New York Concrete Workers Comp Rates (2026)

The published New York loss cost for concrete workers comp, class 5213 (Concrete Construction - NOC - All Operations to Completion), is $16.455 per $100 of payroll (effective October 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $24.68.

A loss cost covers expected claims only. Each carrier files its own multiplier for expenses; in the states that publish the full list, the median is about 1.5, which is what the typical premium here uses. Your quote can be lower or higher. Source.

New York class codes for concrete

5221: Concrete or Cement Work - Floors, Driveways, Yards or Sidewalks - All Operations to Completion & Drivers
5213: Concrete Construction - NOC - All Operations to Completion

New York is an independent bureau state: it uses 4-digit codes that look like NCCI codes, but several NCCI classes do not exist in New York (no 5551, 5537, 5478 or 5436), roofing is split by roof pitch, and carpentry is split by building type and height.

Concrete work involves heavy lifting, silica dust from cutting and grinding, skin burns from wet cement, and equipment hazards from mixers, vibrators and pumps.

What comp costs per concrete finisher in New York

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 9,060 cement masons and concrete finishers on payrolls in New York (May 2025), the 4th largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $30.79 an hour, 12% above the US median of $27.41.

This trade is a smaller part of the New York job market than it is nationally: cement masons and concrete finishers hold 0.71 times their national share of jobs there.

At a typical New York premium of about $24.68 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $16.46 for class 5213 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $7.60 for every hour worked, or $15,806 a year full time. A 4-person crew comes to roughly $63,223 a year in premium before any experience mod.

Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. New York pay runs from $23.82 an hour at the 10th percentile to $49.50 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $5.88 an hour on a new hire and $12.22 on a senior hand.

Workers comp requirements in New York

Coverage required: 1 employee
Owners and sole proprietors: A sole proprietor with no employees is exempt; adding one employee triggers the full requirement
State fund: Competitive state fund (New York State Insurance Fund)
Waiting period: 7 days; retroactive to day one if disability extends beyond 14 days
Penalty for going without: $2,000 per 10-day period (under 10 employees), $5,000 for larger, plus criminal exposure

New York uses the independent NYCIRB (not NCCI) and separately mandates statutory Disability Benefits Law coverage alongside workers comp.

New York vs neighboring states

Connecticut: about $8.29 per $100 of payroll
Massachusetts: about $6.11 per $100 of payroll
New Jersey: about $8.83 per $100 of payroll
Pennsylvania: about $4.26 per $100 of payroll
Vermont: about $8.17 per $100 of payroll

New York has the highest concrete comp rate in its region; every neighboring state charges less per $100 of payroll.

If your crews work across the line, list those states under item 3.A or 3.C of your policy before the job starts. Rates follow the state where the work is done, not where your office is.

What moves a concrete comp bill

Concrete classes depend on the work: flatwork and driveways often rate differently from foundations and structural pours. Getting the class right is the first saving.
Back and crush injuries from forms, rebar, and pump hoses drive claims. A short pre-pour safety check on every job helps your mod over three years.
Concrete crews often hire short-term labor during the pour season. Every worker you pay counts at audit, so keep clean payroll records for temporary hires.
Owner-operators who pour alone can often exclude themselves; the rules vary by state, so check before you skip coverage.