What workers' comp costs framing contractors in Miami, Florida

Framing businesses in Miami-Dade County

According to County Business Patterns, 76 people worked at 37 framing contractors (NAICS 238130) establishments in Miami-Dade County in 2023.

That is 4.5% of the 821 such establishments statewide, and tied with Lee County for 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 $47,553 per employee, which is the number that drives a workers' comp premium.

Within Miami's own postal ZIP codes there were 3 framing contractor establishments in 2023.

Out of 6,754 construction establishments in Miami-Dade County, 0.5% are framing contractor firms.

For framing contractor firms, Miami-Dade County's average pay of $47,553 sits above Leon County ($44,429) and below Broward County ($50,632).

BLS wage data for May 2024 puts the median for carpenters in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro at $23.27 an hour across 12,230 jobs; statewide the median is $23.12.

At that metro median, one full-time worker earns about $48,400 a year, which adds roughly $3,721 of class 5645 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 framing contractors are classified

Framing payroll is split by the building, not the crew. Framing a detached single-family or duplex home is 5645, the highest of the three carpentry rates at $7.689 per $100. Framing larger residential buildings three stories or less is 5651 at $4.886, and commercial framing goes to 5403 at $4.364. A framer who works across all three must keep job-by-job payroll records, because without them the auditor can put every hour in 5645.

At audit

• Record payroll by job and building type; without that split the auditor can rate every hour at the detached-dwelling rate.
• Truss setting with a crane operator on the payroll can bring in an additional code for the operator.

Permits and licensing in Miami

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

Permits inside city limits come from the City of Miami Building Department, while county-licensed trades are qualified by Miami-Dade County's Construction Trades Qualifying Board, which meets in two divisions: one for building trades and one for electrical, mechanical and plumbing. Miami-Dade is one of the two counties in the Florida Building Code's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, where exterior products need specific product approval and roofing, windows and walls face stricter inspection. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and the county's high-rise market keeps crews working at height year-round.

Miami's construction economy leans vertical: condo and office towers in Brickell, Downtown and Edgewater, hotel and mixed-use work, and a deep renovation market in older neighborhoods. Tower jobs bring large general contractors with formal subcontractor prequalification, where a current certificate, a waiver of subrogation and a clean experience modifier are often required to bid. Below the towers, small residential crews do most of the repair and remodeling work, often in Spanish, and many sub to several GCs at once. The City of Miami regulates development under Miami 21, a form-based zoning code that shapes building height and frontage by neighborhood, so permits often move through zoning review before building review. PortMiami, which calls itself the Cruise Capital of the World, and the airport cargo district add marine, industrial and logistics construction to the city's tower and residential work.

• Vertical construction in Brickell, Downtown and Edgewater puts more payroll on work at height than in most Florida cities.
• Salt air and flood exposure on coastal jobs add corrosion, wet-work and water-intrusion hazards.

Common claims for framing contractors in Miami

Miami framing work is mostly interior metal-stud framing in towers and renovations, since new single-family construction inside the city is limited. HVHZ framing calls for more strapping, connectors and inspections per wall, and more time at height setting them.

• Falls from top plates, trusses and wall openings
• Nail-gun puncture wounds
• Struck-by injuries when walls or trusses are raised
• Strains from carrying sheathing and lumber
• Heat illness on open-deck framing in summer

What to have ready for a Miami framing quote

• Payroll for your Miami framing work, split by class (5645, 5651, 5403) and with office staff listed separately
• Certificates or exemptions for every sub on your Miami jobs, checked in the Proof of Coverage database
• Three years of loss runs for the framing business, plus your current experience modifier if you have one
• Recent permits pulled with the City of Miami Building Department, which show the volume and type of Miami work
• Any jobs planned outside Miami-Dade County or outside Florida this year, so the policy covers them

Questions from Miami framing contractors