Flooring isn't one workers comp classification. California's published titles separate hardwood floor laying, tile and stone work, and floor covering, and none of them is split by wage. Arizona and Nevada use NCCI classifications instead, so a California code doesn't follow a flooring crew across the state line.
California. Flooring contractors hold C-15 Flooring and Floor Covering from the CSLB, and that class excludes ceramic tile, which has a license of its own. Coverage is required from the first employee, and the exemption for licensees with no employees is scheduled to end on January 1, 2028. The California flooring workers comp insurance page walks through the classifications, the penalties and the audit.
Arizona. The state uses NCCI classifications, which this site doesn't publish. Its statutory employer rule in Arizona Revised Statutes 23-902 matters to flooring companies that hand jobs to installers: where a contractor keeps supervision or control and the work is part of its trade, a sub and the sub's employees can be treated as the contractor's employees. The owner rules, subs and audit records for Arizona are covered in Arizona flooring workers compensation.
Nevada. Workers comp is called industrial insurance, and NCCI classifications apply here too. Under the principal contractor rule, subs, independent contractors and their employees are deemed employees of the principal contractor, and a contractor licensed in Nevada can't lean on the independent enterprise exception. The Nevada contractor workers comp rules explain the per-employee payroll limit as well. The payroll limit, owner rules and audit records for Nevada are covered in Nevada flooring workers compensation.
In California, the WCIRB publishes hardwood floor laying (5436), tile and stone work (5348) and floor covering (9521(2)) as separate titles. Laminate, engineered plank and luxury vinyl aren't named in any of them, so how that work is reported depends on how crews install it and on the carrier's determination. A company that lays more than one kind of floor may carry more than one classification, and time records by job type help support that at audit.
Arizona and Nevada classify flooring under NCCI's system. Those codes aren't listed on this site, and a California code never carries over. Copy the codes from a current policy when you ask for a quote, and use the workers comp class code lookup to see what is published here. We don't assign, suggest or confirm a code in any state.
Workers comp responds to injuries to your employees. A ruined subfloor, a damaged cabinet or a customer's fall over loose underlayment typically falls to general liability, and the vans that haul material and tools need commercial auto. Our sister site explains how vans and trucks for a flooring business are insured.
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California's WCIRB publishes them under separate titles, hardwood floor laying and tile and stone work, so a company doing both may see two classifications. Arizona and Nevada use NCCI's system instead. In each state, the classification depends on the duties and the carrier's determination.
No. California uses WCIRB classifications, while Arizona and Nevada use NCCI's. A carrier writing in another state classifies the work under that state's system, so list your crews and their duties by state when you ask for a quote.
Not necessarily. The California titles name hardwood floor laying, tile and stone work, and floor covering, but not laminate. Carriers decide from how the work is done, and Arizona and Nevada carriers apply NCCI rules. Describe each install method on your quote request.
It depends on the state and how the business is set up. In California, a C-15 licensee with no employees can file an exemption that is scheduled to end on January 1, 2028. Arizona and Nevada have their own owner rules; confirm how they apply to you with the carrier.
Hardwood, tile and soft goods are classified apart in California, so the cheapest flooring quote may simply assume a different mix of work than you do. If your tile setters end up rated under carpet, or the reverse, the audit can bring an adjustment. Compare the payroll split by type of flooring, the experience mod used and the service behind it. See checking a low workers comp quote.
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Reviewed by David Gleason, Principal, on .
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Flooring workers comp across California, Arizona and Nevada, class by class.
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