Workers' comp cost for masonry contractors in Miami

Masonry businesses in Miami-Dade County

Miami-Dade County had 78 masonry contractors (NAICS 238140) establishments in 2023, employing 376 people, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.

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.

Their average annual payroll per employee was about $42,928. Workers' comp is priced on payroll, so this is the starting point for any Miami estimate.

ZIP Code Business Patterns puts 21 masonry contractor establishments in ZIP codes whose postal city is Miami.

Of all construction businesses in Miami-Dade County, 1.2% are masonry contractor firms (78 of 6,754).

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).

Brickmasons and blockmasons in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area earned a median $24.13 an hour in May 2024 (BLS), with 670 employed; the Florida median was $24.03.

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 Miami

Masonry businesses working in Miami pull masonry work under the building permit through the City of Miami Building Department, and Florida law makes proof of workers' comp coverage or an exemption a condition of getting 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 masonry contractors in Miami

Miami masons build block walls on low-rise projects and infill homes, and do repair work on aging concrete block buildings. 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 Miami masonry quote

• Payroll for your Miami masonry work, split by class (5022) 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 masonry 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 masonry contractors