New contractRiverside Medical Buildout
Received 9:41 AMInsurance requirementWorkers’ comp + waiver of subrogation
12-page contractReviewing insurance language
Policy summary
Workers’ compensation
CoversEmployee injury, medical and wages
Typical limitsStatutory · employer’s liability $1M
CertificatesWaiver of subrogation available
Class codes and payroll set before the audit.Right codes up front. No surprise bill.
Claim
Riverside project
What happenedTech fell from a ladder
Who was hurtEmployee
BenefitsMedical and wages
Claim filed. Benefits started.Sent to the carrier by your broker · 9:14 AM
Audit
Year-end payroll audit
Reported payroll$420,000
Audited payroll$438,000
Class codesConfirmed · no change
Right codes up front. No surprise bill.Where most premium disputes start.
Required in most statesWhat it does not cover→
Workers’ compensation insurance.
Helps you grow the crew. It covers employee injuries, most states require it once you hire, and the audit is where it gets expensive if the payroll is wrong.
Covers medical bills and lost wages when an employee is hurt on the job- Required in most states from the first hire, some from the first W-2
- Certificates and waivers for the GC, issued from the policy as written
Prefer to talk? Call +1 802-GOT-RIZA · Sun to Sat, 8am to 8pm ET
Markets we place through.
Is it required where you are?
Most states require workers’ comp once you have employees. The details vary.
Alabama
Generally required once an Alabama employer has 5 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Alaska
Generally required in Alaska with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Arizona
Generally required in Arizona with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Arkansas
Generally required in Arkansas with 3 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
California
Generally required in California with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Colorado
Generally required in Colorado with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Connecticut
Generally required in Connecticut with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Delaware
Generally required in Delaware with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Florida
Generally required in Florida with 4 or more non-construction employees, or 1 or more construction employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Georgia
Generally required in Georgia with 3 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Hawaii
Generally required in Hawaii with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Idaho
Generally required in Idaho with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Illinois
Generally required in Illinois with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Indiana
Generally required in Indiana with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Iowa
Generally required in Iowa with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Kansas
Generally required in Kansas when annual gross payroll exceeds $20,000.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Kentucky
Generally required in Kentucky with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Louisiana
Generally required in Louisiana with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Maine
Generally required in Maine with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Maryland
Generally required in Maryland with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Massachusetts
Generally required in Massachusetts with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Michigan
Michigan generally requires coverage for employers with 3 or more employees, or 1 employee working at least 35 hours a week for 13 weeks or longer.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Minnesota
Generally required in Minnesota with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Mississippi
Generally required in Mississippi with 5 or more regular employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Missouri
Generally required in Missouri with 5 or more employees, or 1 or more employees for a construction business.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Montana
Generally required in Montana with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Nebraska
Generally required in Nebraska with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Nevada
Generally required in Nevada with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
New Hampshire
Generally required in New Hampshire with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
New Jersey
Generally required in New Jersey with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
New Mexico
Generally required in New Mexico with 3 or more employees; construction employers generally need coverage with 1 or more.
We confirm what applies when you start.
New York
Virtually all New York employers must provide coverage when they have 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
North Carolina
Generally required in North Carolina with 3 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
North Dakota
Generally required in North Dakota before employing 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Ohio
Generally required in Ohio with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Oklahoma
Generally required in Oklahoma with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Oregon
Generally required in Oregon with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Pennsylvania
Generally required in Pennsylvania with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Rhode Island
Generally required in Rhode Island with 4 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
South Carolina
Generally required in South Carolina with 4 or more regular employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
South Dakota
South Dakota does not generally require private employers to carry workers’ compensation coverage.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Tennessee
Generally required in Tennessee with 5 or more employees; construction and coal-mining employers generally need coverage with 1 or more.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Texas
Most Texas private employers can choose whether to carry workers’ compensation coverage.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Utah
Generally required in Utah with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Vermont
Generally required in Vermont with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Virginia
Generally required in Virginia when an employer regularly has more than 2 employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Washington
Generally required in Washington with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
West Virginia
Generally required in West Virginia with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin generally requires coverage at 3 or more employees, or after paying $500 or more in combined gross wages in a calendar quarter.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Wyoming
Generally required in Wyoming for employees working in covered industries.
We confirm what applies when you start.
District of Columbia
Generally required in Washington, DC with 1 or more employees.
We confirm what applies when you start.
Workers’ comp is built to answer three things.
One policy, three moments. Here is how they show up on a real job.
Employee injury
If someone on the crew gets hurt.
