Class code 5474: painting
Code 5474 is painting not classed elsewhere, with shop work and drivers.
- SYSTEM
- NCCI numbering
- INDUSTRY
- Construction
- WHERE
- NCCI states, Texas included
- PREMIUM ON
- Payroll in this class
Painting not classed elsewhere, with shop work and drivers.
What work does code 5474 cover?
Minnesota's wording includes paperhanging and painting metal fixtures such as storage tanks, fire escapes and window frames. Painting ship hulls, bridges or metal structures over two stories is classed separately (5037 for metal structures in Florida's list and Minnesota's manual), and contractors who only hang paper take 5491.
Described in our own words from 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
- 5037 Metal structures over two stories.
- 5491 Contractors who do paperhanging only; a painter who also hangs paper stays in 5474.
Which pay counts toward code 5474 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 5474 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 5474 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
- Is painting a steel structure 5474?
- Not if it is over two stories: that is classed separately, as 5037 in Florida's list.
- Is code 5474 used in Texas?
- Yes. Texas lists 5474 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 5474 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
- 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.