Workers' comp cost for concrete contractors in Tampa

Concrete businesses in Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County had 130 poured concrete foundation and structure contractors (NAICS 238110) establishments in 2023, employing 1,485 people, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.

That is 7.2% of the 1,804 such establishments statewide, and the third highest count among the nine counties that hold the ten cities in this guide series.

Their average annual payroll per employee was about $63,956. Workers' comp is priced on payroll, so this is the starting point for any Tampa estimate.

ZIP Code Business Patterns puts 31 concrete contractor establishments in ZIP codes whose postal city is Tampa.

Out of 4,393 construction establishments in Hillsborough County, 3.0% are concrete contractor firms.

For concrete contractor firms, Hillsborough County's average pay of $63,956 sits above Miami-Dade County ($63,367) and below Broward County ($69,150).

Cement masons and concrete finishers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area earned a median $22.72 an hour in May 2024 (BLS), with 1,990 employed; the Florida median was $22.34.

At that metro median, one full-time worker earns about $47,250 a year, which adds roughly $2,449 of class 5213 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 concrete contractors are classified

Concrete payroll usually sits in two classes. Structural work, such as foundations, tilt-wall, columns and elevated slabs, is 5213 at $5.184 per $100. Flatwork, such as driveways, sidewalks, patios and slab-on-grade floors, is 5221 at $3.873. The difference is meaningful, so a contractor doing both should track each job by type. Pump-truck operation and ready-mix delivery have their own codes.

At audit

• Track structural pours (5213) separately from flatwork (5221) job by job; the rate gap is large enough to matter at audit.
• Pump operators and ready-mix drivers are classified apart from the finishing crew.

Permits and licensing in Tampa

Before a Tampa concrete job starts, the contractor pulls building and right-of-way permits for foundations, slabs and driveways from the City of Tampa Construction Services Division, and state law requires proof of workers' comp or an exemption as part of that application.

To register a license with the City of Tampa Construction Services Division, every license type must show a certificate of workers' compensation insurance or proof of exemption, along with the state license and a registration form. Florida's 2021 occupational-licensing preemption (HB 735) ended most local contractor licensing once the grandfather period expired on July 1, 2025, so most Tampa contractors now work under a state-certified or state-registered license and use Hillsborough County's HillsGovHub portal. Tampa sits on the bay, and storm surge risk shapes a large share of repair work after every hurricane season.

Tampa's work mixes downtown and Water Street towers, Westshore office projects, Port Tampa Bay and MacDill Air Force Base, hospital expansions, and a large residential market across Hillsborough County. Storm repair after Helene and Milton can put unfamiliar subs on a job, so check every sub's certificate in the state Proof of Coverage database. Contractors who keep current certificates on file with their regular GCs get mobilized faster after a storm. Ybor City is a National Historic Landmark District, and exterior changes there go through the city's Barrio Latino Commission, which adds a design review step for roofers, masons and window installers. Downtown, the Water Street district has added towers, hotels and offices along the Channel District, while Tampa Electric and the city's water department coordinate the utility side of new connections.

• Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 drove a long repair cycle across Tampa Bay, and payroll for repair trades rose with it.
• Port Tampa Bay, MacDill Air Force Base and the hospital systems keep institutional and industrial jobs in the mix.

Common claims for concrete contractors in Tampa

Tampa concrete crews pour foundations and slabs for new homes, elevated slabs for downtown projects and seawall caps along the bay. Coastal concrete work includes seawall caps and elevated slabs, adding work near water and at height.

• Back and knee injuries from screeding and finishing
• Chemical burns from wet cement on skin
• Struck-by injuries from pump booms and formwork
• Falls from elevated forms and decks
• Heat illness during early-morning pours that run into midday

What to have ready for a Tampa concrete quote

• Payroll for your Tampa concrete work, split by class (5213, 5221) and with office staff listed separately
• Certificates or exemptions for every sub on your Tampa jobs, checked in the Proof of Coverage database
• Three years of loss runs for the concrete business, plus your current experience modifier if you have one
• Recent permits pulled with the City of Tampa Construction Services Division, which show the volume and type of Tampa work
• Any jobs planned outside Hillsborough County or outside Florida this year, so the policy covers them

Questions from Tampa concrete contractors