New contractLakeside Apartments · service contract
Received 9:41 AMInsurance requirementWorkers’ comp + waiver of subrogation
9-page contractReviewing insurance language
Policy summary
Workers’ comp · HVAC
CoversTech injury, medical and wages
Rated onHVAC payroll, by class
CertificatesWaiver of subrogation available
Class codes set before the audit.Field, helpers, office. Each with its own code.
Claim
Rooftop unit swap · Lakeside
What happenedFall from the ladder at the roof edge
Who was hurtEmployee
BenefitsMedical and wages
Claim filed. Benefits started.Filed by your broker the same day.
Audit
Year-end payroll audit
Reported payroll$480,000
Audited payroll$526,000 · summer overtime
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’ comp for HVAC contractors.
Rooftops, attics, and ladders make the claims. Seasonal payroll, class codes, and who counts as an employee make the price. We help you get them right before the audit does, and we tell you honestly where your state lands.
Class codes matched to the work your techs actually do- Payroll estimated by role and by season, not guessed
- Audit risks flagged before the carrier finds them
Prefer to talk? Call +1 802-GOT-RIZA · Sun to Sat, 8am to 8pm ET
Does an HVAC shop need workers’ comp, and what does the audit do with a summer payroll?
Workers’ compensation helps cover medical care and part of lost wages when someone on your crew is hurt or made ill on the job, and it typically includes employer’s liability. Most states require it once you have employees, with thresholds that vary. It is priced on payroll and class codes, and an HVAC payroll swings with the season, which is why the year-end audit, not the quote, is where HVAC shops get surprised.
How workers’ comp works for any business→Markets we place through.
Is it required where you are?
Most states require workers’ comp once you have employees. The details vary, and we confirm what applies to your crew.
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.
Three moments workers’ comp answers on an HVAC crew.
One policy, three moments. Here is how they show up on a real job.
Employee injury
If a tech gets hurt on the roof.
A rooftop unit swap ends with a fall at the roof edge. Broken wrist, six weeks out.- Medical bills and lost wages are paid under the policy.
- You keep the tech, and the contract.
Claim
Rooftop unit swap · Lakeside
What happenedFall from the ladder at the roof edge
Who was hurtEmployee
BenefitsMedical and wages
Workers’ comp responds
Claim filed. Benefits started.Filed by your broker the same day.
The audit
If the summer payroll was not what you said.
- The year ends. The carrier audits payroll and class codes.
- A July of overtime and two seasonal helpers coded as office is the usual finding.
- We estimate by season and set codes by role before the policy starts.
Audit
Year-end payroll audit
Field techs · 5537$362,000
Install helpers · 5537$118,000 · summer overtime
Office · 8810$46,000 · was coded field
Audit ready
Right codes up front. No surprise bill.Where most premium disputes start.
The requirement
If the property manager wants proof before you start.
- The service agreement 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
Lakeside Apartments · service contract
HIRE 1First tech on payrollThe state requirement begins here in most states.
CONTRACT STARTProperty manager asks for a certificate and a waiverIssued from the policy as written.
Certificate ready · waiver includedMatched to the state rule ✓
Before the audit, not after.
What the auditor will ask for, gathered up front.
Payroll by role and by season, with overtime shown separatelyField techs, install helpers, office. Overtime premium is often excluded from the base.
Certificates from every subcontractorThe electrician and the crane. Without one, their payroll can be charged to your policy.
Owner and officer status on recordIncluded or excluded, and the form that says so.
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 property manager’s requirements.
Keep the crew rolling.
Certificates and waivers ready before the start date
Class codes set with you, not guessed by the carrier
Payroll updated as the crew grows for the season- 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 Lakeside Apartments · service contract
PDF
Certificate packageLakeside · ready to send
Send COIMeet the property manager’s requirements.
Keep the crew rolling.
- Certificates and waivers ready before the start date
- Class codes set with you, not guessed by the carrier
- Payroll updated as the crew grows for the season
- One broker on the phone at audit time
New contractLakeside Apartments · service contract
Received 9:41 AMInsurance requirementWorkers’ comp + waiver of subrogation
9-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 Lakeside Apartments · service contract
PDF
Certificate packageLakeside · ready to send
Send COIHire the summer crew.
Keep the same policy.
