Vermont Fencing Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published Vermont loss cost for fencing workers comp, class 6400 (Fence Erection - Metal), is $3.442 per $100 of payroll (effective April 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $5.16.
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.
Vermont 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 Vermont
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 1,430 construction laborers on payrolls in Vermont (May 2025), the 51st largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $23.36 an hour, 3% above the US median of $22.66.
This trade is a smaller part of the Vermont job market than it is nationally: construction laborers hold 0.67 times their national share of jobs there.
At a typical Vermont premium of about $5.16 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $3.44 for class 6400 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $1.21 for every hour worked, or $2,507 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $7,522 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Vermont pay runs from $18.81 an hour at the 10th percentile to $29.67 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.97 an hour on a new hire and $1.53 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in Vermont
- Coverage required: 1 employee
- Owners and sole proprietors: Owners not required to cover themselves but may elect in; must cover any employees
- State fund: Private market (no state fund)
- Waiting period: 3 days; eliminated and paid retroactively if disability extends beyond 10 days
- Penalty for going without: Up to $50/day pre-notice, escalating to $150/day, plus stop-work authority
Vermont uses a two-tier escalating daily fine, jumping from $50 to $150 a day if the lapse isn't cured within five days of notice.
Vermont vs neighboring states
- Massachusetts: about $2.88 per $100 of payroll
- New York: about $5.07 per $100 of payroll
Vermont has the highest fencing comp rate in its region; every neighboring state charges less 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.