New York Drywall Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published New York loss cost for drywall workers comp, class 5445 (Wallboard Installation - Within Buildings - All Operations to Completion & Drivers), is $6.394 per $100 of payroll (effective October 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $9.59.
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 code for drywall
- 5445: Wallboard Installation - Within Buildings - All Operations to Completion & Drivers
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.
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 New York
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 2,840 drywall and ceiling tile installers on payrolls in New York (May 2025), the 5th largest workforce of the 49 states with published figures. The median wage is $29.46 an hour, 4% above the US median of $28.33.
This trade is a smaller part of the New York job market than it is nationally: drywall and ceiling tile installers hold 0.55 times their national share of jobs there.
At a typical New York premium of about $9.59 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $6.39 for class 5445 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $2.83 for every hour worked, or $5,876 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $17,629 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 $22.53 an hour at the 10th percentile to $56.95 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $2.16 an hour on a new hire and $5.46 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 $5.50 per $100 of payroll
- Massachusetts: about $3.94 per $100 of payroll
- New Jersey: about $6.91 per $100 of payroll
- Pennsylvania: about $4.39 per $100 of payroll
- Vermont: about $6.99 per $100 of payroll
New York has the highest drywall 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 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.