Washington Concrete Workers Comp Rates (2026)
Washington employers buy concrete workers comp from the state fund. The 2026 rate for class 0217 (Concrete flatwork - Construction and/or repair: N.O.C.) is $2.30 per hour worked, before your experience factor.
Washington charges for every hour worked, not per $100 of payroll. Source.
Washington class codes for concrete
- 0217: Concrete flatwork - Construction and/or repair: N.O.C.
- 0518: Nonwood frame buildings and structures, new construction and repair, N.O.C.
Monopolistic state fund (no private carriers) with its own four-digit risk classes and subclasses in WAC 296-17A that do not match NCCI codes, and premiums are charged per hour worked rather than per $100 of payroll, with workers paying part of the premium through payroll deduction.
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 Washington
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 4,440 cement masons and concrete finishers on payrolls in Washington (May 2025), the 15th largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $37.27 an hour, 36% above the US median of $27.41.
Cement masons and concrete finishers make up about the same share of Washington jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 0.94).
Washington charges by the hour, not by payroll. The 2026 state fund rate for class 0217 is $2.30 for every hour worked, so a full-time worker costs about $4,781 a year and a 4-person crew roughly $19,124, before your experience factor. You pay $1.90 of each hour; the rest can be deducted from the worker's pay.
Because premium follows hours rather than wages, a senior hand at the 90th percentile costs the same to insure as a new hire. That is roughly $6.17 per $100 of payroll at the median Washington wage, the figure used in the comparison below.
Workers comp requirements in Washington
- Coverage required: Any employee (no minimum headcount)
- Owners and sole proprietors: Owners and exempt officers may buy elective coverage; employees must always be covered
- State fund: Monopolistic; coverage only from the state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), or qualified self-insurance
- Waiting period: 3 days; paid only if the worker is still off on the 7th day
- Penalty for going without: Up to twice the premiums owed or $1,000, plus up to 100% of claim cost if unregistered
Washington uniquely calculates premiums by hours worked rather than payroll, and lets employers withhold part of the premium from employee wages.
Washington vs neighboring states
Washington has the highest concrete comp rate in its region; every neighboring state charges less per $100 of payroll.
If your crews cross into Idaho or Oregon, your Washington state-fund coverage does not follow them. Buy a private policy for the out-of-state work, with Washington excluded from it.
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.