How much does a flex post cost installed?

A 36-inch surface-mount flex post (the dominant Oregon parking-lot pick) costs $40 to $85 per post installed in 2026. The 48-inch variant runs $55 to $120. Base-mount removable variants run $80 to $200. Lockable variants run $130 to $300. Pricing varies by project size, lot conditions, and configuration mix.

Why are 48-inch flex posts more expensive than 36-inch?

The taller post uses 30 to 45 percent more polymer material, more retroreflective sheeting, and slightly more anchor depth. The per-unit material cost premium is real and not negotiable. Install labor is also slightly higher for the taller post due to additional handling time.

Are no-drill butyl-pad flex posts cheaper?

Slightly. Butyl-pad install skips the drilling step, which saves 2 to 5 minutes of labor per post. Total cost difference vs. surface-mount is typically $5 to $15 per post. The trade-off is a weaker bond -- butyl-pad is appropriate only for low-impact applications where drilling is restricted.

Why does the per-post cost vary so much in your ranges?

Project size, lot conditions, post mix, and traffic-control complexity all drive variance. A 5-post emergency install on a busy retail edge can run 2 to 3 times the per-post cost of a 100-post planned install on a closed lot. Specific quotes are scoped to specific sites.

Are flex post sockets reusable for replacement posts?

Yes. Sockets in base-mount installs typically last 10 to 15 years, while the post itself lasts 5 to 7 years. Replacing a single post on an existing socket runs $40 to $110 -- the cost of the post and minimal install labor, with no re-drilling. This is the cheapest way to refresh a delineator line.

Flex Post Cost: 2026 Pricing Guide

A flex post in 2026 costs between $25 and $200 per unit installed, depending on height, mounting method, and anchor system. The dominant 36-inch surface-mount variant lands at $40 to $85 installed; the 48-inch variant at $55 to $120; base-mount removable at $80 to $200. Flex post is a polymer-bodied delineator variant designed to bend and recover after vehicle impact -- the dominant choice in Oregon parking-lot delineator installs.

This guide focuses specifically on flex post pricing. For the broader delineator family pricing, see our delineator post cost 2026 breakdown.

What does a flex post cost?

Industry Baseline Range

Configuration	Per-Unit Material	Install Labor	Total Installed
24-in flex post (low-profile)	$15 to $35	$15 to $30	$30 to $65
36-in flex post surface-mount	$20 to $45	$20 to $40	$40 to $85
36-in flex post base-mount	$40 to $90	$25 to $60	$65 to $150
48-in flex post surface-mount	$30 to $65	$25 to $55	$55 to $120
48-in flex post base-mount	$50 to $110	$30 to $90	$80 to $200
36-in butyl-pad no-drill	$20 to $45	$15 to $30	$35 to $75
36-in lockable removable	$80 to $180	$50 to $120	$130 to $300

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

Polymer flex post raw-material costs climbed 7 to 9 percent through 2025. Type IV retroreflective sheeting (the parking-lot baseline) climbed 9 percent. Base-mount socket hardware climbed 12 percent. Lockable hardware climbed 12 to 15 percent. Combined effect: 2026 flex post installed pricing is 8 to 12 percent higher in real terms than 2024. Plan budgets accordingly.

What height costs the most?

The taller the flex post, the higher the per-unit material cost. The 48-inch variant typically runs 30 to 45 percent more than the 36-inch equivalent due to:

More polymer material per post
Larger Type IV sheeting wrap
Slightly more anchor depth and stability hardware

Per-unit pricing scales roughly:

Height	Material Premium vs 36-in
24-in (low-profile)	-25 to -35 percent
36-in (standard)	Baseline
42-in (mid-tall)	+15 to +25 percent
48-in (tall)	+30 to +45 percent
60-in (very tall, rare)	+60 to +90 percent

For most parking-lot interiors, the 36-inch height is the cost-optimal choice. The 48-inch premium pays back only when SUV-windshield visibility is binding (drive-thru queues, dense retail edges).

