Workers’ compensation

Coverage for the people
doing the work.

Workers’ comp helps cover medical care, lost wages, and related benefits when someone’s hurt or made ill on the job. It’s also one of the few coverages the law often requires — so getting it right matters more than most.

Workers’ compensation
Active
Policy
Rivera Mechanical LLC
Policy WC-2026-0612 · Eff 06/01/26 — 06/01/27
Status
Active
Medical
Covered
Lost wages
Covered
Employer's liability
Included
Recent activity
View all →
  • Proof of coverage · landlord
    Rivera Mechanical LLC · COI issued
    Today
  • Class codes reviewed
    Field crew + clerical · matched to actual work
    Today
  • Payroll updated by role
    Estimates squared against new hires
    Yesterday
  • Audit prep started
    90 days ahead · no surprises
    May 19
Where to start

First hire, or cleaning up after an audit surprise?

New to having employees
Just hired, or about to?

We'll explain how workers' comp generally works in your state and get the policy set up right the first time — class codes, payroll estimates, owner setup, all of it.

First workers’ comp policy — setup checklist
  • Class codes match how the work’s done
    Not what the website says — what the team actually does.
  • Payroll estimated by role
    So the audit at year-end isn’t a surprise bill.
  • Owner included or excluded — on purpose
    Most common place small businesses leave money on the table.
We confirm what applies to you in your state.
Reshopping / been burned
Hit with a class-code or audit surprise?

Upload your current policy. We'll check the codes and payroll setup, see if work is in the right class, and let you know whether it should cost less — before the next audit, not after.

First workers’ comp policy — setup checklist
  • Class codes match how the work’s done
    Not what the website says — what the team actually does.
  • Payroll estimated by role
    So the audit at year-end isn’t a surprise bill.
  • Owner included or excluded — on purpose
    Most common place small businesses leave money on the table.
We confirm what applies to you in your state.
Is it required?

Most states require it once you have employees — the details vary.

Workers’ comp is one of the few business insurance lines that’s often legally required. Exactly when depends on your state, how many people you employ, and what kind of work they do. Here’s how it generally works — and we’ll confirm precisely what applies to you.

State reference — general info
Not a verdict
Pick a state
New York— how it generally works

Required in New York for any business with 1 or more employees.

We confirm what applies to you when you start the flow.
What’s covered

What workers’ comp actually pays for.

The benefits that stand behind an injured worker — medical, wage replacement, employer’s liability, plus the carrier’s claims and return-to-work support.

Revenue · Q1 → Q3

Medical costs for covered work-related injuries or illnesses.

Medical · injury
Project · progress

A portion of lost wages while an employee recovers.

Lost wages
Defense
Counsel assigned
Carrier-paneled · Day 1
Retainer
$24,800
Next
Discovery · 21 d

Employer's liability for certain workplace-injury lawsuits.

Employer's liability
Sheet A-04 · spec

State-required benefits based on the policy and jurisdiction.

State benefits
Claims-made · timing

Return-to-work and claims support through the carrier.

Return to work

Specific benefits, waiting periods, and statutory amounts vary by state and policy. We review the wording with you before anything is bound.

Where it stops

What sits in another policy.

Workers’ comp is specifically about your employees, hurt by work. Adjacent risks live elsewhere.

Each line links to the coverage page that usually responds. None of these are recommendations by themselves — what you need depends on the business and the contracts.

In real life

When it’s the policy that matters.

Scenario · 01
CLAIM · WC
#2026-0612
Lifting injury
Installer · field crew
Origin
Equipment lift · job site
Body part
Lower back
Status
Treatment authorized

An installer hurts their back lifting equipment.

Scenario · 02
CLAIM · WC
#2026-0617
Burn during shift
Kitchen · line cook
Origin
Hot oil splash
Body part
Hand
Status
Return-to-work plan

A kitchen employee burns their hand during a shift.

Scenario · 03
CLAIM · WC
#2026-0624
Slip while unloading
Warehouse · receiving
Origin
Wet floor · pallet jack
Body part
Knee
Status
Adjuster assigned

A warehouse employee slips while unloading inventory.

Scenario · 04
AUDIT · WC
AU-2026-04
Class-code surprise
Year-end audit · payroll true-up
Issue
Field work in clerical code
Reclass
Code 5403 → 5645
Outcome
Premium adjustment

A carrier audit finds payroll in the wrong class code and triggers a surprise bill.

What it costs

What drives the price — and where the surprises hide.

Workers’ comp is priced on your payroll and the class codes that describe the work — and that’s exactly where businesses get burned. Misclassified work or low payroll estimates show up as a bill at audit, not at quote. Getting the codes and numbers right up front is most of the job.

Class-code & payroll review
0 of 4
Roles & payroll
RoleCodePayroll
Field installer
5183$210,000
Apprentice
5183$72,000
Dispatcherreview
8810$48,000
Owner (excluded)
Generic example. Class codes vary by carrier and state.
We pin down with you
  • The class codes that match how the work is actually performed.
  • Payroll by role, so the policy isn't built on wishful numbers.
  • Whether owners are included or excluded.
  • Audit risks — flagged before the carrier finds them.
What affects your price
The inputs that actually move it.

These are what underwriters look at. None of them give you a quote on a landing page — but they tell you what we’ll need to size it.

01State02Payroll03Class codes04Claims history05Experience mod06Owner inclusion/exclusion07Safety controls

No guessing, no fake instant quotes. We get the codes and payroll right, check the market, and show you what actually drives the number.

How we help

We keep the surprises out of year-end.

A licensed broker — getting your codes, payroll, and audits right so the policy doesn’t bite you at year-end. Insurance that feels handled.

01

We check class codes against how the work is actually performed.

02

We estimate payroll by role so the policy isn't built on wishful numbers.

03

We flag audit risks before the carrier does.

04

We keep workers' comp connected to hiring, payroll, and contract requirements.

FAQ

The workers’ comp questions we hear most.

It depends on the state and your business structure. In many states — including New York, Arizona, and Nevada — coverage is generally required once you have any employee. Other states set the threshold at three or four, and a few (notably Texas) generally don't mandate private workers' comp at all, though most commercial contracts and landlords still require it. We confirm exactly what applies to you when you tell us where you operate.

Most workers' comp policies are audited after the policy year ends. The carrier compares the payroll and class codes you estimated up front against what actually happened. If estimates were low or work was in the wrong class code, the final premium can change — sometimes by a lot. Getting the codes and payroll right at quote is the single biggest thing you can do to avoid an audit surprise.

Owner coverage depends on the business entity type, the state's rules, and whether the owner is included or excluded on the policy. We walk through the right setup with you — it's one of the most common places small businesses leave money or coverage on the table.

Yes — that's most of the job. We check class codes against how the work is actually performed, estimate payroll by role so the policy isn't built on wishful numbers, flag audit risks before the carrier finds them, and keep the policy connected to hiring and contract requirements as you grow.

Get covered

Let’s get your team covered right.

Tell us a little about your business and your crew, see your options, and we’ll make sure the codes, payroll, and coverage all line up — before the audit, not after.

What happens next
Your plan
A coverage map, written like a checklist.
  • 01Match class codes to how the work is actually done
  • 02Estimate payroll by role so audit isn't a surprise
  • 03Set owner inclusion / exclusion on purpose
  • 04Stay connected to hiring and contract requirements
Sample · not advicefeels handled.