Workers' comp cost for electrical contractors in Fort Lauderdale
Broward County has 685 electrical contractor businesses. Class 5190 is $2.969 per $100 of payroll; a 5-person Fort Lauderdale crew runs about $10,006 a year.
Electrical businesses in Broward County
According to County Business Patterns, 6,533 people worked at 685 electrical contractors (NAICS 238210) establishments in Broward County in 2023.
That is 10.6% of the 6,480 such establishments statewide, and the second highest count among the nine counties that hold the ten cities in this guide series.
Annual payroll at those firms works out to about $67,492 per employee, which is the number that drives a workers' comp premium.
ZIP Code Business Patterns puts 315 electrical contractor establishments in ZIP codes whose postal city is Fort Lauderdale.
Out of 5,558 construction establishments in Broward County, 12.3% are electrical contractor firms.
For electrical contractor firms, Broward County's average pay of $67,492 sits above Hillsborough County ($62,082) and below Duval County ($72,019).
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 12,570 electricians in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro area in May 2024, at a median wage of $26.96 an hour, above the Florida median of $25.53.
At that metro median, one full-time worker earns about $56,080 a year, which adds roughly $1,665 of class 5190 premium.
2026 Florida class codes and rates
| Class | What it covers | Rate per $100 payroll | FWCJUA minimum premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5190 | ELECTRICAL WIRING W/IN BUILDING AND DRIVERS | $2.969 | $2,831 |
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 Fort Lauderdale crew
Picture 5 employees of a Fort Lauderdale electrical business, each earning the Broward County average, for $337,000 of payroll in class 5190.
At $2.969 per $100, the manual premium is about $10,006 a year, or about $2,001 per employee, before your experience modifier, credits and fees.
A Fort Lauderdale business that ends up in the FWCJUA, Florida's market of last resort, pays a 93% surcharge in Tier 1 or 183% in Tiers 2 and 3, about $19,311 or $28,316 on that payroll.
The experience modifier then moves that number: at a 0.85 mod the Fort Lauderdale crew would pay about $8,505, and at a 1.25 mod about $12,508.
These Fort Lauderdale figures are an illustration from public data; a real quote uses your own payroll and loss history.
Class 5190 manual premium by headcount at Broward County average pay
| Employees | Annual payroll | Manual premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $67,000 | $1,989 |
| 3 | $202,000 | $5,997 |
| 5 | $337,000 | $10,006 |
| 10 | $675,000 | $20,041 |
| 20 | $1,350,000 | $40,082 |
How electrical contractors are classified
Electricians wiring inside buildings are classed 5190, Electrical Wiring Within Buildings and Drivers. Outdoor line work, such as utility poles and overhead distribution, is classified separately (for example 7538 for power-line construction), so a contractor that does both must keep separate payroll records for each or the carrier can assign unrecorded payroll to the higher-rated class. Generator installs and post-storm service calls stay in 5190 when the work is on the building side of the meter.
Usually included
- Wiring, panels and fixtures inside buildings
- Service calls and generator connections on the building side
- Low-voltage and data cabling installed by electricians
- Drivers of company vehicles
Rated separately
- Utility line and pole construction
- Clerical staff (8810)
- Outside salespeople
At audit
- Separate any line or pole work from inside wiring in the payroll records; mixed records let the auditor pick the higher-rated class.
- Apprentices and helpers are rated in 5190 the same as licensed journeymen.
Permits and licensing in Fort Lauderdale
In Fort Lauderdale, the City of Fort Lauderdale Development Services (LauderBuild) handles electrical permits. Under section 440.103 of Florida law, an electrical business has to show proof of workers' comp or an exemption to receive a building permit.
Fort Lauderdale permits and inspections run through the city's LauderBuild system, and contractor certificates of competency are issued by Broward County, which says it licenses over 12,000 tradespeople through its Central Examining Board. Broward is the second county in the Florida Building Code's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so exterior work follows the same stricter product-approval and inspection rules as Miami-Dade. The city's canal network and the Port Everglades area keep marine and waterfront projects a steady part of the work.
