Indiana Fencing Workers Comp Rates (2026)

The published Indiana loss cost for fencing workers comp, class 6400 (Fence Erection - Metal or Wood), is $1.147 per $100 of payroll (effective January 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $1.72.

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.

Indiana 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 Indiana

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 540 fence erectors on payrolls in Indiana (May 2025), the 14th largest workforce of the 35 states with published figures. The median wage is $22.84 an hour, in line with the US median of $23.07.

Fence erectors make up about the same share of Indiana jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.06).

At a typical Indiana premium of about $1.72 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $1.15 for class 6400 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.39 for every hour worked, or $817 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $2,451 a year in premium before any experience mod.

Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Indiana pay runs from $18.20 an hour at the 10th percentile to $35.77 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.31 an hour on a new hire and $0.62 on a senior hand.

Workers comp requirements in Indiana

Coverage required: 1 employee
Owners and sole proprietors: Owners exempt for themselves; construction independent contractors file a Clearance Certificate
State fund: Private market (no state fund)
Waiting period: 7 days; retroactive if disability exceeds 21 days
Penalty for going without: Up to $10,000 per violation plus $50 per day per uncovered employee

Indiana sets rates through its own Indiana Compensation Rating Bureau rather than NCCI.

Indiana vs neighboring states

Michigan: about $2.75 per $100 of payroll
Ohio: about $1.47 per $100 of payroll

Among its neighbors, Ohio is the cheapest for fencing comp at $1.47 and Michigan the most expensive at $2.75 per $100 of payroll.

Working across the line into Ohio needs separate coverage from that state's fund. A private policy's other-states coverage (item 3.C) does not reach monopolistic states.

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.