Connecticut Fencing Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published Connecticut loss cost for fencing workers comp, class 6400 (Fence Erection - Metal or Wood), is $3.315 per $100 of payroll (effective January 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $4.97.
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.
Connecticut 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 Connecticut
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 300 fence erectors on payrolls in Connecticut (May 2025), the 18th largest workforce of the 35 states with published figures. The median wage is $25.57 an hour, 11% above the US median of $23.07.
Fence erectors make up about the same share of Connecticut jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.11).
At a typical Connecticut premium of about $4.97 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $3.32 for class 6400 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $1.27 for every hour worked, or $2,643 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $7,930 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Connecticut pay runs from $19.62 an hour at the 10th percentile to $35.79 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.98 an hour on a new hire and $1.78 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in Connecticut
- Coverage required: 1 employee
- Owners and sole proprietors: Excluded by default; a sole proprietor must affirmatively accept the Act to be covered
- State fund: Private market (no state fund)
- Waiting period: 3 days; retroactive to the injury date if incapacity reaches 7 days
- Penalty for going without: Operating uninsured is a Class D felony with per-employee civil penalties
In Connecticut, non-coverage or knowingly misclassifying employees as independent contractors is a Class D felony.
Connecticut vs neighboring states
- Massachusetts: about $2.88 per $100 of payroll
- New York: about $5.07 per $100 of payroll
Among its neighbors, Massachusetts is the cheapest for fencing comp at $2.88 and New York the most expensive at $5.07 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.