Workers' Comp Rates for Furniture or Fixtures Installation - Portable NOC (Class Code 5146)
Last verified: 2026-06-02 · Reviewed against NCCI and state rating-bureau filings — how we verify
Description
Covers portable furniture or fixture installation in offices, stores, and similar locations, including modular partitions, workstations, showcases, counters, and small metal bins when no more specific class applies.
Common Businesses
Hazard Group
D
National Avg Rate
$7.23
per $100 payroll
Most Expensive States
- New York$9.79
- Alaska$9.58
- California$9.11
Rates by State for Class Code 5146
47 jurisdictions rate this code per $100 of payroll. North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming are not included. Each is a monopolistic state fund that sets premium on its own basis rather than on an NCCI class-code rate per $100 of payroll, so there is no comparable figure to average or rank.
| State | Rate per $100 | vs. National Avg | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | $5.27 | -1.96 | 2026-01-01 |
| Texas | $5.33 | -1.90 | 2026-07-01 |
| Virginia | $5.60 | -1.63 | 2026-04-01 |
| Utah | $5.74 | -1.49 | 2026-02-01 |
| Arkansas | $5.94 | -1.29 | 2026-07-01 |
| Colorado | $6.01 | -1.22 | 2026-01-01 |
| Tennessee | $6.14 | -1.09 | 2026-03-01 |
| Arizona | $6.21 | -1.02 | 2026-01-01 |
| South Dakota | $6.28 | -0.95 | 2026-07-01 |
| Nebraska | $6.35 | -0.88 | 2026-02-01 |
| North Carolina | $6.35 | -0.88 | 2026-04-01 |
| Idaho | $6.41 | -0.82 | 2026-01-01 |
| Kansas | $6.48 | -0.75 | 2026-01-01 |
| Mississippi | $6.55 | -0.68 | 2026-03-01 |
| New Mexico | $6.62 | -0.61 | 2026-01-01 |
| South Carolina | $6.68 | -0.55 | 2026-04-01 |
| Kentucky | $6.75 | -0.48 | 2026-01-01 |
| Iowa | $6.89 | -0.34 | 2026-01-01 |
| Missouri | $6.95 | -0.28 | 2026-01-01 |
| Nevada | $7.02 | -0.21 | 2026-03-01 |
| Georgia | $7.09 | -0.14 | 2026-03-01 |
| Maryland | $7.09 | -0.14 | 2026-01-01 |
| Oregon | $7.16 | -0.07 | 2026-01-01 |
| West Virginia | $7.22 | -0.01 | 2026-01-01 |
| Alabama | $7.29 | +0.06 | 2026-03-01 |
| Minnesota | $7.29 | +0.06 | 2026-01-01 |
| New Hampshire | $7.29 | +0.06 | 2026-01-01 |
| Delaware | $7.43 | +0.20 | 2025-12-01 |
| Maine | $7.43 | +0.20 | 2025-04-01 |
| Wisconsin | $7.43 | +0.20 | 2025-10-01 |
| Michigan | $7.56 | +0.33 | 2026-01-01 |
| Vermont | $7.56 | +0.33 | 2026-04-01 |
| Rhode Island | $7.69 | +0.46 | 2026-08-01 |
| Florida | $7.76 | +0.53 | 2026-01-01 |
| Montana | $7.76 | +0.53 | 2026-07-01 |
| District of Columbia | $7.97 | +0.74 | 2026-01-01 |
| Massachusetts | $7.97 | +0.74 | 2024-07-01 |
| Oklahoma | $7.97 | +0.74 | 2026-01-01 |
| Illinois | $8.10 | +0.87 | 2026-01-01 |
| Connecticut | $8.24 | +1.01 | 2026-01-01 |
| Louisiana | $8.44 | +1.21 | 2026-05-01 |
| Hawaii | $8.64 | +1.41 | 2026-01-01 |
| Pennsylvania | $8.64 | +1.41 | 2026-04-01 |
| New Jersey | $8.78 | +1.55 | 2026-01-01 |
| California | $9.11 | +1.88 | 2025-09-01 |
| Alaska | $9.58 | +2.35 | 2026-01-01 |
| New York | $9.79 | +2.56 | 2025-10-01 |
How Class Code 5146 Rates Are Spread Across the States
Across 47 states, the estimated workers' comp rate for NCCI class code 5146 (Furniture or Fixtures Installation - Portable NOC) ranges from $5.27 to $9.79 per $100 of payroll, with a national average of $7.23 and a median of $7.22. Each bar counts the states whose estimated rate falls in that range — shaded cheaper (green) to pricier (red). The dashed line marks the national average.
Distribution across 47 states. Rates are a modeled benchmark (NCCI base-rate catalogue × state rate multiplier, catalogue retrieved 2026-06-02) and are not reconciled to filed state loss costs — see the calibration measurement and our rate disclaimer.
View the rate distribution as a data table
| Rate range / $100 | States | Which states |
|---|---|---|
| $5.27–$5.83 | 4 | Indiana, Texas, Virginia, Utah |
| $5.83–$6.40 | 7 | Arkansas, Colorado, Tennessee, Arizona, South Dakota, Nebraska, North Carolina |
| $6.40–$6.96 | 8 | Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, Kentucky, Iowa, Missouri |
| $6.96–$7.53 | 11 | Nevada, Georgia, Maryland, Oregon, West Virginia, Alabama, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Delaware, Maine, Wisconsin |
| $7.53–$8.09 | 8 | Michigan, Vermont, Rhode Island, Florida, Montana, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Oklahoma |
| $8.09–$8.66 | 5 | Illinois, Connecticut, Louisiana, Hawaii, Pennsylvania |
| $8.66–$9.22 | 2 | New Jersey, California |
| $9.22–$9.79 | 2 | Alaska, New York |
| Summary | 47 | Min $5.27 · Median $7.22 · Avg $7.23 · Max $9.79 |
The rates above are manual rates — step 1 of the eight-step rating-bureau premium algorithm. See what your carrier applies after that, or estimate premium for code 5146 with your own payroll and experience mod.
