Workers' Comp Rate for Carpentry - Detached One or Two Family Dwellings in Tennessee (Class Code 5645)
Last verified: 2026-05-08
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About Class Code 5645: Scope, Inclusions, and Common Misclassifications
NCCI Class Code 5645 — "Carpentry — Detached One or Two-Family Dwellings — All Operations to Completion" — covers the full scope of carpentry work on standalone single- and two-family residential structures. Despite the legacy "-commercial" slug carried over from this page's URL, the official NCCI/NYCIRB scope is residential and applies to detached homes, duplexes, and the residential garages built alongside them. The classification is hazard group F and is one of the most commonly mis-assigned construction codes because three other carpentry codes — 5403, 5437, and 5651 — overlap depending on building type, height, and the specific carpentry operation.
All-operations-to-completion means a 5645 contractor's payroll is not split among multiple class codes for the same project: framing, siding, window install, door hanging, interior trim that is part of the original construction, decking, residential fencing, and the small wood garage built with the home are all reported under 5645. The five other codes apply only when a different employer or specialty contractor performs the work as a standalone job.
What's Included Under Class Code 5645
NCCI's Scopes text and the NYCIRB Classification Digest assign 5645 to all carpentry operations performed during the construction of a detached one- or two-family dwelling: footings work that does not involve concrete, sill plates, framing of floors and walls, roof framing and trusses, exterior sheathing, exterior finish carpentry, installation of windows and doors, hanging of interior trim and doors as part of the original build, drywall installation when performed by the framing crew, decks, porches, patios, exterior stairs, fences, and the residential garage when constructed in connection with the dwelling. Cleanup, helpers, and miscellaneous job-site labor are also included.
The "detached" qualifier matters: 5645 applies to standalone homes that share no party walls. A duplex with two units side-by-side under one roof is still 5645 because the structure is detached from any other building. A townhouse in a row of three or more attached units is not 5645 — that work moves to NCCI Class Code 5651 (Carpentry — Dwellings — Three Stories or Less) in NCCI states that have adopted 5651, or to 5403 (Carpentry NOC) in states that have not. New York and several other independent-bureau states do not use 5651 at all and assign attached townhouse carpentry directly to 5403.
The "three stories or less" height limit also matters. A three-story duplex is still 5645. A four-story walk-up apartment building is not 5645 under any state's scope — multi-family carpentry above three stories goes to 5403 (Carpentry NOC). Roofing operations are excluded from 5645 in every state and are assigned to a separate roofing classification (5551).
5645 vs 5403, 5437, and 5651
Class Code 5403 (Carpentry NOC) is the catch-all for any carpentry that does not fit the more specific codes. It applies to commercial buildings, multi-family above three stories, public/institutional buildings (schools, hospitals when not under a single all-operations classification), and any carpentry operation NCCI has not assigned to a dedicated code. 5403 typically carries a higher rate than 5645 because the work involves taller structures, heavier materials, and more equipment risk. The most common 5645/5403 audit dispute is whether a townhouse project is detached (5645) or attached (5403/5651) — auditors look at the architectural plans and the recorded subdivision documents.
Class Code 5437 (Carpentry — Installation of Cabinet Work or Interior Trim) applies only when a specialty contractor is hired to install finish carpentry — kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, interior trim, baseboards, crown molding, finished wood flooring, interior staircases, and railings — as a standalone job, separate from the framing or original construction. When the same general contractor or framing crew does the cabinet and trim work as part of building the home, the trim payroll is consolidated into 5645 under the all-operations-to-completion rule. NCCI's 2023 Class Inspection Program reported 5437 as one of the most reclassified codes in the country precisely because employers often misassign trim crews to the lower-rated 5437 when the work is actually part of a 5645 project.
Class Code 5651 (Carpentry — Dwellings — Three Stories or Less) is used by NCCI in some states (Florida, Georgia, Indiana, and others use a slightly different phraseology — "Construction of Residential Dwellings Not Exceeding Three Stories in Height") to cover townhouses, attached duplexes, and three-or-less-story multi-family residential carpentry that does not qualify as detached one- or two-family. New York (NYCIRB), California (WCIRB), Pennsylvania (PCRB), Delaware (DCRB), New Jersey (NJCRIB), and Michigan (CAOM) operate independent rating bureaus and may not use 5651 at all — verify the local bureau's classification text before quoting a rate. The boundary test: if every dwelling in the project shares no walls with any other dwelling, it is 5645; if the project includes any attached unit, it is 5651 (or 5403 in non-5651 states).
Common 5645 Misclassifications and Audit Disputes
The most frequent 5645 misclassification is the "5437 split" — a residential builder's framing crew also installs the kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities and the bookkeeper records that payroll under 5437 to obtain a lower rate. NCCI's all-operations-to-completion rule for 5645 does not permit this split when the same employer is responsible for the entire project. The cabinet and trim payroll consolidates into 5645 unless the cabinet installer is a separate specialty contractor billed and paid separately by the homeowner or a sub-tier general contractor.
The second frequent misclassification is the "detached vs attached" question for new-construction townhouses and zero-lot-line duplexes. Modern subdivision design often produces what marketing materials call "detached" homes that share a fire-rated party wall a few inches apart — under NCCI scope these are attached and rate to 5651/5403, not 5645. Auditors examine the recorded plat and the building permit's structural classification to make the call.
The third frequent dispute involves remodels. NCCI 5645 covers "general carpentry repairs or remodeling" on detached one- or two-family dwellings, but only when the work is genuine carpentry. A remodel that is mostly demolition, electrical, plumbing, concrete driveway or floor work 5221, or drywall finishing / plastering performed by a general contractor often gets misclassified as 5645 when it should be assigned to the trade-specific codes. Audit best practice: track payroll by trade for any remodel project that involves multiple trades.
Sources
- NYCIRB Classification Digest — Class 5645 Phraseology and Description (retrieved 2026-05-08)
- NCCI — 2023 Class Inspection Program: Top Reclassified Codes (retrieved 2026-05-08)
- Workers Compensation Consultants — Project Classification 5645 / 5437 / 5403 (retrieved 2026-05-08)
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