Alabama Fencing Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published Alabama loss cost for fencing workers comp, class 6400 (Fence Erection - Metal or Wood), is $2.598 per $100 of payroll (effective March 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $3.90.
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.
Alabama class code for fencing
- 6400: Fence Installation and Repair - Metal, Vinyl, Wood or Prefabricated Concrete Panel Fence Installed by Hand & Drivers
- 6217 (Excavation NOC)
- 5403 (Carpentry NOC)
Fence work carries hand tool injury, post-hole digger / auger risks, lifting, and underground utility strike risks. Chain-link work uses cutting tools with finger injury exposure.
What comp costs per fence installer in Alabama
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 18,400 construction laborers on payrolls in Alabama (May 2025), the 24th largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $17.74 an hour, 22% below the US median of $22.66.
Construction laborers make up about the same share of Alabama jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.23).
At a typical Alabama premium of about $3.90 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $2.60 for class 6400 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.69 for every hour worked, or $1,439 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $4,317 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Alabama pay runs from $11.53 an hour at the 10th percentile to $23.91 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.45 an hour on a new hire and $0.93 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in Alabama
- Coverage required: 5+ employees; 1 for new single-family home construction
- Owners and sole proprietors: Owners may be excluded; corporate officers count toward the 5-employee threshold
- State fund: Private market (no state fund)
- Waiting period: 3 days; retroactive if disability exceeds 21 days
- Penalty for going without: Up to $1,000 per employee per day, stop-work orders, and misdemeanor exposure
Alabama's small-employer exemption specifically does not cover new single-family homebuilders, who need coverage at one worker.
Alabama vs neighboring states
- Georgia: about $3.46 per $100 of payroll
Alabama has the highest fencing 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 fencing comp bill
- Fence erection rates sit above most interior trades because of post-hole augers, heavy material, and power tools. Auger training cuts the most serious claims.
- Fence crews often add decks, gates, or ornamental metal work, and those can rate in different classes. Tell your carrier what share of the work each represents.
- Seasonal crews and day labor are common in fencing. Every worker you pay counts at audit, so keep records for temporary hires.
- If you only sell and subcontract the installs, your own exposure is mostly sales and clerical, but only if every installer carries their own coverage.