Fort Lauderdale general contractors: workers' comp rates and a real payroll example

General contracting businesses in Broward County

The Census Bureau counted 293 commercial and institutional building contractors (NAICS 236220) establishments in Broward County in 2023, with 4,852 paid employees on their payrolls.

That is 10.4% of the 2,815 such establishments statewide, and the second highest count among the nine counties that hold the ten cities in this guide series.

Their average annual payroll per employee was about $98,735. Workers' comp is priced on payroll, so this is the starting point for any Fort Lauderdale estimate.

Narrowing to ZIP codes with a Fort Lauderdale postal address, the same Census program lists 144 commercial building contractor establishments in 2023.

General contracting firms make up 5.3% of the 5,558 construction establishments in Broward County.

For commercial building contractor firms, Broward County's average pay of $98,735 sits above Orange County ($97,325) and below Duval County ($114,118).

First-line supervisors of construction trades workers in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area earned a median $35.37 an hour in May 2024 (BLS), with 18,070 employed; the Florida median was $34.16.

At that metro median, one full-time worker earns about $73,560 a year, which adds roughly $3,210 of class 5403 premium.

2026 Florida class codes and rates

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.

How general contractors are classified

A GC rarely has one class code. The carrier classifies each worker by what that person does: field carpenters on commercial jobs go to 5403, carpenters on detached one- and two-family homes to 5645, carpenters on townhome and other residential buildings three stories or less to 5651, and a superintendent who only directs work and does no hands-on labor can qualify for 5606 at $0.850 per $100. The biggest audit surprise for general contractors is subcontractor payroll. Under Florida law, a contractor is the statutory employer of its subs' workers, so any sub without its own coverage or a valid exemption gets added to the GC's audited payroll at the sub's trade rate.

At audit

• Keep a certificate of insurance or a valid exemption on file for every sub, checked against the Division of Workers' Compensation Proof of Coverage database before the sub starts.
• A superintendent qualifies for 5606 only if the person does no hands-on construction work; any tool time moves that payroll into a construction code.

Permits and licensing in Fort Lauderdale

In Fort Lauderdale, the City of Fort Lauderdale Development Services (LauderBuild) handles building permits as contractor of record. Under section 440.103 of Florida law, a general contracting 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 general contractors in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale GCs manage condo restoration, hotel and marine projects that rely on many specialty subs, each needing a current certificate. HVHZ jobs carry more inspections and product-approval checks, which stretch schedules and keep more trades on site at the same time.

• Falls from scaffolds, stairs and unguarded floor openings
• Struck-by injuries from materials and equipment moving on a shared site
• Strains from lifting drywall, doors and lumber
• Injuries to a uninsured sub's worker that land on the GC's policy
• Eye and hand injuries from power tools

What to have ready for a Fort Lauderdale general contracting quote

• Payroll for your Fort Lauderdale general contracting work, split by class (5403, 5606, 5645, 5651) 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 general contracting 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

Questions from Fort Lauderdale general contractors