Hawaii Drywall Workers Comp Rates (2026)

Hawaii 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 Hawaii figure.

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

Hawaii 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 Hawaii

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 800 drywall and ceiling tile installers on payrolls in Hawaii (May 2025), the 22nd largest workforce of the 49 states with published figures. The median wage is $50.40 an hour, 78% above the US median of $28.33.

This trade is a bigger part of the Hawaii job market than it is nationally: drywall and ceiling tile installers hold 2.4 times their national share of jobs there.

At the US median of $4.08 per $100 of payroll (Hawaii does not publish its figure online), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $2.06 for every hour worked, or $4,277 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $12,831 a year in premium before any experience mod.

Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Hawaii pay runs from $24.15 an hour at the 10th percentile to $57.53 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.99 an hour on a new hire and $2.35 on a senior hand.

Workers comp requirements in Hawaii

Coverage required: 1 employee
Owners and sole proprietors: Owners with 50%+ ownership may opt out of covering themselves
State fund: Private market (no state fund)
Waiting period: 3 days
Penalty for going without: $100 per employee per day ($500 minimum)

Hawaii pairs mandatory workers comp with two other required coverages, Temporary Disability Insurance and the Prepaid Health Care Act, under one division.

Hawaii vs neighboring states

California: about $6.23 per $100 of payroll

Hawaii has no land border, so this compares it with the nearest mainland markets.

Hawaii does not publish its figure, so the first row is the US median. Among neighbors that publish, California is the cheapest for drywall comp at about $6.23 and California the most expensive at about $6.23 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.