Vermont Plumbing Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published Vermont loss cost for plumbing workers comp, class 5183 (Plumbing NOC & Drivers), is $2.851 per $100 of payroll (effective April 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $4.28.
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.
Vermont 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 Vermont
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 980 plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters on payrolls in Vermont (May 2025), the 51st largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $29.89 an hour, 3% below the US median of $30.67.
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make up about the same share of Vermont jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.08).
At a typical Vermont premium of about $4.28 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $2.85 for class 5183 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $1.28 for every hour worked, or $2,661 a year full time. A 2-person crew comes to roughly $5,322 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Vermont pay runs from $23.46 an hour at the 10th percentile to $44.20 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $1.00 an hour on a new hire and $1.89 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in Vermont
- Coverage required: 1 employee
- Owners and sole proprietors: Owners not required to cover themselves but may elect in; must cover any employees
- State fund: Private market (no state fund)
- Waiting period: 3 days; eliminated and paid retroactively if disability extends beyond 10 days
- Penalty for going without: Up to $50/day pre-notice, escalating to $150/day, plus stop-work authority
Vermont uses a two-tier escalating daily fine, jumping from $50 to $150 a day if the lapse isn't cured within five days of notice.
Vermont vs neighboring states
- Massachusetts: about $2.22 per $100 of payroll
- New York: about $5.28 per $100 of payroll
Among its neighbors, Massachusetts is the cheapest for plumbing comp at $2.22 and New York the most expensive at $5.28 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.