Texas Plumbing Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published Texas loss cost for plumbing workers comp, class 5183 (Plumbing NOC & Drivers), is $0.757 per $100 of payroll (effective July 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $1.14.
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.
Texas class code for plumbing
- 5183: Plumbing NOC & Drivers
Texas uses NCCI's separate Basic Manual for Texas, which still has Texas-specific codes (for example 5536 HVAC, 5200 concrete flatwork, 5102 carpet and resilient floor covering) that NCCI is gradually replacing with multistate codes, and workers' comp is optional for most private employers (nonsubscribers must report to DWC that they have no coverage).
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 Texas
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 44,090 plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters on payrolls in Texas (May 2025), the 2nd largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $28.77 an hour, 6% below the US median of $30.67.
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make up about the same share of Texas jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.05).
At a typical Texas premium of about $1.14 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $0.76 for class 5183 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.33 for every hour worked, or $682 a year full time. A 2-person crew comes to roughly $1,364 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Texas pay runs from $18.40 an hour at the 10th percentile to $39.37 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.21 an hour on a new hire and $0.45 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in Texas
- Coverage required: Elective for most private employers (South Dakota is also elective)
- Owners and sole proprietors: Included by default but may elect out
- State fund: Private market (Texas Mutual is the largest writer and insurer of last resort)
- Waiting period: 7 days; the waiting week is paid retroactively if off work more than 14 days
- Penalty for going without: Non-subscribers must file a notice; failure to file draws administrative penalties up to $25,000 per day
Texas is the only state where private employers can opt out entirely, trading coverage for the loss of common-law negligence defenses as a non-subscriber.
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.