Workers' comp cost for plumbing contractors in Cape Coral
Lee County has 550 plumbing and HVAC contractor businesses. Class 5183 is $2.737 per $100 of payroll; a 4-person Cape Coral crew runs about $7,198 a year.
Plumbing businesses in Lee County
Lee County had 550 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors (NAICS 238220, which the Census counts together with HVAC) establishments in 2023, employing 5,927 people, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.
That is 5.9% of the 9,351 such establishments statewide, and the fifth highest count among the nine counties that hold the ten cities in this guide series.
Annual payroll at those firms works out to about $65,864 per employee, which is the number that drives a workers' comp premium.
Narrowing to ZIP codes with a Cape Coral postal address, the same Census program lists 169 plumbing and HVAC contractor establishments in 2023.
Plumbing firms make up 14.1% of the 3,887 construction establishments in Lee County.
For plumbing and HVAC contractor firms, Lee County's average pay of $65,864 sits above Orange County ($63,817) and below Hillsborough County ($67,600).
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area earned a median $23.50 an hour in May 2024 (BLS), with 1,900 employed; the Florida median was $24.30.
At that metro median, one full-time worker earns about $48,880 a year, which adds roughly $1,338 of class 5183 premium.
2026 Florida class codes and rates
| Class | What it covers | Rate per $100 payroll | FWCJUA minimum premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5183 | PLUMBING NOC AND DRIVERS | $2.737 | $2,623 |
Rates are the 2026 Florida manual rates published by the FWCJUA, matching the standard filing approved by the Office of Insurance Regulation for policies effective on or after January 1, 2026.
Worked example for a Cape Coral crew
Take a 4-person Cape Coral crew paid the county average: $263,000 of annual payroll in class 5183.
At $2.737 per $100, the manual premium is about $7,198 a year, or about $1,800 per employee, before your experience modifier, credits and fees.
Without a voluntary carrier, the FWCJUA would charge about $13,893 (Tier 1, 93% surcharge) or $20,371 (Tiers 2 and 3, 183% surcharge) for the same Cape Coral payroll.
The experience modifier then moves that number: at a 0.85 mod the Cape Coral crew would pay about $6,118, and at a 1.25 mod about $8,998.
This is an illustration built from public averages, not a quote.
Class 5183 manual premium by headcount at Lee County average pay
| Employees | Annual payroll | Manual premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $66,000 | $1,806 |
| 3 | $198,000 | $5,419 |
| 4 | $263,000 | $7,198 |
| 10 | $659,000 | $18,037 |
| 20 | $1,317,000 | $36,046 |
How plumbing contractors are classified
Residential and commercial plumbers fall under 5183, Plumbing NOC and Drivers. It covers water supply, drain, waste and vent piping, water heaters and fixture installation. Contractors who also do lawn sprinkler systems or large site utility work may need additional codes for that payroll. Service plumbers who drive between calls stay in 5183; dispatchers and office staff go in 8810.
Usually included
- Water supply, drain and vent piping
- Water heater and fixture installation
- Service and repair calls
- Drivers of service vehicles
Rated separately
- Large site-utility and sewer-main work
- Lawn sprinkler installation
- Clerical staff (8810)
At audit
- Sewer, water-main and site-utility work deeper than typical building connections can be reclassified, so keep job records that show the scope.
- Service plumbers who drive company vans stay in 5183; separate auto liability is still needed for the vehicles.
Permits and licensing in Cape Coral
In Cape Coral, the City of Cape Coral Permitting Services Division handles plumbing permits. Under section 440.103 of Florida law, a plumbing business has to show proof of workers' comp or an exemption to receive a building permit.
Every building permit in Cape Coral is submitted through the city's EnerGov self-service portal, and the Permitting Services Division registers contractors with the city before they can pull a permit. Cape Coral is laced with canals, so docks, seawalls and boat lifts are a regular part of local construction alongside new single-family homes. Hurricane Ian made landfall in Lee County on September 28, 2022, and the rebuild that followed reshaped the local labor market for roofers, framers and drywall crews for years.
Cape Coral's construction is dominated by single-family homes on a grid of canals and dry lots, with pools, docks, seawalls and boat lifts built alongside many of them. After Hurricane Ian, roof replacement and full rebuilds created a long backlog, and the city's contractor registration and permit portal became the gatekeeper for out-of-area crews. A contractor working here benefits from having certificates on file with the city and the builders it subs for before each job starts. Much of the city still relies on septic systems, and Cape Coral's long-running Utilities Extension Project brings water and sewer lines to those neighborhoods, which keeps underground and plumbing crews busy. Large areas in the northern part of the city remain vacant lots, so new-home construction continues to spread north.
