Low voltage cabling workers comp: communications, fiber and network cabling falls under a different classification system depending on the state. California publishes two classifications that mention the work, 5195 for communications cabling and 5193 for computer or phone system installation, while Arizona and Nevada use NCCI classifications. Licenses differ too: C-7 in California, C-67 in Arizona and C-2d in Nevada.
California. Cabling contractors license under C-7 Low Voltage Systems and must carry workers comp once they hire. Owner-only shops can file an exemption until January 1, 2028, though the CSLB may still revise that. The two published classifications, owner rules and audit records are on California low voltage cabling workers comp.
Arizona. The Registrar of Contractors lists a C-67 Low Voltage Communication Systems class. Arizona Revised Statutes 23-902 lets the law look past a subcontract: if the hiring contractor supervises or controls the job and the work is part of its own business, the sub's workers can count as its employees, which matters for cabling firms that hire installers by the job. The owner rules, subs and audit records for Arizona are covered in Arizona communications workers comp insurance.
Nevada. The State Contractors Board lists a C-2d Low Voltage Systems class. Industrial insurance, Nevada's name for workers comp, treats a cabling sub's crew as employees of the principal contractor under Nevada Revised Statutes 616A.210. Since October 1, 2026, the payroll counted for any one employee stops at a limit, $102,452.16 on policies from January 1, 2027. The payroll limit, owner rules and audit records for Nevada are covered in Nevada communications workers comp insurance.
California's pair splits by kind of work rather than by wage: 5195 is the cabling title, 5193 is the title for putting in and fixing computer and phone systems, and neither title names fiber. Arizona and Nevada rely on NCCI classifications instead, which aren't published here, and neither California number transfers across the state line.
In each state the answer depends on actual duties and the carrier's determination. Firms that pull cable, splice fiber and also configure phone or network equipment should describe each kind of work. Look up other trades on the workers comp class code lookup.
Injuries to your technicians are what workers comp is for. Property damage on a job, a network that goes down after your work, a utility strike while trenching for fiber or a van accident typically goes to other policies. Gleason Insurance Brokers quotes liability coverage for fiber and low voltage contractors in California.
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.
In California, the WCIRB publishes 5195 for communications cabling and 5193 for computer or telephone system installation, service or repair. Arizona and Nevada use NCCI classifications, which this site doesn't publish. Everywhere, classification follows actual duties and the carrier's determination.
Arizona's Registrar of Contractors lists a C-67 Low Voltage Communication Systems class, and Nevada's State Contractors Board lists C-2d Low Voltage Systems. Confirm with the board in your state that the class fits the jobs you bid.
Possibly. A California installer with no contractor license doing licensed cabling for you is presumed to be your employee. In Arizona, the test turns on whether you supervise or control work that belongs to your trade. In Nevada, a principal contractor is deemed the employer of its subs' workers. Uninsured installers' pay may end up on your audit.
No. 5195 and 5193 are California classifications. Industrial insurance for Nevada work is classified under NCCI's system by the carrier, based on what your crew does there.
With one California class for communications cabling (5195) and another for computer or telephone system work (5193), two low voltage quotes may not be rating the same jobs. A price that assumes the wrong one, or leaves out techs who also service equipment, can be revised once payroll is audited. Compare classifications, sub handling and certificate service before deciding. See what makes one workers comp quote cheaper.
8 official sources
Reviewed by David Gleason, Principal, on .
Next Level Experience. Insurance Done Right.
Low voltage cabling workers comp for data, fiber and communications installers.
Type a question or topic, like class codes or plumbers. Results appear as you type.
