A practical, 2026-current breakdown of Georgia workers' compensation rates by class code, carrier appetite, and what actually moves your premium.
These are typical small-business rates for clean-loss accounts in the Georgia voluntary market in 2026. Add 10 to 30 percent if your ex-mod is above 1.00.
| NCCI class code | Trade / occupation | 2026 GA rate per $100 payroll | Annual premium on $300K payroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8810 | Clerical / office | $0.20 – $0.35 | $600 – $1,050 |
| 8742 | Outside sales | $0.35 – $0.55 | $1,050 – $1,650 |
| 9079 | Restaurant — full service | $2.00 – $3.40 | $6,000 – $10,200 |
| 9082 | Hotel — all employees | $2.40 – $4.20 | $7,200 – $12,600 |
| 5183 | Plumbing | $2.50 – $4.20 | $7,500 – $12,600 |
| 5190 | Electrical wiring | $2.80 – $4.60 | $8,400 – $13,800 |
| 5188 | HVAC / heating & air | $3.10 – $5.20 | $9,300 – $15,600 |
| 5403 | Carpentry NOC / general construction | $7.50 – $13.00 | $22,500 – $39,000 |
| 5645 | Residential carpentry | $10.00 – $17.50 | $30,000 – $52,500 |
| 5474 | Painting | $6.20 – $10.50 | $18,600 – $31,500 |
| 5547 | Roofing — residential | $18.00 – $30.00 | $54,000 – $90,000 |
| 5403 | Roofing — commercial | $10.50 – $18.00 | $31,500 – $54,000 |
| 6217 | Excavation, grading, paving | $5.80 – $9.40 | $17,400 – $28,200 |
| 7219 | Trucking — long haul | $8.00 – $14.00 | $24,000 – $42,000 |
| 2702 | Logging / lumbering | $22.00 – $38.00 | $66,000 – $114,000 |
Rates are 2026 indicative ranges across active GA voluntary-market carriers. Actual premium depends on payroll size, ex-mod, carrier LCM, schedule credits, and class-code accuracy.
Georgia operates under NCCI rules with a healthy voluntary market — there is no monopolistic state fund (unlike Wyoming, Washington, North Dakota, and Ohio), and Georgia's assigned-risk pool is small relative to the voluntary market. That means a Georgia small business almost always has at least 4 to 7 competing voluntary-market quotes available, and shopping the renewal genuinely matters. By comparison, Florida and South Carolina also have healthy voluntary markets, but Florida's coastal counties get tighter appetite and South Carolina's construction classes have fewer specialty writers.
Loss Cost Multipliers (LCMs) in Georgia in 2026 typically run 1.40 to 2.20 for small commercial business. A clean construction account might see an LCM of 1.55 with Builders Mutual and 2.10 with Travelers on the same submission — that's a 35 percent premium difference before any other adjustments.
NCCI publishes hundreds of class codes, and the wrong code costs you. A small commercial GC who actually does mostly carpentry trim work belongs in 5437 ($5.40 per $100) — not 5403 ($9.20 per $100). On $250K of payroll, that's a $9,500 annual difference. We see misclassifications on more than 40 percent of submissions we review. See full 2026 class code lookup for GA contractors.
Your ex-mod is calculated annually by NCCI from your last 3 closed policy years (excluding the most recent). The 2026 ex-mod uses 2022, 2023, and 2024 claim data. An ex-mod of 0.85 saves you 15 percent; an ex-mod of 1.25 costs you 25 percent more. Closing open claims fast and tightly classifying medical-only vs lost-time claims is how you keep the ex-mod down. How to lower your ex-mod.
LCM is set by the carrier, not by you. Schedule credits (typically up to 25 percent off) are the underwriter's discretion based on documented safety programs, drug testing, return-to-work programs, and ownership management experience. Always ask the underwriter in writing why no credit was given — it's negotiable.
If you're a 5403 carpentry contractor with two office staff, those office staff belong in 8810 ($0.20 per $100) — not 5403 ($9 per $100). Carriers often default to a single class code unless the dec page explicitly splits payroll. A two-person office on $80K of payroll incorrectly classified as 5403 costs you $7,200 per year in unnecessary premium.