Workers' comp for plumbing crews

How a plumbing injury plays out

These are made-up examples to show how the two parts of the policy work. Real outcomes depend on your state's law and your policy wording.

The cast-iron stack

Example scenario: A tech tears a shoulder muscle while pulling a section of cast-iron stack out of an old basement. He's off work for six weeks, then on light duty for a month. Part One of the policy would typically pay his doctor visits and physical therapy, plus the wage benefits your state sets for the time he can't work.

The lift that tipped

Example scenario: An apprentice falls when a rented scissor lift tips on a tenant build-out. He collects comp, then sues the lift's maker. The maker claims your shop never trained him on the lift and pulls your business into the suit. That's a third-party-over claim, and employer's liability is the part of the policy built to defend it.

What workers' comp costs a plumbing shop

Comp is the one policy where your payroll does most of the pricing. Payroll ÷ 100 × the class rate gives the starting premium for each class, and your experience mod adjusts the total. Office staff usually sit in a much cheaper clerical class, 8810, so split their pay out from your field techs.

Rates differ a lot by state and carrier. For one example, Indiana's advisory rates filed for January 1, 2026 put plumbing at $0.924 per $100 of payroll. At that rate, $200,000 of plumbing payroll starts near $1,848 a year, before your carrier's own pricing and your mod. The same filing rates sewer construction at about 1.7 times plumbing.

Your price depends on payroll, revenue, claims history, the work you do and the limits you choose. Tell us when you hire mid-year, so the deposit tracks reality and the audit has less to catch. Get a quote for your plumbing business →

Which plumbing shops feel workers' comp most

Every shop with a crew needs a plan, but the pressure points differ.

• Residential service shops usually hit comp at their first hire, when a helper starts riding along on drain calls and water heater swaps.
• Commercial subs get asked for a comp certificate before they set foot on a GC's site, and the GC's own auditor checks it. See commercial plumbing contractor insurance.
• Drain and sewer crews face the class-code question. A shop that digs new laterals may have payroll that belongs in a sewer construction class. See drain and sewer contractor insurance.

If you pay 1099 helpers, read our guide on 1099 subcontractors and workers' comp before your next audit.

Employment practices liability for growing crews

Comp and general liability don't cover claims from your own employees or job applicants about how you treated them. Employment practices liability (EPLI) is built for those: wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and retaliation. It's usually written claims-made, which means the policy in force when the claim is made responds, and defense costs often reduce the limit. Ask about it when you start hiring and firing on a regular basis.

Workers' comp rules by state

The headcount that triggers comp changes at the state line. A few examples from states we're licensed in:

• Florida requires construction employers to carry comp with even one employee, part-time included. See Florida plumber insurance.
• Missouri sets five employees for most businesses but one for construction employers, which covers plumbing repair work. See Missouri plumber insurance.
• Alabama generally starts at five employees, but that exemption doesn't apply to on-site work building new single-family homes.
• Georgia starts at three, and corporate officers and LLC members count toward the total.

Every other state has its own version. Find yours on our state pages, and check with your state's comp agency on owner elections.

Ohio: the state fund plus stop-gap

Ohio is a monopolistic state. Private employers buy comp from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC), not from insurance companies, unless they qualify to self-insure. So we don't quote Ohio workers' comp. What we do is make sure the gap BWC leaves gets closed. The state-fund policy doesn't include employer's liability, so Ohio employers usually add stop-gap coverage, most often as an endorsement on their general liability policy. See Ohio plumber insurance.

Texas: non-subscribers and occupational accident

Texas lets most private employers decide whether to carry comp. Employers that don't are non-subscribers. They must tell new hires and post a notice, and an injured employee can sue them for negligence. In that suit, the employer loses three key defenses: that the worker was partly at fault, assumed the risk, or was hurt by a co-worker. Texas public building jobs still require comp, including from subs. See Texas plumber insurance.

Some non-subscribers buy occupational accident insurance, which pays set medical and wage benefits to an injured worker. It isn't workers' comp, and it doesn't give back those lost defenses. Talk to a Texas employment attorney before you opt out. Get a quote for your plumbing business →