Virginia Plumbing Workers Comp Rates (2026)

Virginia does not publish its plumbing class figures online. Across the 26 states that do, the median typical premium is about $2.25 per $100 of payroll. Ask a carrier or the state's rating bureau for the current Virginia figure.

No official Virginia figure is available online, so the numbers below use the US median of the states that publish one.

Virginia 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 Virginia

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 13,780 plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters on payrolls in Virginia (May 2025), the 9th largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $29.07 an hour, 5% below the US median of $30.67.

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make up about the same share of Virginia jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.12).

At the US median of $2.25 per $100 of payroll (Virginia does not publish its figure online), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.65 for every hour worked, or $1,360 a year full time. A 2-person crew comes to roughly $2,721 a year in premium before any experience mod.

Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Virginia pay runs from $21.14 an hour at the 10th percentile to $37.52 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.48 an hour on a new hire and $0.84 on a senior hand.

Workers comp requirements in Virginia

Coverage required: 3+ employees (subcontractor employees count toward the total)
Owners and sole proprietors: No waivers for sole proprietors; officers and working LLC managers count as employees
State fund: Private market (no state fund)
Waiting period: 7 days; retroactive to day one if incapacity exceeds 21 days
Penalty for going without: Up to $250 per day (capped at $50,000), business-closure orders, and possible criminal prosecution

Virginia counts a contractor's subcontractor employees toward the three-employee threshold, so using subs frequently triggers the mandate.

Virginia vs neighboring states

North Carolina: about $1.95 per $100 of payroll
West Virginia: about $0.93 per $100 of payroll

Virginia does not publish its figure, so the first row is the US median. Among neighbors that publish, West Virginia is the cheapest for plumbing comp at about $0.93 and North Carolina the most expensive at about $1.95 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 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.