California Fencing Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published California pure premium for fencing workers comp, class 6400 (Fence Construction, metal or wood), is $6.017 per $100 of payroll (effective September 1, 2026). California carriers currently charge about this level on average.
California carriers file their own rates. Rating bureau data shows the average charged rate running at about the level of the average advisory pure premium, so the figure is used as-is here. Your quote can be lower or higher. Source.
California class code for fencing
- 6400: Fence Construction, metal or wood
California does not use NCCI: the WCIRB is an independent rating bureau with its own classification system and codes, and many construction trades are split into dual wage classes where each employee's payroll goes to a low-wage or high-wage code based on that employee's regular hourly wage.
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 California
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 3,150 fence erectors on payrolls in California (May 2025), the 1st largest workforce of the 35 states with published figures. The median wage is $26.95 an hour, 17% above the US median of $23.07.
Fence erectors make up about the same share of California jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.10).
At the published California pure premium of $6.02 per $100 of payroll for class 6400, which California carriers charge at about face value on average, comp on one worker at that wage costs about $1.62 for every hour worked, or $3,375 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $10,124 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. California pay runs from $19.35 an hour at the 10th percentile to $37.93 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $1.16 an hour on a new hire and $2.28 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in California
- Coverage required: 1 employee
- Owners and sole proprietors: Owners excluded only by written waiver; licensed roofers must carry even with no employees
- State fund: Competitive state fund (State Compensation Insurance Fund)
- Waiting period: 3 days; waived if hospitalized or disability exceeds 14 days
- Penalty for going without: Misdemeanor; fine of at least $10,000, stop-work orders, and CSLB license suspension
California uses its own WCIRB rating bureau, and SB 216 will require every licensed contractor to carry coverage even with no employees (effective 2028; roofers already).
California vs neighboring states
- Oregon: about $2.95 per $100 of payroll
California 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.