A tech falls off a ladder on a service call.- Medical bills and lost wages are paid under the policy.
- You keep the job and the tech.
Claim
Riverside project
What happenedTech fell from a ladder
Who was hurtEmployee
BenefitsMedical and wages
Workers’ comp responds
Claim filed. Benefits started.Sent to the carrier by your broker · 9:14 AM
The audit
If the payroll was not what you said.
- The year ends. The carrier audits payroll and class codes.
- Wrong codes mean a bill, not a refund.
- We set both before the policy starts.
Audit
Year-end payroll audit
Reported payroll$420,000
Audited payroll$438,000
Class codesConfirmed · no change
Audit ready
Right codes up front. No surprise bill.Where most premium disputes start.
The requirement
If the GC wants proof before you start.
- The contract asks for a certificate and a waiver.
- Some states require it from the first hire, some from the first W-2.
- We match the state rule and the contract before the crew shows up.
Requirement
Riverside project
HIRE 1First employee on payrollThe state requirement begins here in most states.
JOB STARTGC asks for a certificate and a waiverIssued from the policy as written.
Certificate ready · waiver includedMatched to the state rule ✓
Also in the policy.
Less famous. Still decides what the audit and the claim look like.
Employer’s liabilityFor the lawsuit that comes alongside the injury claim.
Owners and officersIn or out changes the price and the protection. Your call, made on purpose.
Out-of-state workOther states coverage for the job across the line.
Placing the policy is half the job.
We stay for the other half. Four things that happen when a broker is on the account.
Meet the requirements.
Keep the job moving.
Certificates and waivers ready before the start date
Class codes set with you, not guessed by the carrier
Payroll updated as the crew grows- One broker on the phone at audit time
Requirement review3 of 3 matched
✓
Workers’ compStatutory limits
Matched✓
Employer’s liability$1M each accident
Matched✓
Waiver of subrogationBlanket
MatchedActivityToday
9:41Contract received and read
9:43Requirements checked against the policy
9:47Certificate drafted for Riverside Medical Buildout
PDF
Certificate packageRiverside Medical · ready to send
Send COIMeet the requirements.
Keep the job moving.
- Certificates and waivers ready before the start date
- Class codes set with you, not guessed by the carrier
- Payroll updated as the crew grows
- One broker on the phone at audit time
New contractRiverside Medical Buildout
Received 9:41 AMInsurance requirementWorkers’ comp + waiver of subrogation
12-page contractReviewing insurance language
Requirement review3 of 3 matched
✓
Workers’ compStatutory limits
Matched✓
Employer’s liability$1M each accident
Matched✓
Waiver of subrogationBlanket
MatchedActivityToday
9:41Contract received and read
9:43Requirements checked against the policy
9:47Certificate drafted for Riverside Medical Buildout
PDF
Certificate packageRiverside Medical · ready to send
Send COIHire the next tech.
Keep the same policy.
- A new hire added the week they start
- Class codes checked for the work they do
- Payroll estimate updated, not audited later
- One account record, not a new application
Coverage reviewAccount record
UpdatedEmployees6→8✓
States1→2✓
Payroll endorsementIssued✓
Same account, same brokerCertificate updated · sent
ActivityToday
9:52Employees updated, 6 to 8
10:05States updated, 1 to 2
11:20Payroll endorsement, carrier confirmed
COI
CertificateCertificate updated · sent
SentReport the injury once.
We stay on it.
- First report filed the day it happens
- Adjuster assigned, and you get the name
- Return to work planned with the adjuster
- We chase status so you do not have to
ClaimLadder fall · Riverside
ReportedWhat happenedTech fell from a ladder
Who was hurtEmployee
AdjusterA. Reyes · direct line on file
StatusBenefits started
Status checked by your brokerYour broker is on the thread
ActivityToday
9:14Reported once, to your broker
9:31Sent to the carrier with the file attached
10:05Adjuster assigned, direct line on file
CL
Next stepAdjuster call, your broker on the line
On calendarRenewal is a comparison,
not a rubber stamp.
- Payroll by class goes into one submission
- Every market we place through gets a look
- Experience mod and price compared side by side
- Stay or switch, your call
CompareCurrent vs option
Side by sidePrice$18.2k→$15.9k✓
Experience mod1.12→0.98✓
Payroll basisEstimated→Actual✓
Option BSelected✓
Stay or switch, your callOption selected
ActivityToday
MonCurrent policy received, terms read
WedOptions placed side by side, coverage first
FriOption selected, packet drafted
PDF
Renewal packetReady to sign
OpenWhat changes the price.
Five things that move a workers’ comp quote. Published averages are not your price.
