Florida Workers' Comp: Who Needs It and What It Costs

Florida workers' comp rules, coverage thresholds, and cost factors explained in plain English. Find out if your Palm Beach County business is required to carry

TL;DR:** Florida law requires most employers to carry workers' compensation once they hit certain employee thresholds, and construction businesses face stricter rules than almost any other industry. Premiums are calculated on payroll and job classification, so the type of work your team does matters as much as headcount. Getting a quote from an independent agency like B & B Insurance Agency means someone shops multiple carriers to find the rate that fits your actual risk. What You Need Before You Start Before you can figure out whether you're required to carry workers' comp, and what it might cost, you'll want to gather a few things. Your employee count.** Florida uses different thresholds depending on your industry. Payroll records.** Premiums are calculated per $100 of payroll, so annual wages by job type are essential. A list of job duties.** Every role gets assigned a classification code, and that code drives your rate. Your FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number).** You'll need it to get a policy or verify compliance. Any prior claims history.** A loss-run report from a previous insurer speeds up the quoting process. Don't stress if you don't have everything perfectly organized. An independent agent can walk you through what's needed and pull a lot of this together during your quote conversation. Step 1: Determine Whether Florida Law Requires You to Carry It This is where a lot of Palm Beach County business owners get tripped up, because the threshold is not a flat number across all industries. Construction businesses:** If you have even one employee**, including yourself as an officer if you haven't properly exempted out, you are required to carry workers' comp. Florida's construction industry threshold is the strictest in the state. The Florida Division…