Maryland Landscaping Workers Comp Rates (2026)
Maryland does not publish its landscaping class figures online. Across the 25 states that do, the median typical premium is about $3.30 per $100 of payroll. Ask a carrier or the state's rating bureau for the current Maryland figure.
No official Maryland figure is available online, so the numbers below use the US median of the states that publish one.
Maryland 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 Maryland
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 17,440 landscaping and groundskeeping workers on payrolls in Maryland (May 2025), the 22nd largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $18.93 an hour, in line with the US median of $18.82.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up about the same share of Maryland jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.03).
At the US median of $3.30 per $100 of payroll (Maryland does not publish its figure online), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.62 for every hour worked, or $1,299 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $3,898 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Maryland pay runs from $17.30 an hour at the 10th percentile to $26.68 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.57 an hour on a new hire and $0.88 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in Maryland
- Coverage required: 1 employee
- Owners and sole proprietors: Sole proprietors, partners, and genuine independent contractors excluded; may elect in
- State fund: Competitive state fund (Chesapeake Employers' Insurance)
- Waiting period: 3 days; retroactive if disability lasts more than 14 days
- Penalty for going without: Fine up to $10,000, with responsible corporate officers personally liable
Maryland's CCPAP program gives a premium credit to construction employers who pay above-average hourly wages.
Maryland vs neighboring states
- Delaware: about $2.64 per $100 of payroll
- Pennsylvania: about $3.73 per $100 of payroll
- West Virginia: about $1.79 per $100 of payroll
Maryland does not publish its figure, so the first row is the US median. Among neighbors that publish, West Virginia is the cheapest for landscaping comp at about $1.79 and Pennsylvania the most expensive at about $3.73 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 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.