- Canal-front and seawall work adds drowning and marine-construction exposures that can call for USL&H coverage on top of state workers' comp.
- Single-family residential construction dominates, so framing and roofing payroll here tends to land in the residential carpentry and roofing codes.
Common claims for plumbing contractors in Cape Coral
Cape Coral plumbers handle new-home rough-ins and repairs on older homes, many of which were flooded during Hurricane Ian. A high water table near the coast means wet trenches and more dewatering on underground work.
- Trench collapses and struck-by injuries on sewer and water-line work
- Back injuries from lifting water heaters and fixtures
- Cuts and puncture wounds from pipe and tools
- Exposure to sewage and mold on repair calls
- Slips on wet floors and in flooded crawl spaces
What to have ready for a Cape Coral plumbing quote
- Payroll for your Cape Coral plumbing work, split by class (5183) and with office staff listed separately
- Certificates or exemptions for every sub on your Cape Coral jobs, checked in the Proof of Coverage database
- Three years of loss runs for the plumbing business, plus your current experience modifier if you have one
- Recent permits pulled with the City of Cape Coral Permitting Services Division, which show the volume and type of Cape Coral work
- Any jobs planned outside Lee County or outside Florida this year, so the policy covers them
Get a workers' comp quote for your Cape Coral plumbing business
Send your payroll by class and your loss runs, and a licensed Bright Coast agent will shop the carriers writing plumbing contractors in Lee County. Certificates can be issued the same day for qualified accounts.
Questions from Cape Coral plumbing contractors
What does workers' comp cost plumbing contractors in Cape Coral, FL?
Florida rates are set statewide, so a Cape Coral business pays the same $2.737 per $100 of payroll for class 5183 as anywhere else in the state. What changes is payroll: at Lee County's 2023 average of about $65,864 per employee, each worker adds roughly $1,800 of manual premium a year before your experience modifier and credits.
How many plumbing and HVAC contractor businesses operate in Cape Coral?
The Census Bureau's 2023 ZIP Code Business Patterns lists 169 plumbing and HVAC contractor establishments in ZIP codes with a Cape Coral postal address, out of 550 across Lee County and 9,351 statewide. Any of those Cape Coral firms with employees must insure them, which is why owners and GCs ask for a certificate before work starts.
Where do plumbing contractors in Cape Coral get permits, and is proof of coverage required?
Permits inside Cape Coral come from the City of Cape Coral Permitting Services Division. Plumbing contractors in Cape Coral work under a state certified or registered license from the Florida DBPR. Because plumbing is construction work, coverage is required from the first employee, and the Cape Coral permit staff can look your policy up in the state database.
Is a plumber who only does service calls rated lower?
No. Service and new-construction plumbing both fall in 5183. Premium differences come from payroll, losses and the experience modifier, not from the type of plumbing work.
Does seawall or dock work in Cape Coral need more than state workers' comp?
It can. Work on or over navigable water may fall under the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, which state workers' comp does not cover unless the policy carries a USL&H endorsement. Ask for that endorsement if your crews build or repair seawalls, docks or boat lifts.
Does hurricane season change workers' comp costs for plumbing contractors in Cape Coral?
The rate does not change with the season, but the bill can. Premium is calculated on audited payroll, so the storm-repair work that follows a hurricane in Cape Coral raises payroll and, with it, the final audited premium. Updating your payroll estimate mid-term avoids a large audit bill.
Sources
- Florida DBPR, Construction Industry Licensing Board
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 (metropolitan areas and Florida)
- U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 (establishments by size class, ZIPs grouped by postal city)
- Florida Statutes, Section 440.103 — Building permits; proof of workers' compensation coverage
- Florida Workers' Compensation Joint Underwriting Association, 2026 rates and minimum premiums by class
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Commissioner approves 6.9% workers' compensation rate decrease effective January 1, 2026
- FWCJUA, Bulletin 25-9: 2026 Tier 1, 2 and 3 surcharges
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (establishments, employment and annual payroll by county and NAICS)
- Florida Statutes, Section 440.02 — Definitions (employer, construction industry, corporate officers)
- Florida Statutes, Section 440.05 — Election of exemption
- Florida Statutes, Section 440.10 — Liability for compensation (contractors and subcontractors)
- Florida Statutes, Section 440.107 — Compliance, stop-work orders and penalties
- Florida Division of Workers' Compensation, Proof of Coverage database
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census population, QuickFacts
- City of Cape Coral, Permitting Services Division
- NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical cyclone climatology (Atlantic season June 1 – November 30)
Reviewed 2026-10-13. Rates and figures are for illustration; a quote depends on your payroll, classifications, experience modifier and carrier.