Related Class Codes
About Class Code 5146: Scope, Inclusions, and Common Misclassifications
NCCI Class Code 5146 — "Furniture or Fixtures Installation — Portable — NOC" — is the workers' compensation classification for contractors who assemble and install freestanding, portable furniture and fixtures at the customer's location. It covers the installation of modular workstations and office systems, partitions, shelving, lockers, filing equipment, showcases, stock bins, theater seats, restaurant furniture, bulletin and chalk or cork boards, and similar pieces that are set in place rather than permanently built into the structure. The defining test is portability: 5146 applies when the item is delivered essentially finished and assembled or set on site, not constructed as part of the building.
The work is assembly-driven. Manufactured parts arrive completely finished except for assembly, and crews put them together with screws, nuts and bolts, or similar fasteners using simple hand tools or hand-held power tools. A minor amount of carpentry or sheet-metal work to adapt a piece to the site stays within 5146, but when installation requires electrical or plumbing work those operations are separately classified — electrical to Code 5190 and plumbing to Code 5183. This page compares filed base-rate estimates for 5146 across states so an installation contractor can see the spread before requesting a quote, and explains where the boundary against built-in carpentry falls.
What's Included Under Class Code 5146
5146 contemplates the on-site assembly and installation of portable furniture and fixtures that are received from the manufacturer in finished form. Typical operations include erecting modular office workstations and demountable partitions, installing shelving and storage systems, setting lockers and stock bins, placing showcases and store fixtures, and installing theater or restaurant seating. The classification anticipates the simple fastening of pre-finished components and the incidental carpentry or sheet-metal trimming needed to fit a piece to a specific space.
Because the items are portable, the exposure is materially lower than structural carpentry — the hazard is handling, lifting, and working from ladders or lifts rather than framing or erecting a building. That keeps 5146 below the heavy construction codes on the rate scale, though it sits above clerical and light-retail codes. As with all contractor classes, 5146 is assigned from the operations actually performed during the policy year, not from the business name, and payroll for separately classified electrical or plumbing work must be reported under its own code.
When Installation Is NOT Coded 5146
The most common boundary dispute is portable versus built-in. Cabinetry, casework, and fixtures that are permanently fastened into or constructed as part of the building — built-in kitchen cabinets, fixed millwork, store fixtures framed and attached on site — are interior carpentry, not 5146, and rate to the applicable carpentry classification. The 5146 test is whether the finished item is set in place and could be removed and relocated, versus whether it is constructed into the structure.
Two operations break out of 5146 even on a portable-fixture job: electrical hookups go to Code 5190 and plumbing connections go to Code 5183, each separately rated. Independent-bureau states matter here too — California (WCIRB), Pennsylvania (PCRB), Delaware (DCRB), New Jersey (NJCRIB), Michigan (CAOM), and North Carolina (NCRB) maintain their own rating systems and may assign portable-fixture installation to a different code number or phraseology than NCCI's 5146, so a contractor in those states should confirm classification with the state bureau rather than relying on the national number.
Sources
- GeneralLiabilityInsure — NCCI Class Code 5146 Fixtures or Furniture Installation — Portable — NOC (scope, assembly operations, separately-rated electrical/plumbing) (retrieved 2026-06-02)
- Class Codes — Workers Compensation Code 5146 Furniture or Fixtures Installation — Portable — NOC (portable-fixture phraseology and examples) (retrieved 2026-06-02)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is workers' comp class code 5146?
- Class code 5146 is "Furniture or Fixtures Installation — Portable — NOC," the NCCI classification for contractors who assemble and install freestanding, portable furniture and fixtures at the customer's site — modular workstations, partitions, shelving, lockers, showcases, theater and restaurant seating, and similar pieces. The items arrive finished and are fastened together with hand or hand-held power tools. It is a moderate-hazard code, below structural carpentry but above clerical and retail codes.
- How much is workers' comp insurance for class code 5146?
- The national average rate for class code 5146 is $7.23 per $100 of payroll, across the 47 jurisdictions rated on that basis. Cheapest states: Indiana ($5.27), Texas ($5.33), Virginia ($5.60). Most expensive: New York ($9.79), Alaska ($9.58), California ($9.11). Actual premium depends on your state, payroll, experience modifier, and carrier. North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming are not included. Each is a monopolistic state fund that sets premium on its own basis rather than on an NCCI class-code rate per $100 of payroll, so there is no comparable figure to average or rank.
- What businesses use workers' comp class code 5146?
- Class code 5146 typically applies to Office furniture installers, Modular workstation installers, Retail fixture installers, Showcase installation contractors, Portable partition installers.
- What's the difference between code 5146 and carpentry?
- 5146 covers portable furniture and fixtures that are set in place and could be removed or relocated. Built-in cabinetry, casework, and millwork that is permanently fastened into or constructed as part of the building is interior carpentry instead and rates to the applicable carpentry code. The test is portability: if the item is delivered finished and set on site it is 5146; if it is constructed into the structure it is carpentry.
- Does code 5146 include electrical and plumbing work?
- No. When a portable-fixture installation requires electrical or plumbing work, those operations are separately classified — electrical to Code 5190 and plumbing to Code 5183 — and their payroll is reported under those codes rather than under 5146. Minor carpentry or sheet-metal trimming to adapt a piece to the site stays within 5146, but trade work like wiring and piping breaks out and is rated on its own.
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