates climbed 6 to 10 percent through 2025 in Oregon. Flagger requirements on state-ROW-adjacent work are non-negotiable per Oregon DOT standards. Overnight shift premiums add 25 to 50 percent to base labor rates. Bundle delineator installs with other parking-lot work (line striping, sealcoating, signage) wherever possible to amortize the traffic-control fixed cost across multiple line items.

How does project size affect per-post cost?

Project size flips the math because traffic-control overhead is largely fixed per shift. The same setup time amortizes across more or fewer posts:

Project Size	Effective Per-Post Labor (incl. overhead)
5 posts	$80 to $200
10 posts	$50 to $130
25 posts	$30 to $75
50 posts	$20 to $50
100 posts	$16 to $40
200 posts	$13 to $32

The biggest jump in per-post cost is between sub-25-post jobs and 25-to-100-post jobs. Beyond 100 posts, the per-post labor curve flattens because traffic-control overhead is fully amortized.

What does Oregon DOT say about delineator install labor?

Oregon DOT publishes unit-cost data for state-highway-adjacent installs through its construction estimator tools. ODOT installs run higher than parking-lot interior pricing because of additional spec requirements and traffic-control labor on active-roadway work. Expect 30 to 60 percent higher per-post install labor on state-ROW-adjacent installs vs. parking-lot interiors.

For private parking-lot interior installs, ODOT pricing serves as a ceiling. Most Cojo quotes land 25 to 40 percent below ODOT unit-cost ranges for equivalent post counts.

What does the MUTCD require that affects labor?

MUTCD Section 3F drives several labor-affecting requirements:

• Mounting height verification -- 4 ft minimum on public ROW; tighter QA on state-ROW installs adds 1 to 2 minutes per post
• Color and orientation verification -- white right, yellow left, blue for hydrants; layout time scales with the number of color-direction transitions in the install
• Spacing per Section 3F.05 -- tighter spacing on curves; layout time scales with curve density
• Retroreflectivity check -- ASTM D4956 Type IV verification on receipt; QA per post adds 30 to 60 seconds

Parking-lot interior installs typically face less rigorous QA than ROW-adjacent installs, which is part of why per-post labor is lower.

What about base preparation labor?

Pavement condition heavily affects drilling and adhesive cure time. Three common conditions:

Pavement Condition	Labor Adjustment
New asphalt (under 6 months old)	-10 to -15 percent (cleaner drill, faster cure)
Standard asphalt (3 to 10 years old)	Baseline
Aged asphalt (10+ years, oxidized surface)	+15 to +30 percent (longer prep, more anchor failures)
Concrete (commercial-grade)	+10 to +20 percent (slower drilling)
Patched or sealed asphalt	+20 to +40 percent (variable drilling, anchor failures common)

For aged or patched pavement, plan for higher per-post labor and more replacement-anchor allowance. Severely degraded pavement may require partial repair before delineator install -- which is why Cojo often pairs delineator installs with parking lot striping cost Oregon refresh work.

How much does drilling alone cost?

For pure drilling labor in standard asphalt:

Hole Size	Time per Hole	Labor Cost
5/8 in (mechanical anchor)	1 to 2 min	$1.50 to $3
3/4 in (expansion anchor)	2 to 3 min	$3 to $5
1 in (sleeve anchor or socket)	3 to 5 min	$4.50 to $8
1.25 in (large socket)	4 to 6 min	$6 to $10
1.5 in (deep socket)	5 to 8 min	$7.50 to $12

Drill bit consumable costs run $0.30 to $1.50 per hole depending on bit life and pavement condition. Plan for one bit replacement per 30 to 80 holes in standard asphalt.

Real labor breakdown: 50-post Portland install

For a 50-post 36-inch surface-mount install at a Portland office complex in March 2026:

• Layout and marking (50 posts): 1.5 hours -- $190
• Drilling: 3 hours -- $360
• Adhesive and post setting: 4 hours -- $480
• QA and adjustments: 0.5 hours -- $60
• Traffic control: 4-hour shift -- $580
• Mobilization: 1 hour -- $120
• Total install labor: $1,790 ($35.80 per post)

Hardware and post material added another $2,800 to that job, bringing the turnkey total to $4,590. Per-post all-in: $91.80.

For Portland-specific delineator pricing and downtown install context, see our delineator installation Portland Oregon page.

Get an itemized install quote

Cojo provides itemized labor and material quotes for parking-lot delineator installs across Oregon. Contact Cojo for a site walk, or browse our striping services for the painted-layer side of the install.

---