What workers' comp costs masonry contractors in Tampa, Florida

Masonry businesses in Hillsborough County

The Census Bureau counted 137 masonry contractors (NAICS 238140) establishments in Hillsborough County in 2023, with 1,283 paid employees on their payrolls.

That is 9.8% of the 1,392 such establishments statewide, and the highest count among the nine counties that hold the ten cities in this guide series.

Annual payroll at those firms works out to about $40,895 per employee, which is the number that drives a workers' comp premium.

Within Tampa's own postal ZIP codes there were 32 masonry contractor establishments in 2023.

Masonry firms make up 3.1% of the 4,393 construction establishments in Hillsborough County.

For masonry contractor firms, Hillsborough County's average pay of $40,895 sits above Duval County ($37,690) and below Miami-Dade County ($42,928).

In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro, 460 people worked as brickmasons and blockmasons in May 2024, earning a median $23.38 an hour against $24.03 for Florida as a whole.

At that metro median, one full-time worker earns about $48,640 a year, which adds roughly $2,539 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 Tampa

In Tampa, the City of Tampa Construction Services Division handles masonry work under the building permit. Under section 440.103 of Florida law, a masonry business has to show proof of workers' comp or an exemption to receive a building permit.

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 masonry contractors in Tampa

Tampa masons work on block homes, commercial buildings and storm repairs to perimeter and garden walls. Coastal block walls carry more reinforcement and storm-hardening scopes, with more time on scaffolds.

• 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 Tampa masonry quote

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