Workers’ comp insurance cost for roofers in Wisconsin

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

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $17.81 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee roofing company lands around $14k–$55k 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: Wisconsin roofing contractors pay a filed workers’-comp manual rate of $17.81 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed rate) — the 5th-highest of 51 US jurisdictions. Modeled on real payrolls, most <5-employee roofing contractors land around $14k–$55k/yr, before experience mods and schedule credits.

66% of WI roofing contractors have <5 employees — the chart below prices every size band from its own observed payroll.
Wisconsin sits 5th of 51: GA pays more ($28.84), RI less ($14.86).
Workers’ comp is one of several coverages — see everything your roofing company needs in Wisconsin →

What do Wisconsin roofing contractors pay for workers’ comp?

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

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

typical · most WI roofing contractors

▼

<5 emp

≈$19k/yr

5–9 emp

≈$76k/yr

10–19 emp

≈$160k/yr

20–49 emp

≈$410k/yr

SMALLER

MID-SIZE

LARGER

A <5-employee WI roofing company: modeled $14k–$55k/yr in workers’-comp premium (that band’s own average wage, before experience mods and schedule credits). Bar heights show how many of the 499 WI roofing contractors fall in each size band.

Cohort: size distribution of 499 WI roofing contractors (Census CBP 2023); premiums modeled from one filed rate ($17.81/$100 payroll, 2024). Bands shown cover 487 of 499 establishments (97.6%) — 12 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 (WI)

$17.81 / $100 payroll

as of 2024

Typical <5-employee roofing company (66% of WI)

$14k–$55k / 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 Wisconsin 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
1	Georgia	$28.84
2	New York	$23.22
3	Connecticut	$18.34
4	Hawaii	$18.02
5	Wisconsin	$17.81
6	South Carolina	$17.19
7	California	$15.68
8	Missouri	$15.16
9	Vermont	$15.04

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 Wisconsin?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $17.81 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee roofing company lands around $14k–$55k 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: South Carolina ($17.19) · California ($15.68) · Missouri ($15.16) · New York ($23.22)

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Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation. Figures are modeled from public filings and Census data for 499 Wisconsin roofing contractors; your premium depends on your payroll, claims history, and carrier.