How is a workers' comp premium calculated in the District of Columbia?

Premium is the classification base rate per 100 dollars of payroll, multiplied by total payroll divided by 100, then multiplied by your experience modification factor. Higher-risk occupations carry higher base rates, so the same payroll costs more in a riskier class code.

What is an experience modifier?

The experience modification factor, or mod, compares your past claims experience to others in your class. A mod of 1.0 is average, below 1.0 lowers your premium for a good safety record, and above 1.0 raises it. Small employers may not be experience-rated and use 1.0.

Does the District of Columbia run a state workers' comp fund?

No. The District of Columbia does not operate a competitive state fund; employers buy coverage from private insurance carriers. Rates are influenced by loss-cost data and each carrier's pricing, so quotes can vary between insurers for the same class code.

What is a classification code?

A classification code groups jobs by their injury risk, such as clerical, retail, or roofing. Each code has a base rate per 100 dollars of payroll. Office staff have low rates while construction trades have much higher rates, reflecting the likelihood and severity of claims.

Is this the exact premium I will pay?

No, it is an estimate. Actual premium depends on the carrier's filed rates, schedule credits or debits, minimum premiums, expense constants, assigned-risk surcharges, and audit of actual payroll. Use this to budget, then get a quote from a licensed District of Columbia carrier.

District of Columbia Workers' Compensation Premium Calculator

Email me this result

Get this tool's output sent to your inbox, plus one useful tool a week. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

Workers’ compensation premium in the District of Columbia is built from three inputs: the classification base rate per 100 dollars of payroll, the annual payroll, and your experience modifier. The District uses private carriers rather than a state fund, so quotes vary between insurers.

How it works

Premium is the base rate applied to each 100 dollars of payroll, adjusted by the experience mod:

manual premium = (annual payroll ÷ 100) × class base rate
estimated premium = manual premium × experience modifier

A class base rate of 1.50 means 1.50 dollars per 100 dollars of payroll. An experience mod below 1.0 rewards a strong safety record; above 1.0 penalizes a worse-than-average loss history.

Example and notes

For 500,000 dollars of payroll at a class rate of 1.50 and a mod of 0.95: the manual premium is (500,000 ÷ 100) × 1.50 = 7,500 dollars, and the estimated premium is 7,500 × 0.95 = 7,125 dollars. This is a budgeting estimate only. Real premium reflects each carrier’s filed rates, schedule credits, minimum premiums, expense constants, and a payroll audit. Get a quote from a licensed District of Columbia workers’ compensation carrier.