Florida Workers Compensation Insurance — Pay-As-You-Go and Standard Premium Options
Florida workers compensation law requires every employer with four or more employees (one or more in construction) to carry workers comp. The state has its own statutory rates, but agencies vary wildly in how they handle audits, classification disputes, certificates, and pay-as-you-go billing. We write workers comp through every major Florida carrier including AmTrust, Travelers, Employers, Hartford, ICW Group, and the state-fund-equivalent assigned risk plan when private markets close. Our clients save an average of 18% versus their prior policy.
- Pay-as-you-go premium (no big down payment)
- Same-day certificates for GCs and jobs
- Audit defense and class-code correction
- Construction, staffing, restaurant, professional all written
Workers Comp Quote in 60 Seconds
18%
Avg savings vs prior
Pay-as-you-go
Available
Same day
Certificates
25+
Comp carriers
How Florida workers comp actually works
Florida is an administered-pricing state, meaning the state sets base rates by class code. Carriers compete on credits, debits, dividend potential, and service — not headline rates. The real money is made (or lost) on class code accuracy (mis-classified $80K of clerical payroll into construction can cost you $15K), experience modification factor management, premium audits, and pay-as-you-go vs. annual estimated premium billing. We do all four well.
Medical Benefits
When an employee is injured on the job, workers comp pays 100% of medically necessary treatment with no copay, no deductible, and no out-of-pocket cost to the worker. Includes hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, and prescription medication.
Wage Replacement
When an injured worker cannot return to work, workers comp pays two-thirds of their pre-injury weekly wage (subject to a state maximum) until they recover or reach maximum medical improvement.
Employer Liability
Protects the business when an injured worker (or their family) sues outside the comp system. Standard limits in Florida are $500K/$500K/$500K; we raise to $1M/$1M/$1M for most clients because the umbrella requires it.
Coverage details that matter
Pay-As-You-Go Billing
Instead of paying a big estimated premium up front and reconciling at audit, you report actual payroll each month and pay premium based on real numbers. Smooths cash flow, eliminates audit surprises, and is available on most carriers we write.
Class Code Audit
Mis-classified employees are the #1 source of premium overpayment in Florida workers comp. We audit your classifications every year and challenge errors with the carrier — frequently recovering thousands in retro refunds.
Subcontractor Compliance
Florida law makes you responsible for any uninsured subcontractor injuries — even 1099s working for you can wind up on your audit. We help you set up COI collection processes so an uninsured sub never blows up your premium at year-end.
Pay-as-you-go vs. traditional comp billing
Traditional workers comp requires you to estimate annual payroll, pay 25–35% down up front, then settle up at audit. If you grew faster than expected, you owe a huge audit bill. If you shrunk, you wait months for a refund. Pay-as-you-go syncs premium with actual payroll every cycle. No surprises. Many of our seasonal Florida clients (landscapers, builders, hospitality) switch the moment they understand the cash-flow difference.
- No big down payment (just first pay period)
- Premium follows actual payroll up or down
- No audit surprise at year-end
- Works with most major payroll providers
Construction, staffing, and high-risk classes
Some Florida class codes (roofing, framing, demolition, scaffolding, staffing, trucking) are hard to place with standard carriers. We work with multiple specialty markets that focus specifically on high-hazard Florida classes and write them at competitive rates. We have placed workers comp for roofers, general contractors, demolition crews, tree services, scaffolding companies, staffing agencies, and home-health companies that other agencies told them they could not write.
- Roofing, framing, demolition, scaffolding
- Staffing agencies including PEO comparison
- Tree service, landscaping at hazardous classes
- Home health, transportation, trucking
Frequently asked questions
Who is required to carry workers comp in Florida?
Florida statute requires workers comp for any non-construction employer with 4+ employees (including part-time) and any construction employer with even 1 employee. Sole proprietors, partners, and LLC members can elect in or elect out. Most contracts and many municipalities require comp regardless of statutory minimums.
How much does workers comp cost in Florida?
Cost is calculated as a rate per $100 of payroll, with the rate set by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation based on class code. Clerical workers run around $0.20 per $100 ($20 per $10K of payroll). Roofers can run $30+ per $100 of payroll. Your experience modification factor (mod) can multiply that by 0.75 (great) to 1.50+ (bad). We have helped many clients lower their mod through claims management.
What is an experience modification factor (mod)?
Your mod is a number assigned by NCCI that compares your business’s actual loss history to similar businesses in your industry. A 1.00 mod is average. Below 1.00 is a discount; above 1.00 is a surcharge. Mods are calculated from three years of historical claims and recalculated annually. We review every client’s mod and challenge errors.
Can I exclude myself as an owner?
Yes. Sole proprietors, partners, LLC members, and corporate officers can elect out of Florida workers comp coverage on themselves. Doing so reduces premium because your payroll is removed from the rating. We file the election forms with the state and your carrier so the exclusion is enforceable.
What happens at audit?
The carrier reconciles your actual annual payroll against the estimated payroll you provided at quote. If actual is higher, you owe additional premium. If lower, you get a refund. We sit in on every audit, dispute mis-classifications, and remove non-employee payroll (1099 with their own valid comp certificate, owner exclusions, casual labor).
Can I use 1099 subcontractors to avoid workers comp?
Not in Florida. Florida law specifically holds general contractors and uninsured subcontractors’ principals liable for injuries — meaning if your sub is hurt and does not have their own workers comp, you are on the hook and your premium audit will reflect the sub’s payroll. We help you set up COI tracking so this never happens.
How fast can I get a workers comp certificate?
Same day on most carriers — usually within an hour of payment for new business. We have bound workers comp policies during morning meetings so the client had certificates for a 1 PM job-site visit.
Do you write PEO arrangements?
We can. For some businesses (typically smaller startups, businesses with bad mods, or businesses in hard-to-place classes) joining a PEO is the right call because they pool workers comp pricing. For most established businesses, a direct comp policy is cheaper and gives more control. We will tell you honestly which is right for your situation.
Florida workers comp with pay-as-you-go and same-day certificates
Tell us about your payroll, class codes, and prior carrier. We will shop 25+ comp markets and email you real numbers — usually same day.