Quick answer
In Florida, construction businesses must carry workers' compensation from their first employee, and most other businesses once they have four or more employees, counting corporate officers and LLC members. Up to three qualifying construction officers can file an exemption. Working without coverage brings a stop-work order and a penalty of twice the premium you should have paid, at least $1,000, plus $1,000 for every day you work under the order. Rates are set statewide per $100 of payroll for each class code and fell an average of 6.9% on January 1, 2026. We quote Florida comp with the carriers that write your class and get proof of coverage to your GC or permit office.
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Fastest way to a quote: email your current policy or expiring quote, payroll by class code (or by job title), five years of loss runs and your experience mod if you have one to adolfo@nextguardinsurance.com. One complete submission moves faster than ten phone calls.
Please send your account to one broker. When several brokers submit the same account to the same markets, the account gets blocked and quotes slow down.
| Business | Coverage required when you have |
|---|---|
| Construction | 1 or more employees, including corporate officers and LLC members who own the business |
| Non-construction | 4 or more employees, including corporate officers and LLC members |
| Agriculture | 6 regular employees, or 12 seasonal workers who work more than 30 days in a season or 45 days in a calendar year |
Part-time workers count. In construction, a sole proprietor or partner is treated as an employee, so the exemption route is only open to corporate officers and LLC members.
Details for builders and trades are on our workers' comp for Florida contractors page.
When the Division finds an employer without required coverage, it issues a stop-work order within 72 hours. The penalty is two times the premium you would have paid for the uncovered period, looking back up to 12 months (24 months for employers that concealed payroll or had a prior order), with a $1,000 minimum. Working while the order is in effect adds $1,000 per day.
If your subcontractor has no coverage, Florida treats its workers as your employees for comp purposes. You pay their benefits, and your auditor adds their payroll to your policy. Florida building permits also require proof of workers' comp coverage or an exemption. You can look up any business's coverage or exemption on the Division's online Proof of Coverage database before work starts.
Florida rates are approved statewide per $100 of payroll for each class code. Your premium is payroll ÷ 100 × rate × your experience mod, minus credits, plus a $160 expense constant. For 2026, rates fell an average of 6.9%, the ninth straight decrease, and NCCI has proposed a further average 7.4% decrease for 2027, pending approval.
| Class | Work | 2026 rate per $100 of payroll |
|---|---|---|
| 8810 | Clerical office | $0.105 |
| 5190 | Electrical wiring | $2.969 |
| 5551 | Roofing | $6.752 |
| 5645 | Residential framing carpentry | $7.689 |
The full table by trade, with worked examples, is in how much workers' comp costs in Florida.
We submit your account once, complete, to the carriers that write your class in Florida and show you the options side by side. For new businesses and those with a short history, we can discuss pay-as-you-go billing through payroll. If the voluntary market will not take a risk, Florida also has a market of last resort, and we will tell you if that is where your account belongs.
Short explainers on workers' comp and contractor insurance in Florida and New York, in English and Spanish.
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Yes, for most employers. Construction businesses need coverage with one or more employees, including owners who are corporate officers or LLC members. Non-construction businesses need it at four or more employees. Agricultural employers need it at six regular or twelve seasonal workers.
One employee in construction and four employees in most other industries, counting part-time workers and corporate officers or LLC members.
Corporate officers and LLC members owning at least 10% of the company can file a Notice of Election to be Exempt. In construction, no more than three officers per corporation can be exempt, the certificate costs $50 and it is valid for two years. Sole proprietors and partners in construction cannot use this exemption.
The Division of Workers' Compensation issues a stop-work order and assesses a penalty of two times the premium you would have paid for the uncovered period, with a minimum of $1,000. Working while a stop-work order is in effect adds $1,000 per day.
It depends on your class codes and payroll. 2026 rates per $100 of payroll range from $0.105 for clerical work to $6.752 for roofing and $7.689 for residential framing carpentry, plus a $160 expense constant per policy, before your experience mod and credits.
Yes. Florida approved an average 6.9% decrease for policies effective on or after January 1, 2026, the ninth consecutive annual decrease. NCCI has proposed a further average 7.4% decrease for 2027, subject to approval.
If your subcontractor has no coverage, its workers are treated as your employees for workers' comp, and the auditor will add their payroll to your policy. Check every sub's coverage or exemption on the Division's Proof of Coverage database before they start.
Yes, hablamos español. We explain classifications, audits and certificates in Spanish or English.
Florida: Florida contractor insurance · Miami · Tampa · Orlando
By trade: Roofing · Electrical · Plumbing · HVAC · Carpentry · Concrete
¿Prefieres español? Seguro de compensación laboral en Florida
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