Colorado Landscaping Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published Colorado loss cost for landscaping workers comp, class 0042 (Landscape Gardening & Drivers), is $2.131 per $100 of payroll (effective January 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $3.20.
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.
Colorado class code for landscaping
- 0042: Landscape Gardening & Drivers
- 0106 (Tree Pruning, Spraying & Repairing)
- 6217 (Excavation NOC)
Landscaping carries equipment, lifting, heat and pesticide exposure risks. Tree pruning and trimming is a separate class (0106).
What comp costs per landscaper in Colorado
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 21,990 landscaping and groundskeeping workers on payrolls in Colorado (May 2025), the 16th largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $22.00 an hour, 17% above the US median of $18.82.
This trade is a bigger part of the Colorado job market than it is nationally: landscaping and groundskeeping workers hold 1.3 times their national share of jobs there.
At a typical Colorado premium of about $3.20 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $2.13 for class 0042 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.70 for every hour worked, or $1,464 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $4,393 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Colorado pay runs from $17.44 an hour at the 10th percentile to $28.94 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.56 an hour on a new hire and $0.93 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in Colorado
- Coverage required: 1 employee
- Owners and sole proprietors: Sole proprietors and partners exempt by default; may elect in
- State fund: Competitive state fund (Pinnacol Assurance), which must insure any Colorado employer
- Waiting period: 3 days; retroactive if disability exceeds 14 days
- Penalty for going without: Fines up to $250-$500 per day, plus a 50% benefit increase paid by an uninsured employer
If you are uninsured when a worker is hurt in Colorado, their benefits are increased 50% out of your own pocket.
What moves a landscaping comp bill
- Landscape gardening is a high-claim class because of mowers, trimmers, chainsaws, and lifting. Equipment training and guards that stay on the machines lower claims.
- Tree trimming above the ground is usually a separate class with a much higher rate. Keep that payroll apart, or the auditor may rate a whole crew at the tree rate.
- Snow plowing, hardscaping, and irrigation installs can each be classed differently. Tell your carrier what share of payroll goes to each.
- Landscaping payroll swings by season. Report the full-year figure at renewal so the audit does not bring a large bill in the off season.