California HVAC Workers Comp Rates (2026)

The published California pure premium for HVAC workers comp, class 5183(3) (Heating and Air Conditioning Equipment (low wage)), is $5.716 per $100 of payroll (effective September 1, 2026). California carriers currently charge about this level on average.

California carriers file their own rates. Rating bureau data shows the average charged rate running at about the level of the average advisory pure premium, so the figure is used as-is here. Your quote can be lower or higher. Source.

California class codes for HVAC

5183(3): Heating and Air Conditioning Equipment (low wage)
5187(3): Heating and Air Conditioning Equipment (high wage)
5538(2): Heating and Air Conditioning Ductwork (low wage)
5542(2): Heating and Air Conditioning Ductwork (high wage)

California does not use NCCI: the WCIRB is an independent rating bureau with its own classification system and codes, and many construction trades are split into dual wage classes where each employee's payroll goes to a low-wage or high-wage code based on that employee's regular hourly wage.

HVAC technicians work in attics and on roofs and handle electrical circuits and refrigerants.

What comp costs per hvac technician in California

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 35,130 heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers on payrolls in California (May 2025), the 2nd largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $34.88 an hour, 19% above the US median of $29.33.

This trade is a smaller part of the California job market than it is nationally: heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers hold 0.73 times their national share of jobs there.

At the published California pure premium of $5.72 per $100 of payroll for class 5183(3), which California carriers charge at about face value on average, comp on one worker at that wage costs about $2.00 for every hour worked, or $4,150 a year full time. A 2-person crew comes to roughly $8,300 a year in premium before any experience mod.

Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. California pay runs from $22.57 an hour at the 10th percentile to $52.44 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $1.29 an hour on a new hire and $3.00 on a senior hand.

Workers comp requirements in California

Coverage required: 1 employee
Owners and sole proprietors: Owners excluded only by written waiver; licensed roofers must carry even with no employees
State fund: Competitive state fund (State Compensation Insurance Fund)
Waiting period: 3 days; waived if hospitalized or disability exceeds 14 days
Penalty for going without: Misdemeanor; fine of at least $10,000, stop-work orders, and CSLB license suspension

California uses its own WCIRB rating bureau, and SB 216 will require every licensed contractor to carry coverage even with no employees (effective 2028; roofers already).

California vs neighboring states

Oregon: about $2.29 per $100 of payroll

California has the highest HVAC 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 HVAC comp bill

Service techs and install crews usually share one class, so the rate is driven by your claim history: back strains from lifting condensers and falls from ladders and roofs are the typical losses.
If you also do sheet-metal fabrication or duct work outside buildings, ask how your bureau classifies it. Some of that work rates differently from installation and service.
Dispatchers, office staff, and outside salespeople can be rated as clerical or sales when their duties keep them out of the field. Keep their timesheets separate.
Company vehicles put a lot of miles on service crews. A driving policy and clean MVRs help on the auto side and with comp, because vehicle accidents on the job are comp claims.