Roofing Workers Comp Insurance Markets
Six US workers' comp markets that publish roofing appetite, with their rules on prior coverage, experience mods, height, subcontracting, states and loss runs.
Placement criteria
- Class code and actual duties
- NCCI code 5551 covers roofing of all kinds, new and existing roofs. When the same contractor's employees do all the carpentry on a dwelling of three stories or less, NCCI assigns their roofing work to the carpentry code (5645). [NCCI scope 5551](https://www.ncci.com/manual_revisions/Scopes/scopes/5551/2006-04-01/revision.htm).
- Prior coverage and lapses
- ISC asks for 4 years of loss runs with no lapse on roofing and excludes new venture roofing with no prior coverage. AMERISAFE treats any risk with less than 13 months of prior workers' comp coverage as a new venture.
- Experience mod
- AMERISAFE says it does not cap experience mods. BerkleyNet says it considers all mods.
- Working height and subcontracting
- ISC prefers heights up to 24 feet and refers anything above to the carrier. Subcontracted work above 50% is referred; 100% subcontracted paper contractors are excluded. AMERISAFE publishes no height restriction on roofing accounts.
- States and payroll
- UBIC requires at least 51% of the policy's business in one of its primary states. ISC sets a $30,000 minimum payroll for most contractors and requires at least one employee.
- Submission file
- AMERISAFE and ISC both ask for an ACORD 130 and currently valued loss runs (current term plus three prior years at AMERISAFE, valued within 6 months; 4 years at ISC). ISC adds a contractor supplemental and the mod worksheet.
Who writes this risk
AMERISAFE
Carrier- Eligible classes
- Construction and roofing employers
- Height
- No height restrictions on construction or roofing accounts.
- Experience mod
- No cap on experience mods.
- Territory
- Actively writes in 27 states (territory map on its site).
- New ventures
- Less than 13 months of prior workers' comp coverage counts as a new venture; considered in some circumstances and industries, case by case with the underwriter.
- Submission
- ACORD 130, loss control contact, loss runs for the current term plus three preceding years valued within 6 months; submissions accepted up to 120 days ahead. Minimum rated premium $5,000, with exceptions for some high-hazard classes.
Note: The FAQ answers the roofing height and mod questions directly.
BerkleyNet
Carrier- Eligible classes
- Roofing, among more than 400 workers' comp class codes
- Territory
- Writes in 46 of the 47 non-monopolistic states.
- Experience mod
- All experience mods considered.
- Prior coverage
- Considers new ventures and businesses without prior coverage.
Note: Appointed agents check the combined state and class, including minimum and maximum premium, in the portal's Check Eligibility tool.
Builders & Tradesmen's Insurance Services (BTIS)
MGA- Eligible classes
- Roofing (listed among top target classes)
- Markets
- Several A rated, admitted carriers, plus proprietary programs; one application shops multiple carriers.
- New ventures
- New ventures and first-time hires accepted (program-wide statement, not roofing-specific).
- Process
- Quote, bind and pay online; owner-only or ghost policies available.
Note: Workers' comp overview dated March 16, 2026; state availability is shown on a map only.
Builders Mutual
Carrier- Eligible classes
- Roofing contractors (workers' comp rated Considered, pre-survey required)
- Territory
- District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia
- Class 5551
- Listed among its 10 best-performing workers' comp classes.
- Florida
- Pre-surveys required on roofing and other high-hazard classes; Florida-domiciled operations must be written by Florida resident agents.
Note: Source is the 2022 Agent Quick Reference Guide; the roofing line says to consult underwriting guidelines.
Integrated Specialty Coverages (ISC)
Wholesaler- Eligible classes
- Roofing (4 years of loss runs, no lapse)
- Territory
- Monopolistic states excluded: North Dakota, Ohio, Washington, Wyoming
- Excluded
- New venture roofing with no prior coverage; paper contractors (100% subcontracted).
- Height
- Up to 24 feet preferred; above 24 feet referred to the carrier.
- Subcontracting
- Up to 50% preferred; 51% or more referred to the carrier.
- Payroll
- Minimum payroll of $30,000 for most contractors; must have an employee; rules vary by carrier.
- Submission
- ACORD 130, contractor supplemental, 4 years of currently valued loss runs, experience mod worksheet if any. No backdating.
Note: Wholesale access to a network of workers' comp carriers; placement subject to carrier approval.
Utah Business Insurance Company (UBIC)
Carrier- Eligible classes
- Roofing
- Territory
- Primary states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Incidental states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin
- Primary-state share
- At least 51% of the policy's business must be in a primary state.
