Idaho Plumbing Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published Idaho rate for plumbing workers comp, class 5183 (Plumbing NOC and Drivers), is $2.39 per $100 of payroll (effective January 1, 2026). Your experience modifier and any carrier discounts adjust it.
This is the published manual rate, so it already includes carrier expenses. Source.
Idaho 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 Idaho
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 3,090 plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters on payrolls in Idaho (May 2025), the 37th largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $25.18 an hour, 18% below the US median of $30.67.
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make up about the same share of Idaho jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.20).
At the published Idaho rate of $2.39 per $100 of payroll for class 5183, comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.60 for every hour worked, or $1,252 a year full time. A 2-person crew comes to roughly $2,503 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Idaho pay runs from $18.96 an hour at the 10th percentile to $39.72 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.45 an hour on a new hire and $0.95 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in Idaho
- Coverage required: 1 employee; no waivers permitted
- Owners and sole proprietors: A sole proprietor with no employees is exempt; employees must be covered
- State fund: Competitive state fund (Idaho State Insurance Fund)
- Waiting period: 5 days; retroactive if disability exceeds 14 days
Idaho coverage is strictly compulsory with no waivers, so an employee cannot sign away their right to workers comp.
Idaho vs neighboring states
- Oregon: about $1.46 per $100 of payroll
- Washington: about $4.68 per $100 of payroll
- Wyoming: about $2.39 per $100 of payroll
Among its neighbors, Oregon is the cheapest for plumbing comp at $1.46 and Washington the most expensive at $4.68 per $100 of payroll.
Working across the line into Washington or 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.