Excavation and grading workers comp is rated on payroll under each state's published classifications: the WCIRB's in California, where earthmoving payroll splits by hourly wage, and NCCI's in Arizona and Nevada. Operator wages, trench and road exposure, and how haulers and subs are handled typically move the cost most.
California. The CSLB licenses earthmoving under C-12 Earthwork and Paving and, for broader engineering work, A General Engineering. Coverage is required from the first employee. A solo licensee may still file a no-employee exemption, which is slated to end January 1, 2028 unless CSLB proposals change the plan. The wage split, road grading and audit details are on California excavation workers comp insurance.
Arizona. The Registrar of Contractors licenses this work under A-5 Excavating, Grading and Oil Surfacing. Arizona Revised Statutes 23-902 reaches past your own payroll: if you hire out part of a grading job that belongs to your trade and still direct how it gets done, the sub's crew may count as your employees for workers comp. The owner rules, subs and audit records for Arizona are covered in Arizona excavation workers compensation.
Nevada. The State Contractors Board licenses the work under A-7 Excavating and Grading, and Nevada law calls workers comp industrial insurance. As principal contractor, an excavation company is deemed the employer of the subs and independent operators it brings on, along with their workers, so confirm each sub's industrial insurance before the first load. Nevada also stops rating an employee's pay at $102,452.16 on policies from January 1, 2027. The payroll limit, owner rules and audit records for Nevada are covered in Nevada excavation workers compensation.
California's WCIRB publishes excavation and land grading as a wage-split pair, 6218 and 6220, divided at $45.00 an hour for policies from September 1, 2026. Grading on street and road jobs has a separate published title, 5507. Arizona and Nevada classify earthmoving in NCCI's system. We don't post those codes here, and 6218, 6220 and 5507 have no meaning in either state.
In each state, the published classifications that mention this work are a starting point. What your crew actually does, and the carrier's reading of it, settles the question; this site never assigns or confirms a code. For how each bureau organizes its list, see the workers comp class code lookup.
An injured operator or laborer is what workers comp is for. A struck gas line, a damaged neighboring lot, a dump truck crash or a stolen loader typically lands on general liability, commercial auto or equipment coverage instead. Our sister site explains insurance for the trucks and equipment a grading business runs.
Send your trade, state and payroll, and a broker reviews the request. If you would rather talk first, leave a number.
Swipe or use the arrows for every answer.
No. California codes come from the WCIRB, and Arizona and Nevada use NCCI classifications, so 6218, 6220 and 5507 don't carry over. A job across the state line is classified under that state's system, based on the work and the carrier's determination.
Arizona's Registrar of Contractors has an A-5 Excavating, Grading and Oil Surfacing class, and Nevada's State Contractors Board has an A-7 Excavating and Grading class. Confirm the right class for your scope with each board; the license doesn't decide your workers comp classification.
Trench depth, shoring, slopes and traffic are typically how carriers judge the injury exposure of an earthmoving crew. They influence both price and program fit, and some trench work, such as sewer or water mains, may be classified apart from general excavation.
No. On Nevada policies starting January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2027, pay above $102,452.16 per employee isn't rated, and the figure resets each January. For a crew of senior operators, that cap can make a real difference in rated payroll.
Check the work description before the price. Earthmoving payroll splits by hourly wage in California, and road grading, trenching and equipment hauling may be classified apart, so two excavation quotes can be rating different things. Endorsements a public agency or prime contractor requires, and how the carrier treats operators you share with other jobs, are worth comparing as well. See why the cheapest workers comp quote may cost more.
8 official sources
Reviewed by David Gleason, Principal, on .
Next Level Experience. Insurance Done Right.
Excavation and grading workers comp across California, Arizona and Nevada.
Type a question or topic, like class codes or plumbers. Results appear as you type.
