★ Commercial · Workers' compensation
Required by law in almost every state. Priced by your payroll.
Workers' comp pays medical bills and part of lost wages when an employee gets hurt on the job. In exchange it protects you from most employee injury lawsuits. In nearly every state, having employees means having workers' comp. No employees, no debate.
Free quotes · No obligation · A licensed specialist answers, usually within one business day
★ What it covers
What workers’ comp pays, and what it doesn’t.
Plain English, no fine-print games. Every policy has exclusions; here are the ones that actually matter for Workers' Comp.
What it covers
- Medical bills for work injuriesER visits, surgery, rehab. Paid without the employee having to sue you.
- Lost wagesTypically around two-thirds of the employee's average wage while they cannot work. The exact formula is set by your state.
- Employer's liabilityIf an injured employee's family sues you over the incident, this part of the policy responds. It rides along with the comp coverage.
- Rehabilitation and disabilityLong-term care and permanent disability benefits, paid on your state's schedule.
- Funeral costsCovered when a work injury is fatal. Grim, but part of the statute.
What it doesn’t cover
- Independent contractorsGenerally excluded. But misclassifying employees as contractors is the number-one audit trap in workers' comp.
- Off-the-job injuriesCommutes and weekend injuries are outside the policy in most states.
- Intentional self-harm or intoxicationExcluded by statute. Injuries from intoxication are routinely denied.
- Owners and sole proprietors, in many statesYou can often opt in, but coverage is not automatic, though payroll companies and GCs sometimes require it anyway.
- Federal, maritime, and railroad workersCovered under separate federal systems, not a standard comp policy.
All quotes are subject to carrier underwriting and final approval. Coverage availability, terms, and pricing vary by state and carrier. The lists above describe typical Workers' Comp policies, not any specific carrier’s form.
Each class code has a rate per $100 of payroll. Multiply by your payroll, adjust by your experience mod. That is the whole formula.
★ What it costs
The premium formula, decoded.
Carriers price Workers' Comp on exposure, not vibes. Here’s what moves your number, and what you can actually influence.
- Class codes: Every job duty gets a code with its own rate. Roofing costs many times more per $100 of payroll than clerical work.
- Payroll: The formula is simple: rate × payroll per $100. More payroll, more premium.
- Experience modification factor: Your claims versus your industry average. Below 1.0 earns a discount; above 1.0 adds a surcharge.
- State: Each state runs its own system with its own rates. Multi-state operations need each state listed.
- Safety and return-to-work programs: Documented safety programs and light-duty return-to-work plans earn credits with many carriers.
★ Who needs it
If you have employees, this applies to you.
The businesses that buy Workers' Comp most, and the one-line reason each one does.
Contractors with crews
Roofing, framing, concrete: high rates, but no GC will hire you without it.
Restaurants and retail
Slips, burns, cuts: frequency is high even when severity is low.
Manufacturers and warehouses
Heavy equipment and lifting injuries are the core exposure.
Home services with techs
HVAC, plumbing, electrical: your people are on ladders and roofs all day.
Any business hiring its first employee
Most states require coverage starting at employee number one.
★ Often quoted together
Quoted alongside.
Most businesses don’t buy one policy in isolation. These are the lines workers' comp buyers usually quote at the same time. One specialist quotes the whole package.
General Liability
The foundation policy: third-party injuries, property damage, and legal defense.
Commercial Umbrella
Extra millions stacked over your GL, auto, and employers liability, for the catastrophic claim.
Employment Practices Liability
Wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims, plus the legal defense.
★ Straight answers
Asked by employers every week.
The short version of what our licensed specialists explain on calls every week.
Do I need workers' comp if I only use subcontractors?
How is the premium actually calculated?
What happens at the year-end audit?
I am the owner: do I have to cover myself?
What is an experience mod?
Can one policy cover employees in multiple states?
Get my quote
Get your Workers' Comp quote. Two minutes.
Tell us about the business. A licensed specialist shops the carriers and comes back with real options.
- About 2 minutes, built for Workers' Comp
- A licensed specialist follows up, usually within one business day
- No bait prices, no call centers, no selling your information
Free quotes. No obligation. Written through Patriot Independent Insurance Partners, licensed in TX, FL, GA, SC, AL, MS, NC, CA, and CO. Your information is never sold to lead brokers.