Tallahassee plumbing contractors: workers' comp rates and a real payroll example
Leon County has 98 plumbing and HVAC contractor businesses. Class 5183 is $2.737 per $100 of payroll; a 4-person Tallahassee crew runs about $6,268 a year.
Plumbing businesses in Leon County
According to County Business Patterns, 1,215 people worked at 98 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors (NAICS 238220, which the Census counts together with HVAC) establishments in Leon County in 2023.
That is 1.0% of the 9,351 such establishments statewide, and the eighth highest count among the nine counties that hold the ten cities in this guide series.
Their average annual payroll per employee was about $57,194. Workers' comp is priced on payroll, so this is the starting point for any Tallahassee estimate.
Within Tallahassee's own postal ZIP codes there were 95 plumbing and HVAC contractor establishments in 2023.
Of all construction businesses in Leon County, 13.9% are plumbing and HVAC contractor firms (98 of 705).
For plumbing and HVAC contractor firms, Leon County's average pay of $57,194 sits above Miami-Dade County ($56,291) and below Palm Beach County ($59,848).
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in the Tallahassee area earned a median $22.64 an hour in May 2024 (BLS), with 370 employed; the Florida median was $24.30.
At that metro median, one full-time worker earns about $47,100 a year, which adds roughly $1,289 of class 5183 premium.
2026 Florida class codes and rates
| Class | What it covers | Rate per $100 payroll | FWCJUA minimum premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5183 | Plumbing NOC, including drivers | $2.737 | $2,623 |
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.
Worked example for a Tallahassee crew
A Tallahassee shop with 4 field employees at the county's average pay reports about $229,000 of class 5183 payroll.
At $2.737 per $100, the manual premium is about $6,268 a year, or about $1,567 per employee, before your experience modifier, credits and fees.
A Tallahassee business that ends up in the FWCJUA, Florida's market of last resort, pays a 93% surcharge in Tier 1 or 183% in Tiers 2 and 3, about $12,097 or $17,738 on that payroll.
The experience modifier then moves that number: at a 0.85 mod the Tallahassee crew would pay about $5,328, and at a 1.25 mod about $7,835.
Treat this as a worked illustration, not a price: carriers quote on your actual payroll, classifications and claims.
Class 5183 manual premium by headcount at Leon County average pay
| Employees | Annual payroll | Manual premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $57,000 | $1,560 |
| 3 | $172,000 | $4,708 |
| 4 | $229,000 | $6,268 |
| 10 | $572,000 | $15,656 |
| 20 | $1,144,000 | $31,311 |
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 Tallahassee
Plumbing businesses working in Tallahassee pull plumbing permits through the City of Tallahassee Growth Management, Building Inspection Division, and Florida law makes proof of workers' comp coverage or an exemption a condition of getting a building permit.
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 plumbing contractors in Tallahassee
Tallahassee plumbers handle apartment and student-housing work near the campuses along with residential service across the county. Inland plumbers work more new-subdivision rough-ins, where trenching and lifting injuries are the main claim drivers.
- 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 Tallahassee plumbing quote
- Payroll for your Tallahassee plumbing work, split by class (5183) 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 plumbing 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 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 Leon County. Certificates can be issued the same day for qualified accounts.
Questions from Tallahassee plumbing contractors
How much is workers' comp for a plumbing business in Tallahassee?
About $1,567 per worker per year in manual premium, if your pay matches the Leon County average of $57,194. That comes from the statewide class 5183 rate of $2.737 per $100 of payroll; the location inside Florida does not change the rate.
How many plumbing and HVAC contractor businesses operate in Tallahassee?
The Census Bureau's 2023 ZIP Code Business Patterns lists 95 plumbing and HVAC contractor establishments in ZIP codes with a Tallahassee postal address, out of 98 across Leon County and 9,351 statewide. Every one of them with employees has to carry Florida workers' comp, so certificates are routine in Tallahassee bids.
Where do plumbing 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. Plumbing contractors in Tallahassee work under a state certified or registered license from the Florida DBPR. A Tallahassee plumbing business with even one employee must carry workers' comp, and the permit desk can confirm it in the state's Proof of Coverage database.
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.
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 plumbing company opt out of workers' comp?
Only officers can, and only up to three. In construction, Florida lets up to three officers of a corporation or LLC, each owning at least 10%, file an exemption; sole proprietors and partners cannot. Everyone else on the Tallahassee payroll must be insured. The state enforces this with stop-work orders and penalties of twice the unpaid premium for 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
- NCCI, Florida rate filing 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.