Workers' Compensation Insurance
Support employees after a work related injury and meet California insurance requirements. We classify payroll carefully, compare carriers, and help you prepare for audits.
We shop the market for you, no broker fees
AmTrust
Workers compensation
The Hartford
Small business workers compensation
Travelers
Workers compensation programs
Chubb
Middle market workers compensation
Markel
Specialty workers compensation
Great American
Workers compensation programs
Builders Mutual
Construction workers compensation
Society Insurance
Main street workers compensation
Required for nearly every California employer with employees
- Contractors and trades
- Restaurants and hospitality
- Professional offices
- Manufacturers and warehouses
What changes your premium
There is no flat rate for this coverage. These are the inputs a carrier prices against, and they are the same things the quote form asks you for.
- Your class codes, which is where most of the premium is decided
- Annual payroll by class code
- Your experience modification factor
- The state, and the rate filings in force there
- Uninsured subcontractors, who land on your audit
- Owner and officer inclusion or exclusion elections
- Your claim history and how open claims are reserved
- Safety programs and return to work practices
How it works
10 minute form
A few questions about your business or home.
We shop the market
We compare carriers and read the forms line by line.
Pick the best policy
We explain what is covered, what is not, and what it costs.
Text us. We're by your side.
What this policy covers
Medical care
Treatment for job-related injuries and illnesses.
A framer falls from a ladder and needs surgery plus months of physical therapy. Medical treatment alone can run past six figures, and the policy pays it with no deductible to the injured worker.
Lost wages
A portion of income while an injured employee recovers.
Disability and death benefits
Benefits for lasting impairment or a workplace death.
Employers liability
Part Two of the policy, which responds to certain injury lawsuits.
Why is this one not optional?
Because California requires it once you have an employee, and licensed contractors carry it whether or not they do. It is also the only policy that answers for your own people. Every liability form on this site excludes employee injury by name, so there is no version of this you can absorb somewhere else.
Who looks to us for this
The business hiring its first employee
The obligation starts on day one, not at the first payroll run. We get the policy bound before the start date so there is no uninsured window.
The contractor paying 1099 subs
Uninsured subcontractors usually roll into the hiring business's exposure at audit, sometimes at a higher class code than your own crew. Knowing that before the audit is worth more than any rate you can shop.
The business coming off a bad audit
A surprise bill is almost always a classification or a payroll allocation issue rather than a rate issue. We read the audit worksheet and the mod worksheet before we shop anything.
The employer nobody will quote
Hard classes, a high mod or a lapse in coverage can close the standard market. There are still real options, including the state fund and the surplus market.
How your limits and deductibles get set
We do not publish a limit or a deductible, because a number that is right for one business is negligent for the next. Here is the method instead.
- 01
Start with the contract
Leases, client agreements and general contractors usually dictate a floor. That requirement is the first constraint, not our opinion.
- 02
Then size the exposure
What a bad day actually costs you: the value at risk, the size of the jobs you take, how many people you have and what a defense would run.
- 03
Then price the step up
We quote more than one limit so you can see what the next tier costs before you decide. Higher deductibles lower premium and raise what you self fund.
- 04
Then review it at renewal
Revenue, payroll and property values move. A limit that fit two years ago is the most common gap we find on a renewal.
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Frequently asked questions
Is workers' compensation required in California?
Yes. California requires workers' compensation for virtually every employer with one or more employees, and going without it carries serious penalties.
What does workers' compensation cover?
It covers medical care, a portion of lost wages, disability and death benefits, and employers liability for job-related injuries and illnesses.
How is the premium calculated?
Premium is based on your payroll, employee class codes, and your experience modification factor, which reflects your claims history.
What is an experience mod?
The experience modification factor compares your claims history to similar businesses and raises or lowers your premium accordingly.
Are owners and officers covered?
Sole proprietors and some officers can elect to include or exclude themselves. We set it up to match how you run the business.
Does workers' compensation cover an injury to a customer?
No. It responds only to your own employees. A customer, a vendor or a passerby who is injured is a general liability claim.
Does it cover a crash in a company vehicle?
The injured employee's medical care and lost wages, yes. The vehicle itself, and anything you owe to the other driver, is commercial auto.
Do I need it if everyone is a 1099 contractor?
Usually yes, and that is the single most expensive misunderstanding on this line. If your subs cannot produce their own certificates, an auditor can add their payments to your exposure and charge you for them. In California, licensed contractors are required to carry coverage whether or not they have employees.
Can I exclude myself as the owner?
In most cases you can elect to exclude owners and officers, and in some cases you should not. Excluding yourself removes your own medical coverage for a work injury, and a health plan may deny a claim it considers work related. It is a real decision, not a checkbox, so we walk through it.
Get workers' compensation built around your payroll
Share your work, employee, and payroll details. We will compare carriers and help you understand the audit process.