Fort Lauderdale's work runs from oceanfront condo towers and hotels on the barrier island to marine projects along the New River and Intracoastal, plus Port Everglades and airport-area commercial work. Many older condo buildings are going through the inspection and repair cycle required by Florida's 2022 condominium safety law, which keeps concrete restoration, waterproofing and masonry crews busy. Large condo and marine owners usually ask for certificates, waivers of subrogation and, for waterfront work, USL&H. Port Everglades, one of the busiest cruise ports in the world, and the airport next to it generate steady commercial and infrastructure work, while Las Olas Boulevard and the downtown core keep office, retail and residential towers in the pipeline. The city runs its own water and sewer utility, and its aging pipe network has been the focus of large replacement projects, which brings underground and plumbing crews into public work.
- Waterfront and marina jobs can bring federal USL&H exposure alongside state workers' comp.
- High-rise condo recertification and repair work under Florida's post-Surfside rules keeps concrete and masonry crews busy.
Common claims for electrical contractors in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale electricians work on condo and hotel towers, marinas and dock power, and residential service in older neighborhoods. Post-storm restoration in the HVHZ means energizing wet buildings and temporary power, with higher shock and arc-flash exposure.
- Shock and arc-flash burns
- Falls from ladders and lifts while pulling wire overhead
- Knee and back injuries from crawl-space and attic work
- Cuts from conduit and cable
- Heat illness on outdoor service and generator installs after storms
What to have ready for a Fort Lauderdale electrical quote
- Payroll for your Fort Lauderdale electrical work, split by class (5190) and with office staff listed separately
- Certificates or exemptions for every sub on your Fort Lauderdale jobs, checked in the Proof of Coverage database
- Three years of loss runs for the electrical business, plus your current experience modifier if you have one
- Recent permits pulled with the City of Fort Lauderdale Development Services (LauderBuild), which show the volume and type of Fort Lauderdale work
- Any jobs planned outside Broward County or outside Florida this year, so the policy covers them
Get a workers' comp quote for your Fort Lauderdale electrical business
Send your payroll by class and your loss runs, and a licensed Bright Coast agent will shop the carriers writing electrical contractors in Broward County. Certificates can be issued the same day for qualified accounts.
Questions from Fort Lauderdale electrical contractors
How much is workers' comp for an electrical business in Fort Lauderdale?
About $2,001 per worker per year in manual premium, if your pay matches the Broward County average of $67,492. That comes from the statewide class 5190 rate of $2.969 per $100 of payroll; the location inside Florida does not change the rate.
How many electrical contractor businesses operate in Fort Lauderdale?
The Census Bureau's 2023 ZIP Code Business Patterns lists 315 electrical contractor establishments in ZIP codes with a Fort Lauderdale postal address, out of 685 across Broward County and 6,480 statewide. Each of them needs workers' comp once it has an employee, so a current certificate is part of almost every Fort Lauderdale bid package.
Where do electrical contractors in Fort Lauderdale get permits, and is proof of coverage required?
Permits inside Fort Lauderdale come from the City of Fort Lauderdale Development Services (LauderBuild). County-level trade licensing in Broward County runs through Broward County Central Examining Board (contractor licensing). Construction employers in Fort Lauderdale need workers' comp from their first hire; the policy or exemption shows up in the state's Proof of Coverage records that permit offices check.
Can an electrical contractor split office payroll out?
Yes. Estimators, dispatchers and office staff who never work in the field can be rated in 8810 at a fraction of the 5190 rate, as long as their payroll is recorded separately. Anyone who goes to job sites, even part-time, stays in 5190.
Do condo restoration jobs in Fort Lauderdale change my workers' comp?
The class codes follow the work: structural concrete repair, masonry, waterproofing and painting each have their own rates. The bigger issue is subcontractors: restoration jobs use many specialty subs, and any sub without coverage or an exemption can end up on your audited payroll.
Does hurricane season change workers' comp costs for electrical contractors in Fort Lauderdale?
Rates stay fixed for the policy year. What moves is payroll: after a storm, Fort Lauderdale electrical contractors often add crews and overtime, and the year-end audit charges premium on every added dollar. Tell your agent when you staff up so the deposit premium keeps pace.
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 Fort Lauderdale, LauderBuild
- Broward County, Contractor licenses (Certificates of Competency)
- Florida Building Commission, Florida Building Code (High-Velocity Hurricane Zone provisions for Miami-Dade and Broward)
- 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.