Virginia Fencing Workers Comp Rates (2026)

Virginia does not publish its fencing class figures online. Across the 26 states that do, the median typical premium is about $3.27 per $100 of payroll. Ask a carrier or the state's rating bureau for the current Virginia figure.

No official Virginia figure is available online, so the numbers below use the US median of the states that publish one.

Virginia 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 Virginia

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 25,830 construction laborers on payrolls in Virginia (May 2025), the 15th largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $20.94 an hour, 8% below the US median of $22.66.

Construction laborers make up about the same share of Virginia jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 0.89).

At the US median of $3.27 per $100 of payroll (Virginia does not publish its figure online), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.68 for every hour worked, or $1,424 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $4,273 a year in premium before any experience mod.

Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Virginia pay runs from $15.82 an hour at the 10th percentile to $27.46 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.52 an hour on a new hire and $0.90 on a senior hand.

Workers comp requirements in Virginia

Coverage required: 3+ employees (subcontractor employees count toward the total)
Owners and sole proprietors: No waivers for sole proprietors; officers and working LLC managers count as employees
State fund: Private market (no state fund)
Waiting period: 7 days; retroactive to day one if incapacity exceeds 21 days
Penalty for going without: Up to $250 per day (capped at $50,000), business-closure orders, and possible criminal prosecution

Virginia counts a contractor's subcontractor employees toward the three-employee threshold, so using subs frequently triggers the mandate.

Virginia vs neighboring states

North Carolina: about $2.35 per $100 of payroll
West Virginia: about $1.41 per $100 of payroll

Virginia does not publish its figure, so the first row is the US median. Among neighbors that publish, West Virginia is the cheapest for fencing comp at about $1.41 and North Carolina the most expensive at about $2.35 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.