New York Fencing Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published New York loss cost for fencing workers comp, class 6400 (Fence Erection - Metal - All Operations to Completion), is $3.380 per $100 of payroll (effective October 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $5.07.
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.
New York class codes for fencing
- 6400: Fence Erection - Metal - All Operations to Completion
- 5645: Carpentry - Detached One or Two-Family Dwellings - All Operations to Completion
- 5651: Carpentry - Dwellings - Three Stories or Less - All Operations to Completion
- 5403: Carpentry - NOC - All Operations to Completion
New York is an independent bureau state: it uses 4-digit codes that look like NCCI codes, but several NCCI classes do not exist in New York (no 5551, 5537, 5478 or 5436), roofing is split by roof pitch, and carpentry is split by building type and height.
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 New York
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 1,010 fence erectors on payrolls in New York (May 2025), the 6th largest workforce of the 35 states with published figures. The median wage is $23.08 an hour, in line with the US median of $23.07.
This trade is a smaller part of the New York job market than it is nationally: fence erectors hold 0.66 times their national share of jobs there.
At a typical New York premium of about $5.07 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $3.38 for class 6400 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $1.17 for every hour worked, or $2,434 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $7,302 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. New York pay runs from $15.50 an hour at the 10th percentile to $33.46 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.79 an hour on a new hire and $1.70 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in New York
- Coverage required: 1 employee
- Owners and sole proprietors: A sole proprietor with no employees is exempt; adding one employee triggers the full requirement
- State fund: Competitive state fund (New York State Insurance Fund)
- Waiting period: 7 days; retroactive to day one if disability extends beyond 14 days
- Penalty for going without: $2,000 per 10-day period (under 10 employees), $5,000 for larger, plus criminal exposure
New York uses the independent NYCIRB (not NCCI) and separately mandates statutory Disability Benefits Law coverage alongside workers comp.
New York vs neighboring states
- Connecticut: about $4.97 per $100 of payroll
- Massachusetts: about $2.88 per $100 of payroll
- New Jersey: about $6.35 per $100 of payroll
- Pennsylvania: about $3.99 per $100 of payroll
- Vermont: about $5.16 per $100 of payroll
Among its neighbors, Massachusetts is the cheapest for fencing comp at $2.88 and New Jersey the most expensive at $6.35 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.