- A new tech added the week they start
- Seasonal helpers coded for the work they do, not the office
- Payroll estimate updated, not audited later
- One account record, not a new application
Coverage reviewAccount record
UpdatedTechs on payroll5→7✓
Seasonal helpers0→2✓
Payroll endorsementIssued✓
Same account, same brokerCertificate updated · sent
ActivityToday
9:52Techs on payroll updated, 5 to 7
10:05Seasonal helpers updated, 0 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
ClaimRooftop unit swap · Lakeside
ReportedWhat happenedFall from the ladder at the roof edge
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 and the year’s installs in 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$21.6k→$18.4k✓
Experience mod1.09→0.96✓
Payroll basisFlat estimate→By season✓
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 the price for an HVAC crew, and what the auditor will test.
01
Payroll by role and by season.
Field techs, install helpers, and office staff carry different codes and rates, and a summer of overtime moves the base. Overtime premium is often excluded.
02
Class codes.
The code has to match the work. Reclassification at audit is where the surprise bills come from.
03
Owner and officer status.
Included or excluded, allowed or not, depends on entity type and state.
04
Subcontractor certificates.
Without one on file, the electrician’s or the crane’s payroll can be charged to your policy.
05
Claims history and experience mod.
Past claims move the rate for years. What changed since matters to the underwriter.
Workers’ comp is one part of the account.
The lines that usually sit next to it for an HVAC shop, each with its own page.
The job
AnchorEvery jobWater damage, injuries, finished work
General liability
Explore general liability→The anchor. The clogged drain line, the slip on a wet floor, the unit that fails a season later.
Fleet
Scheduled3 vans · 1 box truckBusiness-owned, hired and non-owned
Commercial auto
Explore commercial auto→With the first van. The driving, the drivers, and the wrecks.
Gear on site
Travels$35,000Gauges, recovery machine, vacuum pump
Tools & equipment
Explore tools & equipment→When gear leaves the shop. Covered in the van, on the roof, and in between.
The limit
If required$5M askedWhen the contract wants more than the policy carries
Umbrella
Explore umbrella→When a contract asks for more limit than the policy carries. Sits on top of general liability and auto.
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.
What HVAC contractors ask about workers’ comp.
Do I need workers’ comp if I only use subcontractors?
Whether an HVAC shop with only subcontractors needs workers’ comp depends on the state and on whether those subs are treated as employees. Many states count an uninsured sub as yours, so an install helper you bring in for the summer without a policy of their own can put their injuries on your account and their pay on your audit. A sub with a certificate on file, like the electrician or the crane company, is usually left out. What changes the answer is the state’s test for who is an employee and what your subs actually carry, so we look at both before the quote.
How does seasonal payroll affect the audit?
Seasonal payroll affects the audit because the premium is set on an estimate at the start of the year and trued up on actual payroll at the end. An HVAC shop that runs lean in March and carries two extra helpers and a July of overtime looks very different in August, and a flat estimate misses the summer. At audit the carrier bills the difference. Overtime premium is often excluded from the base, so showing it separately matters. What changes the answer is how the estimate was built on day one, which is why we estimate by season and by role before the policy starts rather than after the audit finds it.
Can I exclude myself as the owner?
Often, depending on entity type and state, an owner can elect to be excluded from workers’ comp. Exclusion lowers the payroll the policy is rated on and lowers the price. It also means no benefits for you if you are the one who comes off the roof. Some property managers and general contractors require the owner to be included regardless, because their contract says so. What changes the answer is your entity type, your state’s election rules, and the contracts you plan to sign, and we put the choice in writing either way.
What if a helper is an independent contractor?
Calling a helper an independent contractor does not decide whether workers’ comp applies; the facts of the work do. A helper who works your schedule, rides in your van, and uses your gauges looks like an employee to most state boards and to the auditor, whatever the tax form says. We do not decide worker status for you, and this page does not either. What changes the answer is your state’s test and how the work is actually arranged, so we show you the rule and the cost of each option and you decide with your accountant.
Is workers’ comp required in my state?
Most states require workers’ comp once an HVAC business has employees, and the threshold varies. New York requires it for nearly any employer with one or more employees. Some states start at the first hire, a few set a higher count, and several treat construction trades more strictly than the general rule. Pick your state in the lookup above for the general rule. What changes the answer is who the person is, since owners, family members, and true independent contractors are treated differently in each state, and we confirm what applies when you start.
Does it cover a tech hurt on an out-of-state job?
A tech hurt on an out-of-state job 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 where the business operates. A crew sent across the line for a week on a commercial rooftop 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. What changes the answer is how often and how long your people work outside your home state.
Let’s get the crew covered right.
Codes, payroll, and coverage lined up before the audit, not after.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 802-GOT-RIZA · Sun to Sat, 8am to 8pm ET