What workers' comp costs electrical contractors in Tallahassee, Florida
Leon County has 66 electrical contractor businesses. Class 5190 is $2.969 per $100 of payroll in 2026; a 4-person Tallahassee crew runs about $5,730 a year.
Electrical businesses in Leon County
Leon County had 66 electrical contractors (NAICS 238210) establishments in 2023, employing 745 people, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.
That is 1.0% of the 6,480 such establishments statewide, and the eighth 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 $48,235 per employee, the base your premium is calculated on.
Within Tallahassee's own postal ZIP codes there were 66 electrical contractor establishments in 2023.
Of all construction businesses in Leon County, 9.4% are electrical contractor firms (66 of 705).
For electrical contractor firms, Leon County's average pay of $48,235 sits below Alachua County ($55,492).
In the Tallahassee metro, 750 people worked as electricians in May 2024, earning a median $22.99 an hour against $25.53 for Florida as a whole.
At that metro median, one full-time worker earns about $47,820 a year, which adds roughly $1,420 of class 5190 premium.
2026 Florida class codes and rates
| Class | What it covers | Rate per $100 payroll | FWCJUA minimum premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5190 | ELECTRICAL WIRING W/IN BUILDING AND DRIVERS | $2.969 | $2,831 |
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 Tallahassee crew
A Tallahassee shop with 4 field employees at the county's average pay reports about $193,000 of class 5190 payroll.
At $2.969 per $100, the manual premium is about $5,730 a year, or about $1,433 per employee, before your experience modifier, credits and fees.
Without a voluntary carrier, the FWCJUA would charge about $11,059 (Tier 1, 93% surcharge) or $16,216 (Tiers 2 and 3, 183% surcharge) for the same Tallahassee payroll.
The experience modifier then moves that number: at a 0.85 mod the Tallahassee crew would pay about $4,870, and at a 1.25 mod about $7,162.
Treat this as a worked illustration, not a price: carriers quote on your actual payroll, classifications and claims.
Class 5190 manual premium by headcount at Leon County average pay
| Employees | Annual payroll | Manual premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $48,000 | $1,425 |
| 3 | $145,000 | $4,305 |
| 4 | $193,000 | $5,730 |
| 10 | $482,000 | $14,311 |
| 20 | $965,000 | $28,651 |
How electrical contractors are classified
Electricians wiring inside buildings are classed 5190, Electrical Wiring Within Buildings and Drivers. Outdoor line work, such as utility poles and overhead distribution, is classified separately (for example 7538 for power-line construction), so a contractor that does both must keep separate payroll records for each or the carrier can assign unrecorded payroll to the higher-rated class. Generator installs and post-storm service calls stay in 5190 when the work is on the building side of the meter.
Usually included
- Wiring, panels and fixtures inside buildings
- Service calls and generator connections on the building side
- Low-voltage and data cabling installed by electricians
- Drivers of company vehicles
Rated separately
- Utility line and pole construction
- Clerical staff (8810)
- Outside salespeople
At audit
- Separate any line or pole work from inside wiring in the payroll records; mixed records let the auditor pick the higher-rated class.
- Apprentices and helpers are rated in 5190 the same as licensed journeymen.
Permits and licensing in Tallahassee
Before a Tallahassee electrical job starts, the contractor pulls electrical permits from the City of Tallahassee Growth Management, Building Inspection Division, and state law requires proof of workers' comp or an exemption as part of that application.
Tallahassee runs its permit process fully online: building, land-use, environmental and fire reviews all go through the city's Customer Permit Portal, managed by the Growth Management Department's Building Inspection Division. As the state capital and home to Florida State University and Florida A&M University, Tallahassee has a large share of government, university and institutional construction, where general contractors routinely ask every sub for a certificate before mobilizing. The Big Bend also sees tornadoes and inland tropical storms, including Hurricane Hermine in 2016 and the May 10, 2024 tornadoes that hit the city.
