Workers’ comp insurance cost for roofers in North Carolina

Q: What does workers' comp cost roofing contractors in North Carolina?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $13.50 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee roofing company lands around $7.5k–$30k per year before experience mods and schedule credits.

Q: What drives the rate up or down?

Three levers: payroll (the exposure base), claims history (the experience modifier), and schedule credits/debits the insurer applies. Roofing work is NCCI class 5551 (Roofing — All Kinds) — one classification covers roofing of every kind, residential and commercial alike.

Published 2026-06-11 · by Brokly

Direct answer: North Carolina roofing contractors pay a filed workers’-comp manual rate of $13.50 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed rate) — the 12th-highest of 51 US jurisdictions. Modeled on real payrolls, most <5-employee roofing contractors land around $7.5k–$30k/yr, before experience mods and schedule credits.

67% of NC roofing contractors have <5 employees — the chart below prices every size band from its own observed payroll.
North Carolina sits 12th of 51: CA pays more ($15.68), AK less ($12.45).
Workers’ comp is one of several coverages — see everything your roofing company needs in North Carolina →

What do North Carolina roofing contractors pay for workers’ comp?

Modeled annual premium across the real size distribution of NC roofing contractors

bar height = how many roofing contractors are that size · figures = modeled annual cost

typical · most NC roofing contractors

▼

<5 emp

≈$12k/yr

5–9 emp

≈$48k/yr

10–19 emp

≈$110k/yr

20–49 emp

≈$310k/yr

50–99 emp

≈$650k/yr

SMALLER

MID-SIZE

LARGER

A <5-employee NC roofing company: modeled $7.5k–$30k/yr in workers’-comp premium (that band’s own average wage, before experience mods and schedule credits). Bar heights show how many of the 816 NC roofing contractors fall in each size band.

Cohort: size distribution of 816 NC roofing contractors (Census CBP 2023); premiums modeled from one filed rate ($13.50/$100 payroll, 2024). Bands shown cover 812 of 816 establishments (99.5%) — 4 establishments in larger, very small-count, or data-suppressed size bands are not shown. 2023 payroll dollars, not inflation-adjusted. Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation.

Filed manual rate (NC)

$13.50 / $100 payroll

as of 2024

Typical <5-employee roofing company (67% of NC)

$7.5k–$30k / yr modeled

as of 2024 · CBP 2023

Sources: Oregon DCBS workers' compensation premium rate ranking study, June 2025 (calendar-year 2024 rates) (as of calendar year 2024, retrieved 2026-06-04) · US Census County Business Patterns 2023, state file (Roofing contractors (NAICS 238160)) (as of 2023, retrieved 2026-06-05)

How does North Carolina compare to nearby ranks?

Calculated manual rates, $ per $100 payroll, NCCI class 5551 (Roofing — All Kinds), 2024. See all 51 jurisdictions →

Rank	State	Rate / $100 payroll
8	Missouri	$15.16
9	Vermont	$15.04
10	Rhode Island	$14.86
11	Oklahoma	$13.96
12	North Carolina	$13.50
13	Washington	$13.46
14	Illinois	$13.44
15	Louisiana	$12.83
16	New Hampshire	$12.83

Sources: Oregon DCBS workers' compensation premium rate ranking study, June 2025 (calendar-year 2024 rates) (as of calendar year 2024, retrieved 2026-06-04)

Frequently asked questions

What does workers' comp cost roofing contractors in North Carolina?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $13.50 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee roofing company lands around $7.5k–$30k per year before experience mods and schedule credits.

What drives the rate up or down?

Three levers: payroll (the exposure base), claims history (the experience modifier), and schedule credits/debits the insurer applies. Roofing work is NCCI class 5551 (Roofing — All Kinds) — one classification covers roofing of every kind, residential and commercial alike.

Roofers in nearby-ranked states: Oklahoma ($13.96) · Illinois ($13.44) · Louisiana ($12.83) · Missouri ($15.16)

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Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation. Figures are modeled from public filings and Census data for 816 North Carolina roofing contractors; your premium depends on your payroll, claims history, and carrier.