Your EMR is the single biggest lever on your workers' comp premium. An EMR of 0.85 saves a Florida roofer $6,756/year on $500K payroll. Here's how to get there.
Talk to a Florida WC SpecialistSee how your EMR affects your annual workers' comp premium using real 2026 FWCJUA rates.
FL rates from FWCJUA 2026 (eff. 1/1/2026). Calculation is base premium × EMR. Does not include policy fees or carrier surcharges.
| EMR Range | What It Means | Bidding Impact | Premium vs. Base (Roofing 5551) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.70–0.79 | Excellent — top 10% of your industry | Competitive advantage | -25% to -21% |
| 0.80–0.89 | Very good — below-average claims | Preferred by most GCs | -20% to -11% |
| 0.90–0.99 | Good — slightly better than average | Meets most requirements | -10% to -1% |
| 1.00 | Average — industry baseline | Meets standard requirements | 0% |
| 1.01–1.15 | Slightly above average | May be flagged on some bids | +1% to +15% |
| 1.16–1.30 | Above average — claims concern | Disqualified from many bids | +16% to +30% |
| 1.31+ | High — significant claims history | Disqualified from most public bids | +31% or more |
NCCI gives credit for documented safety programs. More importantly, fewer injuries mean fewer claims — the most direct path to a lower EMR. Document your safety meetings, training, and incident investigations.
Getting injured employees back on light duty quickly dramatically reduces the total cost of each claim. A $5,000 medical-only claim has far less impact on your EMR than a $50,000 lost-time claim for the same injury.
Delayed reporting increases claim costs. Florida law requires employers to report injuries within 7 days. Immediate reporting allows the carrier to manage the claim early and control costs.
Work with your carrier to identify and contest claims that are exaggerated or fraudulent. Every dollar saved on a claim directly improves your EMR calculation.
If employees are misclassified to a higher-rate code than their actual work warrants, your expected losses are inflated — making your EMR look worse than it is. A class code audit can reveal and fix these errors.
Bright Coast Insurance uses your actual EMR to give you an accurate Florida workers' comp quote — not a ballpark estimate.
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