What workers' comp costs masonry contractors in Hialeah, Florida

Masonry businesses in Miami-Dade County

The Census Bureau counted 78 masonry contractors (NAICS 238140) establishments in Miami-Dade County in 2023, with 376 paid employees on their payrolls.

That is 5.6% of the 1,392 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 $42,928 per employee, which is the number that drives a workers' comp premium.

Within Hialeah's own postal ZIP codes there were 6 masonry contractor establishments in 2023.

Masonry firms make up 1.2% of the 6,754 construction establishments in Miami-Dade County.

For masonry contractor firms, Miami-Dade County's average pay of $42,928 sits above Hillsborough County ($40,895) and below Lee County ($42,983).

In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro, 670 people worked as brickmasons and blockmasons in May 2024, earning a median $24.13 an hour against $24.03 for Florida as a whole.

At that metro median, one full-time worker earns about $50,190 a year, which adds roughly $2,620 of class 5022 premium.

2026 Florida class codes and rates

Rates are the 2026 Florida manual rates published by the FWCJUA, matching the NCCI filing approved by the Office of Insurance Regulation for policies effective on or after January 1, 2026.

How masonry contractors are classified

Block, brick and stone work is 5022, Masonry NOC, at $5.220 per $100. Concrete block is the dominant exterior wall system in Florida homes, so masons here spend more time on structural CMU walls and tie-beams than on decorative veneer. Stucco and plastering use a separate class, so a mason that also applies stucco should record that payroll apart. Two rules shape masonry claims in Florida. OSHA's respirable crystalline silica standard for construction (29 CFR 1926.1153) applies whenever block or stone is cut or ground, so wet saws, vacuum shrouds and respirators are part of the job. And because most Florida exterior walls are reinforced concrete block, masons spend long stretches setting rebar, grouting cells and forming tie-beams at the top of the wall, which is where scaffold falls and overhead strains happen.

At audit

• Stucco and plastering payroll belongs in a separate class, so masons who also stucco should record those hours apart.
• Laborers who mix mortar and stock block for the masons are rated in 5022 with the crew.

Permits and licensing in Hialeah

In Hialeah, the City of Hialeah Building Department handles masonry work under the building permit. Under section 440.103 of Florida law, a masonry business has to show proof of workers' comp or an exemption to receive a building permit.

The City of Hialeah Building Department will not register a contractor without a workers' compensation certificate, or a state exemption, naming the City of Hialeah as certificate holder, along with a liability certificate and business tax receipts. County-licensed trades are reviewed by Miami-Dade County's Construction Trades Qualifying Board, and the county asks for proof of liability and workers' compensation insurance after board approval. Hialeah sits inside the Florida Building Code's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which governs how roofs, windows and exterior walls are built and inspected here.

Hialeah is one of the most Spanish-speaking cities in the United States, and much of its construction workforce runs on small, family-owned crews that sub for larger Miami-Dade contractors. That structure makes certificate tracking the main workers' comp issue here: a general contractor that hires a uninsured Hialeah sub picks up that sub's payroll at audit. The city's mix of older single-family homes, light industrial buildings along the Palmetto corridor and new mixed-use projects means one crew can work under several class codes in the same month. Hialeah runs its own water and sewer department, so underground work inside the city is coordinated with city utility staff. The Leah Arts District, a warehouse area turned into studios, restaurants and event spaces, has brought adaptive-reuse projects where old industrial buildings get new roofs, electrical services and storefronts. Around Hialeah Park, redevelopment and road projects bring commercial work to the east side of the city.

• Hialeah's industrial corridors along the east side of the city mix warehouse, light-manufacturing and residential jobs, so many crews split payroll between commercial and residential codes.
• High-Velocity Hurricane Zone rules mean more inspections per job for exterior work, and more site hours that count toward audited payroll.

Common claims for masonry contractors in Hialeah

Hialeah masons work on block additions, perimeter walls and repairs to the concrete block homes that make up most of the city's housing. HVHZ masonry walls need reinforced cells and tie-beams inspected before covering, adding scaffold time per wall.

• Falls from scaffolds while laying upper courses
• Back injuries from lifting block, which Florida builders use heavily for exterior walls
• Silica dust exposure from cutting block and stone
• Struck-by injuries from dropped block and mortar buckets
• Hand injuries from saws and trowels

What to have ready for a Hialeah masonry quote

• Payroll for your Hialeah masonry work, split by class (5022) and with office staff listed separately
• Certificates or exemptions for every sub on your Hialeah jobs, checked in the Proof of Coverage database
• Three years of loss runs for the masonry business, plus your current experience modifier if you have one
• Recent permits pulled with the City of Hialeah Building Department, which show the volume and type of Hialeah work
• Any jobs planned outside Miami-Dade County or outside Florida this year, so the policy covers them

Questions from Hialeah masonry contractors