Arkansas Drywall Workers Comp Rates (2026)

Arkansas does not publish its drywall class figures online. Across the 25 states that do, the median typical premium is about $4.08 per $100 of payroll. Ask a carrier or the state's rating bureau for the current Arkansas figure.

No official Arkansas figure is available online, so the numbers below use the US median of the states that publish one.

Arkansas class code for drywall

5445: Wallboard Installation - Within Buildings & Drivers
5480 (Plastering NOC & Drivers)
5491 (Paperhanging & Drivers)

Drywall work carries lifting injuries from heavy sheets, dust exposure, and ladder and scaffold falls on high walls and ceilings.

What comp costs per drywall installer in Arkansas

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 240 drywall and ceiling tile installers on payrolls in Arkansas (May 2025), the 42nd largest workforce of the 49 states with published figures. The median wage is $21.42 an hour, 24% below the US median of $28.33.

This trade is a smaller part of the Arkansas job market than it is nationally: drywall and ceiling tile installers hold 0.34 times their national share of jobs there.

At the US median of $4.08 per $100 of payroll (Arkansas does not publish its figure online), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.87 for every hour worked, or $1,818 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $5,453 a year in premium before any experience mod.

Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Arkansas pay runs from $16.60 an hour at the 10th percentile to $23.46 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.68 an hour on a new hire and $0.96 on a senior hand.

Workers comp requirements in Arkansas

Coverage required: 3+ employees; 2 for construction, 1 if the contractor subcontracts work out
Owners and sole proprietors: Excluded by default; owners file a Certificate of Non-Coverage to stay exempt
State fund: Private market (no state fund)
Waiting period: 7 days; retroactive if disability exceeds 14 days
Penalty for going without: Civil penalties, stop-work orders, and criminal exposure for knowing failure

Arkansas steps the construction threshold down to two employees, or one for any contractor who subcontracts work out.

Arkansas vs neighboring states

Missouri: about $4.90 per $100 of payroll
Texas: about $1.51 per $100 of payroll

Arkansas does not publish its figure, so the first row is the US median. Among neighbors that publish, Texas is the cheapest for drywall comp at about $1.51 and Missouri the most expensive at about $4.90 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 drywall comp bill

Drywall hangers and tapers usually share one class. Stilt and scaffold falls and lifting injuries are the claims to manage.
Piece-rate pay is common in drywall. Comp is still charged on the full amount paid, so piece-rate crews do not lower premium.
Drywall subs without their own coverage are the largest audit risk in this trade. Collect certificates before the first board goes up.
If you also frame or do acoustic ceilings, those can be separate classes. Record payroll for each kind of work.