North Carolina Landscaping Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published North Carolina loss cost for landscaping workers comp, class 0042 (Landscape Gardening and Drivers), is $1.613 per $100 of payroll (effective April 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $2.42.
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.
North Carolina 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 North Carolina
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 32,730 landscaping and groundskeeping workers on payrolls in North Carolina (May 2025), the 8th largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $18.22 an hour, 3% below the US median of $18.82.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up about the same share of North Carolina jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.08).
At a typical North Carolina premium of about $2.42 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $1.61 for class 0042 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.44 for every hour worked, or $917 a year full time. A 3-person crew comes to roughly $2,751 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. North Carolina pay runs from $14.70 an hour at the 10th percentile to $22.83 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.36 an hour on a new hire and $0.55 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in North Carolina
- Coverage required: 3+ employees (including construction); 1 if any work involves radiation
- Owners and sole proprietors: Owners, partners, and LLC members not auto-counted as employees; may elect in
- State fund: Private market (NC Rate Bureau residual plan)
- Waiting period: 7 days; retroactive to day one if disability extends beyond 21 days
- Penalty for going without: $1-$100 per employee per day; first offense a misdemeanor, repeats a felony
North Carolina keeps its three-employee threshold even for construction and sets rates through the independent NC Rate Bureau.
North Carolina vs neighboring states
- Georgia: about $4.75 per $100 of payroll
North Carolina has the lowest landscaping comp rate in its region; every neighboring state charges more 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.