What mount type costs the most?

Mounting method drives the second-largest cost variable:

Mount Type	Hardware Cost (per post)	Install Labor Premium
Surface-mount (epoxy + anchor)	$4 to $12	Baseline
Butyl-pad no-drill	$3 to $10	-25 to -40 percent
Base-mount spring socket	$15 to $35	+30 to +60 percent
Base-mount threaded ferrule	$20 to $50	+40 to +80 percent
Lockable threaded with security bolt	$30 to $70	+60 to +100 percent

The biggest mount-related cost jump is between surface-mount and base-mount removable. The removable premium pays back only when the operational case demands it (snow regions, valet, drive-thru reconfiguration, event lanes).

What about sheeting grade?

Retroreflective sheeting per ASTM D4956 comes in several grades, each with its own price point:

Sheeting Grade	Price Premium vs Type III
Type I (engineer-grade)	-10 to -20 percent (rare in 2026 specs)
Type III (engineer-grade prismatic)	Baseline
Type IV (high-intensity prismatic)	+20 to +35 percent
Type IX (fluorescent prismatic)	+60 to +90 percent

Type IV is the parking-lot baseline in 2026. Type III is acceptable for low-priority installs but underperforms on wet-night and low-headlight-angle visibility. Type IX is reserved for higher-speed work zones and emergency response applications.

What does the install fee structure look like?

Flex post install pricing typically follows this structure:

Mobilization fee -- $150 to $400 per project, fixed
Traffic-control overhead -- $300 to $1,200 per shift, fixed
Per-post material -- $20 to $180 depending on configuration
Per-post labor -- $15 to $80 depending on mount type
Layout and QA -- $1.50 to $4 per post

For projects under 20 posts, the fixed-cost components (mobilization + traffic control) often exceed the per-post variable cost. This is why per-post pricing on small projects runs significantly higher than on 50+-post installs.

How does spacing affect total flex post cost?

Total project cost scales with post count, which scales with spacing:

Application	Typical Spacing	Posts per 100 Linear Ft	Cost per 100 Linear Ft (36-in)
Drive-thru queue	6 to 10 ft	11 to 17	$440 to $1,450
School car-line	8 to 12 ft	9 to 13	$360 to $1,100
Lot-perimeter edge	30 to 50 ft	3 to 4	$120 to $340
ADA path edge	4 to 8 ft	13 to 26	$520 to $2,200
Lane-line marking	20 to 40 ft	3 to 5	$120 to $425

Tighter spacing dramatically increases project cost. Drive-thru and ADA path applications are the highest cost-per-linear-foot scenarios.

What does Oregon DOT say about flex post pricing?

Oregon DOT publishes unit-cost data for state-highway-adjacent installs. State-ROW flex posts run higher than parking-lot interior pricing because of additional spec requirements and traffic-control labor. Expect 30 to 60 percent higher per-post installed cost on state-ROW installs.

The Federal Highway Administration MUTCD Section 3F drives the cost floor by specifying minimum visibility and durability characteristics. Type IV sheeting per ASTM D4956 is the parking-lot baseline.

Real cost example: 50-post Eugene retail

For a 50-post mixed-pick install at a 22,000-square-foot Eugene retail center in April 2026:

28 posts of 36-in surface-mount flex: $1,400 material + $840 labor = $2,240
14 posts of 48-in surface-mount flex: $910 material + $560 labor = $1,470
6 posts of ADA-flush surface-mount flex: $390 material + $300 labor = $690
Mobilization + traffic control: $400
Total: $4,800 ($96 per post effective rate)

For Eugene-specific flex post pricing and install context, see our delineator installation Eugene Oregon page.

Get a flex post quote for your lot

Flex post pricing varies significantly by lot size, post mix, and mount type. Cojo provides itemized quotes for parking-lot flex post installs across Oregon. Contact Cojo for a site walk, or read our best flex posts 2026 ranked-pick guide for product selection guidance.