What workers' comp costs plumbing contractors in Hialeah, Florida
Miami-Dade County has 1,046 plumbing and HVAC contractor businesses. Class 5183 is $2.737 per $100 of payroll; a 3-person Hialeah crew runs about $4,626 a year.
Plumbing businesses in Miami-Dade County
The Census Bureau counted 1,046 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors (NAICS 238220, which the Census counts together with HVAC) establishments in Miami-Dade County in 2023, with 7,119 paid employees on their payrolls.
That is 11.2% of the 9,351 such establishments statewide, and the highest count among the nine counties that hold the ten cities in this guide series.
Divide their reported annual payroll by headcount and the average is about $56,291 per employee, the base your premium is calculated on.
ZIP Code Business Patterns puts 204 plumbing and HVAC contractor establishments in ZIP codes whose postal city is Hialeah.
Out of 6,754 construction establishments in Miami-Dade County, 15.5% are plumbing and HVAC contractor firms.
For plumbing and HVAC contractor firms, Miami-Dade County's average pay of $56,291 sits above Alachua County ($52,353) and below Leon County ($57,194).
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area earned a median $27.01 an hour in May 2024 (BLS), with 5,130 employed; the Florida median was $24.30.
At that metro median, one full-time worker earns about $56,170 a year, which adds roughly $1,537 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 Hialeah crew
Picture 3 employees of a Hialeah plumbing business, each earning the Miami-Dade County average, for $169,000 of payroll in class 5183.
At $2.737 per $100, the manual premium is about $4,626 a year, or about $1,542 per employee, before your experience modifier, credits and fees.
If the business were placed in the FWCJUA instead, the 2026 surcharges of 93% (Tier 1) and 183% (Tiers 2 and 3) would put the same payroll at about $8,927 or $13,090.
The experience modifier then moves that number: at a 0.85 mod the Hialeah crew would pay about $3,932, and at a 1.25 mod about $5,782.
These Hialeah figures are an illustration from public data; a real quote uses your own payroll and loss history.
Class 5183 manual premium by headcount at Miami-Dade County average pay
| Employees | Annual payroll | Manual premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $56,000 | $1,533 |
| 3 | $169,000 | $4,626 |
| 10 | $563,000 | $15,409 |
| 20 | $1,126,000 | $30,819 |
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 Hialeah
Before a Hialeah plumbing job starts, the contractor pulls plumbing permits from the City of Hialeah Building Department, and state law requires proof of workers' comp or an exemption as part of that application.
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 plumbing contractors in Hialeah
Hialeah plumbers spend much of their time on repair and repipe work in older housing, along with commercial kitchens and small manufacturing plants. Flooding after South Florida storms brings sewage backups and wet-work in damaged buildings, with infection and slip exposures.
- 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 Hialeah plumbing quote
- Payroll for your Hialeah plumbing work, split by class (5183) 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 plumbing 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
Get a workers' comp quote for your Hialeah 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 Miami-Dade County. Certificates can be issued the same day for qualified accounts.
Questions from Hialeah plumbing contractors
How much is workers' comp for a plumbing business in Hialeah?
Start from payroll. Miami-Dade County plumbing and HVAC contractor firms paid about $56,291 per employee in 2023, and class 5183 costs $2.737 per $100 of it, so each Hialeah worker carries roughly $1,542 of manual premium a year. Your experience modifier, credits and the carrier's pricing move the final figure from there.
How many plumbing and HVAC contractor businesses operate in Hialeah?
The Census Bureau's 2023 ZIP Code Business Patterns lists 204 plumbing and HVAC contractor establishments in ZIP codes with a Hialeah postal address, out of 1,046 across Miami-Dade County and 9,351 statewide. Each of them needs workers' comp once it has an employee, so a current certificate is part of almost every Hialeah bid package.
Where do plumbing contractors in Hialeah get permits, and is proof of coverage required?
Permits inside Hialeah come from the City of Hialeah Building Department. County-level trade licensing in Miami-Dade County runs through Miami-Dade County Contractor Licensing (Construction Trades Qualifying Board). Construction employers in Hialeah 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.
Do plumbing helpers and apprentices get a lower rate?
No. Helpers, apprentices and licensed plumbers are all rated in 5183. The way to lower the total is accurate payroll reporting, separate office payroll in 8810, and a clean loss record that brings your experience modifier down.
Does Hialeah require my certificate to name the city?
Yes. The Building Department's contractor registration asks for a workers' compensation certificate, or a state exemption, naming the City of Hialeah as certificate holder, plus a liability certificate. Ask for a city-specific certificate when you register, and request a new one whenever the policy renews.
Does hurricane season change workers' comp costs for plumbing contractors in Hialeah?
Rates stay fixed for the policy year. What moves is payroll: after a storm, Hialeah plumbing 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 Hialeah, Building Department and contractor registration
- Miami-Dade County, Construction Trades Qualifying Board
- 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.