Plumbing workers comp in California: a plumber's hourly wage decides which of two published plumbing classifications the payroll goes with, split at $35.00 an hour for policies from September 1, 2026. Those titles don't separate service from new construction, but work on sewer, water or gas mains is published separately. Arizona and Nevada use NCCI classifications instead.
California. Plumbers license under C-36 Plumbing, and one employee is enough to trigger the CSLB's workers comp requirement. Shops with no employees can file an exemption until January 1, 2028, a date the CSLB's proposals could still shift. The wage split, owner waivers and audit records are covered in California plumbing workers comp insurance.
Arizona. The Registrar of Contractors lists C-37 Plumbing and R-37 Plumbing, Including Solar. Under Arizona Revised Statutes 23-902, a sub's workers can be deemed employees of the plumbing contractor that hired it if the contractor holds supervision or control and the job is part of its plumbing trade, so check coverage on any sub hired for trenching or fixture sets. The owner rules, subs and audit records for Arizona are covered in Arizona plumber workers compensation.
Nevada. The State Contractors Board lists a C-1d Plumbing class. In Nevada, workers comp goes by industrial insurance. A plumbing sub's workers are deemed employees of the principal contractor under Nevada Revised Statutes 616A.210, and payroll counted per plumber is capped by a figure that resets every January; the Nevada contractor workers comp rules explain how that limit works. The payroll limit, owner rules and audit records for Nevada are covered in Nevada plumber workers compensation.
California publishes plumbing as a wage-split pair, 5183(1) below $35.00 an hour and 5187(1) at or above it. The titles take in pipe fitting for gas, water and steam lines and house connections, along with shop and yard time, and they don't draw a line between service calls, remodels and new construction, so those crews are often reported the same way when their wages match.
Drain and sewer work is where the answer can change. Laying sewer, water or gas mains is published under its own wage-split pair, separate from building plumbing, while drain cleaning and lateral repair depend on what the crew actually does. Across the line in Arizona and Nevada, NCCI classifications apply; this site doesn't publish them, and the California pair doesn't travel. The carrier decides in every state; compare trades on the workers comp classification codes pages.
The policy is there for your crew's injuries. A slab leak blamed on your repair, water damage in a customer's home or an accident in a service truck typically falls to other policies. For the trucks, see commercial auto for plumbing service vans in California.
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Not in California's published plumbing titles, which don't separate service, remodel and new construction; the wage split decides between the two. Arizona and Nevada use NCCI classifications. In any state, describe your mix of work, because the carrier decides from actual duties.
They can. California publishes work on sewer, water or gas mains under its own wage-split pair, separate from building plumbing. Drain cleaning and lateral repair depend on the actual work and the carrier's determination, so list those jobs separately on the application.
California's wage split is a WCIRB rule for California policies. Arizona and Nevada classify plumbing under NCCI's system, which this site doesn't publish, so ask the carrier how your payroll will be reported there rather than assuming the California split applies.
It depends on the state. In California, a helper doing licensed plumbing without a license of their own is presumed to be your employee. An Arizona contractor that controls a sub's work within its own trade can be treated as that sub's employer, and Nevada deems a sub's workers employees of the principal contractor. Expect the auditor to ask for each sub's certificate.
Price alone can mislead. In California a quote that puts plumbers on the wrong side of the wage split, or uses a lower payroll than the audit will find, may look low now and cost more later. Compare the classification, the payroll it assumes, the endorsements your contracts call for and the help you get at audit, since terms vary by carrier and program. See why the cheapest workers comp quote may cost more.
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Reviewed by David Gleason, Principal, on .
Next Level Experience. Insurance Done Right.
Plumbing workers comp for service, remodel and new construction plumbers.
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