Washington Drywall Workers Comp Rates (2026)
Washington 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 Washington figure.
No official Washington figure is available online, so the numbers below use the US median of the states that publish one.
Washington class codes for drywall
- 0540: Wallboard installation, including scrapping - Discounted rate
- 0550: Wallboard installation, including scrapping: Nondiscounted rate
- 0541: Wallboard taping, including texturing and priming - Discounted rate
- 0551: Wallboard taping, including texturing and priming - Nondiscounted rate
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.
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 Washington
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 2,670 drywall and ceiling tile installers on payrolls in Washington (May 2025), the 6th largest workforce of the 49 states with published figures. The median wage is $35.16 an hour, 24% above the US median of $28.33.
This trade is a bigger part of the Washington job market than it is nationally: drywall and ceiling tile installers hold 1.4 times their national share of jobs there.
At the US median of $4.08 per $100 of payroll (Washington does not publish its figure online), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $1.43 for every hour worked, or $2,984 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $8,951 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Washington pay runs from $24.21 an hour at the 10th percentile to $61.52 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.99 an hour on a new hire and $2.51 on a senior hand.
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 does not publish its figure, so the first row is the US median. Among neighbors that publish, Oregon is the cheapest for drywall comp at about $4.06 and Idaho the most expensive at about $4.25 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 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.