Colorado Plumbing Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published Colorado loss cost for plumbing workers comp, class 5183 (Plumbing NOC & Drivers), is $1.717 per $100 of payroll (effective January 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $2.58.
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 plumbing
- 5183: Plumbing NOC & Drivers
- 5188 (Sprinkler Installation & Drivers)
Plumbing work involves back strain, cuts, burns from soldering and hot water, and work in crawl spaces and other confined spaces.
What comp costs per plumber in Colorado
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 10,080 plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters on payrolls in Colorado (May 2025), the 18th largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $30.40 an hour, in line with the US median of $30.67.
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make up about the same share of Colorado jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.17).
At a typical Colorado premium of about $2.58 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $1.72 for class 5183 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.78 for every hour worked, or $1,631 a year full time. A 2-person crew comes to roughly $3,263 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Colorado pay runs from $22.97 an hour at the 10th percentile to $48.19 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.59 an hour on a new hire and $1.24 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.
Colorado vs neighboring states
- Wyoming: about $2.39 per $100 of payroll
Colorado has the highest plumbing comp rate in its region; every neighboring state charges less per $100 of payroll.
Working across the line into Wyoming needs separate coverage from that state's fund. A private policy's other-states coverage (item 3.C) does not reach monopolistic states.
What moves a plumbing comp bill
- Plumbing rates sit in the middle of the construction classes; the swing comes from your experience mod. Trench and excavation injuries are the costly claims, so trench-safety training pays back quickly.
- Some states split residential and commercial plumbing into different classes. If you do both, make sure the payroll for each is recorded so the cheaper work is not rated at the higher class.
- Apprentices carry the same class rate as journeymen, but their lower wages mean less premium per hour. Your payroll mix matters as much as the rate.
- Uninsured subs (excavators, drywall patchers) get added to your payroll at audit unless you collect certificates before they start.