Texas Electrical Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published Texas loss cost for electrical workers comp, class 5190 (Electrical Wiring--Within Buildings & Drivers), is $0.828 per $100 of payroll (effective July 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $1.24.
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.
Texas class code for electrical
- 5190: Electrical Wiring--Within Buildings & Drivers
Texas uses NCCI's separate Basic Manual for Texas, which still has Texas-specific codes (for example 5536 HVAC, 5200 concrete flatwork, 5102 carpet and resilient floor covering) that NCCI is gradually replacing with multistate codes, and workers' comp is optional for most private employers (nonsubscribers must report to DWC that they have no coverage).
Electrical work carries shock, arc flash and fall hazards. Outside power line construction is a separate class, 7538.
What comp costs per electrician in Texas
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 76,770 electricians on payrolls in Texas (May 2025), the 1st largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $28.16 an hour, 7% below the US median of $30.38.
Electricians make up about the same share of Texas jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.12).
At a typical Texas premium of about $1.24 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $0.83 for class 5190 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.35 for every hour worked, or $726 a year full time. A 2-person crew comes to roughly $1,453 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Texas pay runs from $18.23 an hour at the 10th percentile to $38.61 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.23 an hour on a new hire and $0.48 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in Texas
- Coverage required: Elective for most private employers (South Dakota is also elective)
- Owners and sole proprietors: Included by default but may elect out
- State fund: Private market (Texas Mutual is the largest writer and insurer of last resort)
- Waiting period: 7 days; the waiting week is paid retroactively if off work more than 14 days
- Penalty for going without: Non-subscribers must file a notice; failure to file draws administrative penalties up to $25,000 per day
Texas is the only state where private employers can opt out entirely, trading coverage for the loss of common-law negligence defenses as a non-subscriber.
What moves a electrical comp bill
- Electrical is one of the cheaper construction classes, so overstated payroll often costs more than the rate itself. Estimate payroll honestly at renewal and true it up at audit.
- Ladder falls and shocks are the typical claims. Lockout and tagout procedures that are actually followed are what keep the experience mod under 1.0.
- Low-voltage, alarm, and solar work can carry different class codes in some states. Ask your agent before you add those lines to the business.
- Office staff and estimators who stay out of the field can usually be rated as clerical. Keep their hours off the field timesheets.