Home › Workers' Comp by Industry › Electricians

Workers' Comp for Electricians in Florida

Codes 5190, 5191 & 5192 — 2026 FL filed rates from $0.83 to $0.83/100.

Workers' Comp for Florida Electricians - Understanding Your Classification

Electrical contractors in Florida are classified under three primary NCCI codes, each covering a different type of electrical work. Getting the right code matters - misclassification is one of the most common audit findings for electrical contractors, and the rate difference between codes is significant.

The 2026 Florida filed rates for electrical classifications are:

Code	Description	2026 Rate	Applies To
5192	Electrical Work - High Voltage (Outside)	$0.83	Transmission lines, substations, outside high-voltage
5190	Electrical Wiring - Within Buildings	$2.97	Commercial & residential wiring, panels, service work
5191	Electrical Apparatus Installation	$0.83	Low-voltage systems, data/comm, fixture installation

Code 5190 is the workhorse classification for most Florida electrical contractors - it covers the full range of commercial and residential wiring work inside structures. At $2.97/100, a crew with $400,000 in annual payroll generates a base workers' comp premium of $11,880/year before any experience modifier.

Why Electrical Workers' Comp Claims Are Costly

Electrical work creates a unique combination of hazards that insurers price carefully:

Electrocution and electrical burns - the most severe claims in electrical work. Even low-voltage exposures can cause serious injury; high-voltage incidents are frequently fatal or result in permanent disability.
Falls from ladders and lifts - electricians work at elevation constantly. Falls are the second leading cause of electrical worker fatalities and generate high-severity claims.
Arc flash and arc blast - commercial panel work and switchgear creates arc flash exposure. Burns from arc flash events can be catastrophic and generate claims well into six figures.
Struck-by and caught-in incidents - on active commercial job sites, electrical crews share space with other trades and heavy equipment.
Overexertion - pulling wire through conduit, working in tight spaces, and handling heavy equipment generates a steady volume of musculoskeletal claims.

Electrical Subcontractors and the Certificate Problem

Many electrical contractors use subcontractors - other licensed electricians they bring in for project peaks. Florida has specific rules about workers' comp coverage for subcontractors that trip up electrical contractors regularly.

If a subcontractor cannot provide a valid Certificate of Insurance showing workers' comp coverage, Florida law treats them as your employee for workers' comp purposes. Your carrier will add their payroll to your audit and charge accordingly. The safest practice is to collect valid certificates before any subcontractor steps on your job site - and verify they haven't expired.

A PEO arrangement can simplify this: all workers - W-2 and in some cases leased labor - covered under a single pay-as-you-go program, with no certificate chasing.

Frequently Asked Questions - Florida Electricians

One. Florida requires workers' comp for construction employers with one or more employees - and electrical work is unambiguously construction under Florida law. If you have a single W-2 employee, you need coverage. Officers of the company may apply for exemptions (up to three officers), but field electricians cannot be exempt. Sole proprietors with no W-2 employees are not required to carry coverage but may elect to do so.

Get your free instant quote →

Code 5190 (Electrical Wiring - Within Buildings) covers the vast majority of residential and commercial electrical work in Florida - service upgrades, panel replacements, new wiring, outlets, and lighting. If your crews do exclusively low-voltage work (security systems, structured wiring, data/comm), code 5191 may apply at a lower rate. The key is that the code follows the work, not the license type. Your carrier will classify based on what your employees actually do.

Get your free instant quote →

Yes. A sole proprietor or single-member LLC electrician can elect to purchase workers' comp coverage for themselves even though it's not legally required. There are good reasons to do this: general contractors and property owners increasingly require subcontractors to carry their own coverage, and without it you may be excluded from bid lists. Our pay-as-you-go program is well-suited for owner-operators - premium is based on actual earnings each payroll cycle with no minimum.

Get your free instant quote →

Yes - when work falls under multiple classifications, payroll must be separated by the work actually performed. Low-voltage and data/comm work under code 5191 gets the lower rate; standard wiring work under 5190 gets the higher rate. This separation requires accurate time records by job type. If records aren't kept, the higher rate typically applies to all payroll. A PEO can help you set up a payroll separation system from day one.

Get your free instant quote →

Yes. High-experience-mod electrical contractors are a market we actively serve. PEO programs use group rating which buffers the impact of individual company claim history. If your mod has pushed you out of the standard market or your renewal has become unaffordable, call us with your loss history and payroll - we can typically place electrical contractors across the full mod spectrum.

Get your free instant quote →