01
Payroll by class code.
Each kind of work carries its own rate. Payroll in the right code is the whole price story.
02
Your state.
Rates, rules, and who counts as an employee change at the state line.
03
Experience modifier.
Your claims history against similar businesses. It moves the price up or down.
04
Owners in or out.
Excluding owners lowers payroll and the price. Including them buys protection. Both are legitimate.
05
Subcontractors without their own coverage.
Uninsured subs can be charged to your policy at audit.
Where workers’ comp stops.
These usually come next. Each has its own policy and its own page.
The job
AnchorEvery jobInjury, property damage, finished work
General liability
Explore general liability→Where most contracts start and most claims land.
Fleet
3 vehicles2 vans · 1 pickupBusiness-owned and scheduled
Commercial auto
Explore commercial auto→With the first vehicle. The driving, the drivers, and the wrecks.
The limit
If required$5M askedWhen a contract wants more than $1M / $2M
Umbrella
Explore umbrella→Sits on top of general liability and auto when a contract asks for more limit.
Gear on the move
Travels$40,000Tools, equipment, rentals
Tools & equipment
Explore tools & equipment→When gear leaves the shop. Covered in the van, on the site, and in between.
A better renewal starts with the policy you already have.
Already insured? Send it once. We compare it with today’s options.
Send
PDFCurrent policy.pdfGeneral liability · Auto · Workers’ comp
Policy received
Compare
Liability limit$1M$2M
Deductible$2,500$1,000
Annual premium$6,840$6,420
Choose
Current policy$6,840 / year
Option A$6,420 / yearSelected
Plain answers before the next job.
The questions worth settling before the first hire.
Do I need workers’ comp if I only have one employee?
Whether workers’ comp is needed with one employee depends on the state where that person works. Most states require coverage from the first hire, and a few set a threshold of several employees before it kicks in. New York, for example, requires it for almost any employer with one or more employees, including part time help. Check the state rule above, then check the contract, because a general contractor may require it even where the state does not. What changes the answer is who the person is: owners, family members, and true independent contractors are treated differently by each state.
Are owners required to be covered?
Owners are not always required to be covered, and most states let a sole proprietor, partner, or corporate officer choose to be included or excluded. Excluding yourself lowers the payroll the policy is rated on and lowers the price. Including yourself means the policy pays your medical bills and lost wages if you are the one who falls off the ladder. A one person shop that excludes the owner has a policy that covers no one, which some contracts accept and others do not. What changes the answer is your entity type and your state, because the election forms and the default rule differ in each.
What happens at the payroll audit?
At the payroll audit, the carrier compares the payroll and class codes you estimated when the policy started with what actually happened during the year. You send payroll records, tax filings, and certificates for any subcontractors, and the carrier recalculates the premium. If payroll came in higher than the estimate or a job was coded in the wrong class, the difference arrives as a bill after the policy ends. If payroll came in lower, money comes back to you. What changes the answer is how accurate the estimate was on day one, which is why we set class codes and payroll with you before the policy starts.
Do 1099 subcontractors count?
Whether 1099 subcontractors count toward workers’ comp depends on the state and on whether the sub carries a policy of their own. Many states treat an uninsured sub as your employee for workers’ comp, so if a sub with no coverage is hurt on your job, the claim can land on your policy. At audit, the carrier asks for a certificate from every sub, and payroll paid to subs who cannot produce one is often added to yours and charged. A sub with a valid certificate is usually left out. What changes the answer is the state’s test for who is an employee, which is stricter than the tax rules.
Does it cover an employee hurt in another state?
An employee hurt in another state is usually covered when the policy lists that state, and it may not be when it does not. Workers’ comp is written state by state, and the policy names the states where the business operates. A crew sent across the line for a week is often picked up under the other states coverage in the policy, but a crew that regularly works in a second state generally needs that state added. A New York plumber who takes a project in New Jersey is the common case. What changes the answer is how often and how long your people work outside your home state.
Can I get a certificate before the policy starts?
A certificate of insurance cannot be issued before the policy starts, because the certificate reports coverage that is actually in force. What we can do is line up the effective date with the job start, so the policy binds before the crew shows up and the certificate follows once it is in force. If a general contractor wants proof earlier, a binder or the confirmed effective date usually satisfies them until the certificate exists. What changes the answer is how complete the application is, because payroll, class codes, and any owner election have to be settled before a carrier will bind.
Ready to compare your workers’ comp options?
Tell us about the crew, or send your current policy.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 802-GOT-RIZA · Sun to Sat, 8am to 8pm ET