Texas Concrete Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published Texas loss cost for concrete workers comp, class 5213 (Concrete Construction in Buildings One and Two Stories in Height & Drivers (Texas index wording)), is $1.110 per $100 of payroll (effective July 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $1.67.
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.
Texas class codes for concrete
- 5200: Concrete or Cement Work - Floors, Driveways, Sidewalks, Curbs and Gutters & Drivers
- 5213: Concrete Construction in Buildings One and Two Stories in Height & Drivers (Texas index wording)
Texas uses NCCI's separate Basic Manual for Texas, which still has Texas-specific codes (for example 5536 HVAC, 5200 concrete flatwork, 5102 carpet and resilient floor covering) that NCCI is gradually replacing with multistate codes, and workers' comp is optional for most private employers (nonsubscribers must report to DWC that they have no coverage).
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 Texas
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 26,430 cement masons and concrete finishers on payrolls in Texas (May 2025), the 2nd largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $22.84 an hour, 17% below the US median of $27.41.
This trade is a bigger part of the Texas job market than it is nationally: cement masons and concrete finishers hold 1.4 times their national share of jobs there.
At a typical Texas premium of about $1.67 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $1.11 for class 5213 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.38 for every hour worked, or $793 a year full time. A 4-person crew comes to roughly $3,173 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Texas pay runs from $17.48 an hour at the 10th percentile to $29.22 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.29 an hour on a new hire and $0.49 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in Texas
- Coverage required: Elective for most private employers (South Dakota is also elective)
- Owners and sole proprietors: Included by default but may elect out
- State fund: Private market (Texas Mutual is the largest writer and insurer of last resort)
- Waiting period: 7 days; the waiting week is paid retroactively if off work more than 14 days
- Penalty for going without: Non-subscribers must file a notice; failure to file draws administrative penalties up to $25,000 per day
Texas is the only state where private employers can opt out entirely, trading coverage for the loss of common-law negligence defenses as a non-subscriber.
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.