North Carolina Fencing Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published North Carolina loss cost for fencing workers comp, class 6400 (Fence Erection - Metal or Wood), is $1.568 per $100 of payroll (effective April 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $2.35.
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.
North Carolina 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 North Carolina
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 670 fence erectors on payrolls in North Carolina (May 2025), the 11th largest workforce of the 35 states with published figures. The median wage is $18.80 an hour, 19% below the US median of $23.07.
Fence erectors make up about the same share of North Carolina jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 0.86).
At a typical North Carolina premium of about $2.35 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $1.57 for class 6400 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.44 for every hour worked, or $919 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $2,757 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. North Carolina pay runs from $16.58 an hour at the 10th percentile to $28.77 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.39 an hour on a new hire and $0.68 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in North Carolina
- Coverage required: 3+ employees (including construction); 1 if any work involves radiation
- Owners and sole proprietors: Owners, partners, and LLC members not auto-counted as employees; may elect in
- State fund: Private market (NC Rate Bureau residual plan)
- Waiting period: 7 days; retroactive to day one if disability extends beyond 21 days
- Penalty for going without: $1-$100 per employee per day; first offense a misdemeanor, repeats a felony
North Carolina keeps its three-employee threshold even for construction and sets rates through the independent NC Rate Bureau.
North Carolina vs neighboring states
- Georgia: about $3.46 per $100 of payroll
North Carolina has the lowest fencing comp rate in its region; every neighboring state charges more 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.