Construction owners in Tallahassee are often public: the State of Florida, Leon County, the city, the universities and the hospital systems. Public owners tend to require formal certificates, certified payroll on some projects and clear documentation of every subcontractor's coverage. The private market is smaller than in South Florida and leans toward single-family homes, apartments near the campuses and light commercial work. Lower volume means many contractors cover a wide area across the Big Bend and into South Georgia. The City of Tallahassee owns its electric, gas and water utilities, so service connections and utility coordination run through the city rather than a private provider. With state agencies, two universities, a community college and regional hospitals all building or renovating, public-sector schedules and budget cycles have a visible effect on when local crews are busiest.
- Public and university projects often require certified payroll and strict certificate tracking, so audit records tend to be cleaner and better documented.
- Hard clay soils and tree canopy add excavation and tree-strike exposures on residential sites.
Common claims for electrical contractors in Tallahassee
Tallahassee electricians work on state, university and hospital buildings as well as residential service work across Leon County. Inland electricians spend long summer hours in attics and on generator installs after afternoon storms knock out power.
- Shock and arc-flash burns
- Falls from ladders and lifts while pulling wire overhead
- Knee and back injuries from crawl-space and attic work
- Cuts from conduit and cable
- Heat illness on outdoor service and generator installs after storms
What to have ready for a Tallahassee electrical quote
- Payroll for your Tallahassee electrical work, split by class (5190) and with office staff listed separately
- Certificates or exemptions for every sub on your Tallahassee jobs, checked in the Proof of Coverage database
- Three years of loss runs for the electrical business, plus your current experience modifier if you have one
- Recent permits pulled with the City of Tallahassee Growth Management, Building Inspection Division, which show the volume and type of Tallahassee work
- Any jobs planned outside Leon County or outside Florida this year, so the policy covers them
Get a workers' comp quote for your Tallahassee electrical business
Send your payroll by class and your loss runs, and a licensed Bright Coast agent will shop the carriers writing electrical contractors in Leon County. Certificates can be issued the same day for qualified accounts.
Questions from Tallahassee electrical contractors
How much is workers' comp for an electrical business in Tallahassee?
Florida rates are set statewide, so a Tallahassee business pays the same $2.969 per $100 of payroll for class 5190 as anywhere else in the state. What changes is payroll: at Leon County's 2023 average of about $48,235 per employee, each worker adds roughly $1,433 of manual premium a year before your experience modifier and credits.
How many electrical contractor businesses operate in Tallahassee?
The Census Bureau's 2023 ZIP Code Business Patterns lists 66 electrical contractor establishments in ZIP codes with a Tallahassee postal address, out of 66 across Leon County and 6,480 statewide. Every one of them with employees has to carry Florida workers' comp, so certificates are routine in Tallahassee bids.
Where do electrical contractors in Tallahassee get permits, and is proof of coverage required?
Permits inside Tallahassee come from the City of Tallahassee Growth Management, Building Inspection Division. Electrical contractors in Tallahassee work under a state certified or registered license from the Florida DBPR. A Tallahassee electrical business with even one employee must carry workers' comp, and the permit desk can confirm it in the state's Proof of Coverage database.
Can an electrical contractor split office payroll out?
Yes. Estimators, dispatchers and office staff who never work in the field can be rated in 8810 at a fraction of the 5190 rate, as long as their payroll is recorded separately. Anyone who goes to job sites, even part-time, stays in 5190.
What do state and university projects in Tallahassee require for workers' comp?
Expect to provide a certificate naming the owner or the general contractor, proof that every sub is covered or exempt, and sometimes certified payroll. Public owners also verify coverage in the state's Proof of Coverage database, so the policy and the exemptions on file have to match what you submit.
Can the owner of a Tallahassee electrical company opt out of workers' comp?
In construction, up to three officers of a corporation or LLC who each own at least 10% of the company can file for an exemption with the Florida Division of Workers' Compensation. The exemption covers only those officers. Every employee still has to be covered, and working without coverage can bring a stop-work order and a penalty of twice the premium that should have been paid over the prior two years.
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 Tallahassee, Growth Management — Building Inspection
- 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.