Class code 5403: carpentry, commercial and taller dwellings
Code 5403 is carpentry not classed elsewhere: commercial buildings and dwellings over three stories, under NCCI's project rule.
- SYSTEM
- NCCI numbering
- INDUSTRY
- Construction
- WHERE
- NCCI states, Texas included
- PREMIUM ON
- Payroll in this class
Carpentry on commercial buildings and dwellings over three stories.
What work does code 5403 cover?
When the carpentry contractor or general contractor responsible for the whole project does the carpentry with its own employees, all of it goes to 5403, trim included, even if subcontractors did the rough carpentry. Since NCCI's 2013 change the project rule covers commercial work too. Before it, a general contractor's finish carpenters on a non-residential job could be rated 5437. Texas lists 5403 but neither 5645 nor 5651, so its scope there differs; the Texas manual decides.
Described in our own words from NCCI's 2013 carpentry change as Beacon Mutual summarized it, Florida's construction classification rule and Minnesota's rating bureau manual. Wording and scope differ by state; the manual filed in your state decides.
Often confused with
Which pay counts toward code 5403 premium?
Premium is figured on payroll for the work in this class, and the rate is premium per $100 of it. What counts is set state by state. Minnesota's manual and Oregon's state fund, SAIF, both count employees' pre-tax deductions, such as 401(k) and Section 125 contributions, and both leave out the overtime premium, the extra half of time and a half (Minnesota requires records that show overtime pay by employee and by class). Check your state's rules. Minnesota and SAIF both count prevailing wage (Davis-Bacon) pay, but not the employer's fringe payments into a qualified pension trust; SAIF also leaves out those paid into a group insurance plan.
Where does code 5403 apply?
NCCI is the rating bureau
These states have named NCCI their rating organization, so the code comes from NCCI's manual, with each state's exceptions.
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia
Texas lists 5403 in its advisory loss costs effective July 1, 2026.
Own rating bureau: check its manual
An independent bureau sets the classes. Many numbers match NCCI's, but wording and scope can differ: Indiana's bureau files NCCI's manual with Indiana-specific codes, while Minnesota's publishes its own.
California, Delaware, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
State fund only
NCCI lists these as monopolistic states: workers' comp comes from the state fund, so ask the fund how it classes your work. Ohio's fund rates on NCCI classification codes; North Dakota, Washington and Wyoming use their own. Washington has its own risk classes and publishes hourly rates, so premium there follows hours worked, not payroll.
Sources: NCCI State Map: NCCI, independent bureau and monopolistic states; TDI: Texas advisory loss costs, effective July 1, 2026. Each state's rules and sources: Workers' comp by state.
Your payroll, your rate, before discounts and assessments.
Worklio Insurance bills pay-as-you-go comp with each payroll, no deposit; the audit usually confirms what you've already paid.
In North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming, ask the state fund for your class and rate.
COMMON QUESTIONS
- Does trim work on a commercial job go in 5437?
- Under NCCI's project rule, not when your company is responsible for the whole project: all your employees' carpentry there, trim included, is 5403, and 5437 is for trim and cabinet subcontractors. Minnesota's manual still uses 5437 for a contractor that does no other carpentry at the job.
- Is code 5403 used in Texas?
- Yes. Texas lists 5403 in its advisory loss costs effective July 1, 2026. Those are loss costs, not rates: a carrier's rate adds its own expenses.
- How is the premium for code 5403 worked out?
- Your payroll in this class, divided by 100, times your carrier's rate for the class. Then your experience mod, any schedule credit or debit, and an expense constant if your policy has one. Premium discounts, state assessments and minimum premiums are separate.
SOURCES
- Beacon Mutual: NCCI class code alert, changes to carpentry codes (2013)
- Fla. Admin. Code 69L-6.021: construction classification codes (2011)
- MWCIA: Minnesota Basic Manual, effective July 15, 2026
- TDI: Texas advisory loss costs, effective July 1, 2026
- NCCI State Map: NCCI, independent bureau and monopolistic states
- Indiana Compensation Rating Bureau: classification code rates and look-up
- SAIF (Oregon): wages and pay to report
- Washington L&I: risk classes for workers' compensation
- Washington L&I: rates for workers' compensation
For planning, not a quote or a classification ruling. An advisor confirms your class codes with your carrier.
New to workers' comp? Worklio HCM explains workers' compensation.