- Paper
- Own paper in Utah, Nevada and Missouri; broader footprint through a fronting program.
Note: Incidental states cover supplementary exposure on a policy anchored in a primary state.
Public terms gathered from each market's own website, as of the date shown on each listing. Confirm with the market before binding coverage.
Why roofing workers comp gets declined
Carriers treat roofing as a high-hazard class: Builders Mutual, for one, requires a pre-survey before it writes a roofing contractor. The published rules below turn on the same five facts: no prior coverage, a lapse, a high experience mod, work at height, and a heavy share of subcontracted labor. A file that answers those five up front gets a faster yes or no.
The markets below publish roofing appetite and spell out where they draw the line. ISC takes roofing only with 4 years of loss runs and no lapse, and excludes new venture roofing with no prior coverage. AMERISAFE has no height restriction on roofing and no cap on experience mods. BerkleyNet considers all mods, new ventures and businesses without prior coverage. On a new roofing employer, those three answers already split the field.
Six markets with public roofing appetite
- AMERISAFE (carrier): 27 states, no height limit, no mod cap. Less than 13 months of prior coverage counts as a new venture, considered case by case. Minimum rated premium $5,000, with exceptions for some high-hazard classes.
- BerkleyNet (W. R. Berkley): roofing among 400+ class codes, 46 of the 47 non-monopolistic states. State and class eligibility, including premium minimums, is checked in its agent portal.
- BTIS (MGA): roofing is a top target class in its March 2026 workers' comp overview, with several admitted carriers behind one application and online binding.
- Builders Mutual (carrier): its 2022 agent guide rates roofing contractors "Considered" for workers' comp, with a pre-survey, in DC and eight Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Class 5551 is on its list of best-performing comp classes.
- ISC (wholesaler): heights up to 24 feet preferred, subcontracting above 50% referred, $30,000 minimum payroll for most contractors, monopolistic states excluded.
- UBIC (carrier): roofing in 11 primary western and central states, with at least 51% of the policy's business in a primary state. Its territory page lists 15 more states for incidental exposure only.
Each of these is a published appetite, not a quote: the underwriter still reads the loss runs and the operations.
Get the class code right before you submit
Under NCCI rules, code 5551 covers roofing of all kinds, new and existing roofs. There is one exception that changes the rate: when the same contractor's employees do all the carpentry on a dwelling of three stories or less, their roofing work goes to the carpentry code, 5645. A framer that also roofs its own houses is not a 5551 risk on that work; a roofer that only roofs is. Describe who does what, and on which buildings, so the code on the application matches the payroll the auditor will find.
States with their own rating bureau use their own codes. California, for example, splits roofing into 5552 and 5553 by regular hourly wage, and audits every policy of a C-39 licensed roofer physically. Check the code in the state where the payroll sits.
What to put in the submission
- ACORD 130 with payroll split by state and by class.
- Currently valued loss runs: AMERISAFE asks for the current term plus three prior years, valued within 6 months; ISC asks for 4 years.
- The experience mod worksheet, if the insured has one.
- A contractor supplemental: residential or commercial, new construction or reroofing, maximum working height, crew size, share of work subcontracted and whether subs carry their own comp.
- Prior carrier and exact coverage dates. A gap of even a few weeks matters at ISC, so state it rather than leave it for the underwriter to find.
A document collection step that gathers these once keeps the same payroll and dates on every application. If the insured also needs liability, the roofing contractor GL page covers that market separately: the carriers and the underwriting questions are different.
Preparing and entering the same submission on several carrier portals takes time. Covera's AI carrier quoting agent fills those portals from one file.
Frequently asked questions
What is the workers' comp class code for roofing?
In NCCI states it is 5551, roofing of all kinds. When the same contractor's employees do all the carpentry on a dwelling of three stories or less, NCCI assigns their roofing work to the carpentry code 5645 instead. California uses its own dual wage roofing codes, 5552 and 5553.
Can a new roofing company get workers' comp?
Some markets consider it. BerkleyNet publishes that it considers new ventures and businesses without prior coverage, and AMERISAFE considers new ventures case by case. ISC excludes new venture roofing with no prior coverage.
Is a high experience mod a dealbreaker for roofers?
Not by itself. AMERISAFE says it does not cap experience mods and BerkleyNet says it considers all mods. The underwriter still reviews the losses behind the mod and the safety program.
Do height limits apply to roofing workers' comp?
It depends on the market. AMERISAFE publishes no height restriction on roofing accounts. ISC prefers work up to 24 feet and refers anything higher to the carrier.