Workers' comp for HVAC contractors
Comp billed with each payroll, and benefits that help you keep licensed techs through the summer rush.
Your class code
HVAC installation, service, and repair usually falls under class 5537, which covers heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and refrigeration work. Install crews and service techs typically share the code. Office staff and dispatchers who stay off job sites usually go on a lower clerical code, so keep their payroll separate.
Commercial rooftop unit work is normal HVAC work. Carriers do ask how much of it you do, so tell us on the call.
Florida rules for HVAC shops
HVAC is construction under Florida's comp law. That means coverage from your first employee, owners count unless they file an exemption, and no more than three officers can be exempt. Permits for changeouts and new installs require proof of coverage or an exemption.
Why pay-as-you-go fits HVAC
Panhandle HVAC payroll swings hard. Summer and storm season pile on overtime and temporary help, then winter slows down. With comp through a PEO, premium is figured on each payroll, so you pay for the crew you actually have that week instead of guessing at the start of the year and paying the difference at audit.
Keeping licensed techs
A good service tech can name their price, and the big companies recruit with benefits. Health, dental, vision, and a 401(k) through a PEO let a smaller shop compete for the same people. How benefits work.
What to have ready
- Headcount and last year's payroll, split between install, service, and office
- Your current declarations page, if you have a policy
- Loss runs for the last 3 to 5 years
- Which subs you use, and whether they carry comp
None of it is needed to start a quote.
Questions
Do service techs and installers have different rates?
Usually not. Both typically fall under class 5537. Office staff are the split that matters most.
Can I get a certificate for a GC before a job?
Yes. Once you're set up with the PEO, it issues certificates of insurance on request.
Find out what your crew would pay
Tell us your trade and headcount. We'll shop it with our PEO partners and send you a side-by-side against what you pay now, usually within one business day.