How Much Is Workers' Comp for Plumbers in Florida?

How Much Will Your Plumbing Business Pay for Workers' Comp in Florida?

If you run a plumbing business in Florida, your techs are crawling under houses, cutting into walls, and working in tight spaces with heavy tools. Workers' comp is required the moment you have one employee in construction.

Plumbing has the lowest workers' comp rate of any major construction trade in Florida. If you are running service calls in Orange Park, repiping an older home in Arlington, or roughing in a new build in St. Johns County, here is what your crew will actually cost.

What Does Workers' Comp Cost for a Small Plumbing Crew?

You have 2 plumbers, each earning $42,000 a year. You are the owner and you filed for an exemption, so your pay is not included.

• Payroll: $84,000
• Annual cost: $2,462
• Monthly: about $205

Slip-and-fall injuries, back strains from lifting fixtures, and cuts from tools are the most common plumbing claims. A single lost-time claim averages $47,316 nationally. That $205 a month keeps one bad day from becoming a business-ending event.

What If You Have a Bigger Crew with Office Staff?

You have 3 plumbing technicians earning $42,000 each and one office person earning $36,000. Your field crew and your office person are rated differently.

• 3 plumbing techs: $126,000 payroll at the plumbing rate ($2.74) = $3,452
• Office admin: $36,000 payroll at the clerical rate ($0.105) = $38 Code 8810 rate]
• Expense constant: $160 (flat charge on every Florida policy)
• Total: $3,650 per year

How Much Will You Pay at Different Payroll Levels?

2026 NCCI Florida rate for Code 5183: $2.74 per $100 of payroll. All totals include the $160 expense constant. Assumes 1.0 experience mod. Your actual premium may vary by carrier.

Is the Plumbing Rate Higher or Lower Than Other Trades?

Here is something most plumbers do not realize: you have the lowest workers' comp rate of any major construction trade in Florida. Every single trade on this list pays more per $100 of payroll than you do.

All figures include the $160 expense constant and assume 1.0 experience mod. For the full rate table with 25+ trades, see our Florida workers' comp insurance guide.

Why Would Your Premium Be Higher or Lower Than These Numbers?

The $2.74 rate is your starting point. Here is what moves it:

• Which carrier you use.
  Every carrier starts from the same base rate but applies their own credits and debits. Two carriers quoting the same payroll can produce different premiums. This is the main reason to compare through an independent agent.
• Your claims history.
  NCCI assigns an experience mod based on your loss record. A clean record pushes it below 1.0 (discount). Multiple claims push it above 1.0 (surcharge). Most small plumbing companies start at 1.0.
• Your subcontractors.
  If you hire sub plumbing techs who do not carry their own coverage, their payroll gets added to your policy at audit. Always verify sub coverage before they start work.
• Endorsements.
  General contractors often require a waiver of subrogation or additional insured. Some carriers include these free. Others charge for them.
• How you pay.
  Pay-as-you-go pulls premium each time you run payroll. No big down payment, smaller audit adjustments. Good fit for plumbers that take on seasonal new-construction work and scale up temporarily.

Can Plumbing Contractors Exempt Themselves from Workers' Comp?

Yes. If you own at least 10% of a corporation or LLC, you can file for an exemption. It costs $50 and lasts two years.

But understand what it means: the exemption covers you the person, not your business.

If you have even one employee, you still need a policy for them. And if you bring a helper or day worker onto a job site, they need to be covered too.

For the full rules, see our Florida contractors guide to workers' compensation.

How Do Plumbers Get a Workers' Comp Quote in Jacksonville?

Augustyniak Insurance Group is an independent agency in Jacksonville. We compare workers' comp from Hartford, Travelers, Nationwide, AmTrust, Auto-Owners, and others.

We are not tied to one carrier, which means we find the best rate for your specific crew.

Tell us your payroll, your headcount, and what your people do. If you have an existing policy, send it over. We will check your class codes and tell you if you are overpaying.

We write workers' comp for plumbers across Florida and Georgia. Most of our clients are in Jacksonville, Orange Park, St. Augustine, and Ponte Vedra, but we write statewide.

Susan Augustyniak, CIC

Vice President, Augustyniak Insurance Group

Certified Insurance Counselor with 25+ years in the industry. Susan leads the Augustyniak Insurance team in Jacksonville, helping Florida contractors find the right workers' compensation coverage at the right price. Published April 2026.

What Does NCCI Class Code 5183 Cover?

This is the official NCCI classification for plumbing contractors in Florida.

Code 5183 includes:

• Installation, service, and repair of plumbing systems in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings
• Connection of fixtures and appliances (sinks, toilets, water heaters, dishwashers)
• Pipe fitting, soldering, and drain work
• Driving to and from job sites

Code 5183 does not include:

• Sewer and water main construction (separate code)
• Fire sprinkler installation (separate code)
• HVAC work (Code 5537)
• Electrical work (Code 5190)

If your plumbers also do gas line work, fire sprinkler installation, or HVAC piping, those duties may fall under different codes. Proper classification saves money.

Plumbers Workers' Comp FAQ

How much does workers' comp cost for plumbers in Florida?

The 2026 rate is $2.74 per $100 of payroll (Code 5183). A 2-person crew at $84,000 payroll pays about $2,462 a year. A mid-size operation at $150,000 payroll pays about $4,270. Every policy includes a $160 expense constant.

What class code do Florida plumbing companies use?

NCCI Code 5183. It covers plumbers who install, service, and repair plumbing systems, including connection of fixtures and appliances, pipe fitting, soldering, and drain work.

Can a plumbing business owner get a workers' comp exemption?

Yes. If you own at least 10% of a corporation or LLC, you can file for an exemption. It costs $50 and must be renewed every two years. The exemption covers you the person, not the business. If you have any employees, you still need a policy for them.

What if my plumbing business has office staff?

Your office person may qualify for the clerical rate (Code 8810 at $0.105 per $100) instead of the plumbing rate.

But they must work in a physically separate area and perform exclusively clerical duties. If they ever go to a job site or share duties with the field crew, the auditor reclassifies them at the trade rate.

Do outside salespeople at a plumbing business get a different rate?

Potentially. An outside salesperson who exclusively sells and never goes on job sites may qualify for the outside sales code (8742) at a lower rate.

But if they ever help on a job, ride along to an estimate that involves any labor, or pick up parts, they get reclassified at the plumbing rate. The separation must be complete.