Washington Fencing Workers Comp Rates (2026)
Washington employers buy fencing workers comp from the state fund. The 2026 rate for class 0105 (Fence erection or repair: N.O.C.; parking meter installation; and placement of wire mesh on slopes for slope protection) is $2.29 per hour worked, before your experience factor.
Washington charges for every hour worked, not per $100 of payroll. Source.
Washington class code for fencing
- 0105: Fence erection or repair: N.O.C.; parking meter installation; and placement of wire mesh on slopes for slope protection
Monopolistic state fund (no private carriers) with its own four-digit risk classes and subclasses in WAC 296-17A that do not match NCCI codes, and premiums are charged per hour worked rather than per $100 of payroll, with workers paying part of the premium through payroll deduction.
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 Washington
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 1,450 fence erectors on payrolls in Washington (May 2025), the 4th largest workforce of the 35 states with published figures. The median wage is $24.93 an hour, 8% above the US median of $23.07.
This trade is a bigger part of the Washington job market than it is nationally: fence erectors hold 2.6 times their national share of jobs there.
Washington charges by the hour, not by payroll. The 2026 state fund rate for class 0105 is $2.29 for every hour worked, so a full-time worker costs about $4,761 a year and a 3-person crew roughly $14,282, before your experience factor. You pay $1.85 of each hour; the rest can be deducted from the worker's pay.
Because premium follows hours rather than wages, a senior hand at the 90th percentile costs the same to insure as a new hire. That is roughly $9.18 per $100 of payroll at the median Washington wage, the figure used in the comparison below.
Workers comp requirements in Washington
- Coverage required: Any employee (no minimum headcount)
- Owners and sole proprietors: Owners and exempt officers may buy elective coverage; employees must always be covered
- State fund: Monopolistic; coverage only from the state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), or qualified self-insurance
- Waiting period: 3 days; paid only if the worker is still off on the 7th day
- Penalty for going without: Up to twice the premiums owed or $1,000, plus up to 100% of claim cost if unregistered
Washington uniquely calculates premiums by hours worked rather than payroll, and lets employers withhold part of the premium from employee wages.
Washington vs neighboring states
Washington has the highest fencing comp rate in its region; every neighboring state charges less per $100 of payroll.
If your crews cross into Idaho or Oregon, your Washington state-fund coverage does not follow them. Buy a private policy for the out-of-state work, with Washington excluded from it.
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.