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Workers' Comp for Plumbers in Florida

Code 5183 — 2026 FL filed rate $2.74/100 of payroll.

Workers' Comp for Florida Plumbers - What the Rates Cover

Most Florida plumbing contractors are classified under a single NCCI code: 5183 - Plumbing. At $2.74/100 of payroll for 2026, plumbing ranks among the more favorably rated construction trades - a reflection of the industry's relatively lower injury severity compared to structural work, though frequency remains a real exposure.

Code	Description	2026 Rate	Applies To
5183	Plumbing - All Work	$2.74	Residential & commercial plumbing, new construction & service
5184	Plumbing - Gas Fitting Only	$2.86	Gas line installation and service work only

For a plumbing company with $350,000 in annual payroll, the base workers' comp premium at the 2026 rate is $9,590/year at $2.74/100 - before any experience modifier. Through a PEO pay-as-you-go program, that premium is collected each payroll cycle based on actual wages rather than an annual estimate.

Common Plumbing Workers' Comp Claims in Florida

Plumbing work produces a predictable mix of claim types:

Cuts and lacerations - pipe cutting, working with copper and PVC, and tight spaces with sharp edges generate a high volume of hand and arm injuries. Frequent but usually not catastrophic in cost.
Back and shoulder injuries - digging, trenching, working in crawl spaces, and carrying heavy fixtures creates significant overexertion exposure, particularly for service plumbers on residential calls.
Burns - soldering and torch work creates burn exposure. Eye injuries from flux and chemical splatter are also common.
Falls - attic and crawl space work, ladder use for drain cleaning and fixture replacement, and working in wet conditions all generate slip-and-fall exposure.
Confined space incidents - sewer and utility vault work presents a less frequent but potentially catastrophic exposure category. Proper atmospheric testing and confined space training dramatically reduces this risk.

Plumbing Subcontractors and Certificate Requirements

Plumbing contractors who use licensed subcontractors face the same certificate-of-insurance compliance burden as other construction trades. Florida general contractors typically require subs to carry their own workers' comp coverage - but even if they don't, your carrier will. If you bring in a plumber who doesn't have coverage and they get injured on your job, your policy is the backstop.

The practical answer: require a valid, in-force certificate from every subcontractor before they start work. Verify the certificate directly with the carrier if a claim seems likely. PEO programs cover this systematically - all workers under your arrangement are covered, no certificate management needed.

Frequently Asked Questions - Florida Plumbers

Florida requires workers' comp for construction employers with one or more employees. Plumbing is construction under Florida law. If you have even a single W-2 employee - a helper, apprentice, or journeyman - coverage is legally required. Officers of the company may apply for exemptions, but crew members in the field cannot. Sole proprietors with no W-2 employees are not required to carry coverage, though many do because GCs and property owners require it.

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Yes. Code 5183 covers all plumbing work - residential service, new construction, commercial, and industrial plumbing. It is a single broad classification. If your crews do gas line work exclusively or can accurately separate gas fitting hours from plumbing hours, code 5184 may apply at a slightly lower rate. Most plumbing contractors carry everything under 5183 for simplicity.

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The code follows the work. When a plumber is doing plumbing work, they're classified under 5183. When doing HVAC rough-in or refrigerant work, they may fall under 5537 (HVAC). If accurate time records are kept, payroll can be split between codes. If records aren't maintained, the higher of the two rates typically applies to all payroll. This is worth tracking - it can make a meaningful difference in premium.

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Yes. Pay-as-you-go PEO programs work particularly well for small plumbing companies. There's no large annual deposit, no year-end audit, and premium scales directly with actual payroll. A two-person shop paying $80,000 in annual payroll generates roughly $ in workers' comp premium per year under the filed rate - collected monthly or per-payroll. If you're currently on a standard policy with a deposit requirement, a PEO arrangement can significantly improve cash flow.

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Yes. High-mod and loss-affected plumbing contractors are a significant part of the market we serve. PEO programs buffer individual claim history through group rating - your company's experience is pooled with a larger group, which reduces the direct impact of a bad year. If you've received a non-renewal notice or your renewal is priced too high to absorb, call us with your loss runs and payroll. We'll tell you honestly what's available.

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