Quick answer
Florida construction businesses must carry workers' compensation from the first employee, and sole proprietors and partners in construction count as employees. The only way out is the construction exemption: up to three corporate officers or LLC members, each owning at least 10%, for $50 every two years. Uninsured subs' workers become your employees for comp, building permits require proof of coverage or an exemption, and the Division of Workers' Compensation enforces it with stop-work orders. Rates are set per $100 of payroll by class code, from $2.737 for plumbing to $7.689 for residential framing in 2026. We place contractor comp across Florida and get certificates to your GC the same day you bind.
Get a quote · 754-337-9710 · adolfo@nextguardinsurance.com · WhatsApp
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.
When a sub has no workers' comp, Florida treats its workers as the contractor's employees. You owe their benefits if they are hurt, and your premium auditor adds what you paid the sub to your payroll, in the sub's class. Before any sub starts:
An exempt sub has no coverage for its officers' own injuries, and an exemption does not cover the sub's employees.
| Class | Trade | Rate per $100 of payroll |
|---|---|---|
| 5183 | Plumbing | $2.737 |
| 5190 | Electrical wiring | $2.969 |
| 5537 | HVAC | $2.995 |
| 5221 | Concrete flatwork | $3.873 |
| 5403 | Carpentry, NOC | $4.364 |
| 5474 | Painting | $4.481 |
| 5445 | Drywall | $4.526 |
| 5022 | Masonry | $5.220 |
| 5551 | Roofing | $6.752 |
| 5645 | Residential framing carpentry | $7.689 |
Rates effective January 1, 2026, from Florida's approved rate pages. Premium = payroll ÷ 100 × rate × experience mod − credits + $160 expense constant. Worked examples by trade are in how much workers' comp costs in Florida.
A contractor found without required coverage gets a stop-work order within 72 hours and a penalty of two times the premium owed for the uncovered period (minimum $1,000). Each day of work under the order adds $1,000. The order stays until the business is covered and the penalty is paid or under an approved payment agreement.
We check your class codes against what your crews actually do, separate supervisor (5606) and clerical (8810) payroll where records support it, and submit once to the carriers that write your trade in Florida. Roofing, framing and new ventures often need specialty markets; we know which ones. Certificates go to your GCs and permit offices as soon as you bind.
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Yes. In the construction industry, Florida requires workers' comp coverage once you have one employee, including owners who are corporate officers or LLC members. Sole proprietors and partners in construction are treated as employees.
Up to three corporate officers or LLC members per corporation or affiliated group, each owning at least 10% and listed as officers with the Division of Corporations, can file a Notice of Election to be Exempt. It costs $50, is valid for two years, and the exempt officer cannot collect workers' comp benefits. It does not cover employees.
Its workers are treated as your employees for workers' comp. You owe their benefits if they are injured, and your auditor will add what you paid the sub to your payroll. Verify every sub's coverage or exemption before work starts.
Search the business on the Florida Division of Workers' Compensation Proof of Coverage database, which shows active policies and construction exemptions, and collect a certificate naming you as certificate holder.
Yes. Florida requires proof of workers' compensation coverage, or a valid exemption, as a condition of getting a building permit.
2026 rates per $100 of payroll include $2.737 for plumbing (5183), $2.969 for electrical (5190), $2.995 for HVAC (5537), $4.526 for drywall (5445), $6.752 for roofing (5551) and $7.689 for residential framing carpentry (5645), before your experience mod and credits, plus a $160 expense constant.
Yes, hablamos español. We explain exemptions, audits and certificates in Spanish or English.
Florida: Florida contractor insurance · Miami · Tampa · Orlando
By trade: Roofing · Electrical · Plumbing · HVAC · Carpentry · Concrete
¿Prefieres español? Workers' comp para contratistas en Florida
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