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PEO Alternative Coverage for contractors

Skip the PEO and get your own workers' comp policy. More control, no co-employment, no PEO markup, and you own your own loss history. We place standalone contractor WC same day.

PEO Alternative Coverage — contractor workers compensation

What it covers

  • Standalone workers' comp policy in your business name
  • No co-employment arrangement with a PEO
  • Your own loss history and experience mod
  • Pay-as-you-go options available
  • Same-day certificate issuance
  • All trades including high-hazard

Who it's for

  • Contractors currently in a PEO who want to exit
  • Contractors exploring alternatives to PEO co-employment
  • Growing contractors who want to own their WC policy
  • Any contractor paying PEO markup on their WC premium

Why CCA

  • We place standalone WC for contractors leaving PEOs same day
  • We compare PEO vs. standalone costs transparently
  • Transition from PEO to standalone without coverage gaps
PEO Alternative Coverage — FAQ

Common questions about peo alternative coverage

PEOs can provide access to workers' comp for hard-to-place contractors, but come with co-employment, PEO markup on rates, loss of control over your claims, and the fact that you're building loss history for the PEO — not yourself. Once you exit the PEO, you may have no experience mod history of your own.

It depends on your PEO agreement. Some allow early exit; others have penalties. We help contractors evaluate their exit options and can usually have standalone coverage in place to replace the PEO same day.

Often yes, especially for contractors with good loss history. The PEO charges a markup on top of the WC rate. A standalone policy eliminates that markup. We quote both options and let the numbers speak.

New entities start with a 1.00 (average) mod for the first few years until enough payroll and loss history exists for the NCCI to calculate an actual mod. This is often better than the high mod some contractors carry from their own history.

Often yes. We have specialty markets for high-hazard trades — roofing, framing, demolition — that write standalone WC. Call us to see if the standard or specialty market is the right fit.

Cost varies by trade, state, payroll size, and loss history. Ghost policies typically run $800–$2,500/year. Standard policies are rated per $100 of payroll at rates that vary by class code. We quote your specific situation in about 15 minutes.

Yes. Contractors Choice Agency is licensed in all 50 states and writes workers' comp for contractors anywhere in the country.

About 15 minutes for most trades. Have your trade type, payroll estimate, and employee count ready. Hard-to-place risks may take a day or two to place with the right markets.

Often yes. We have admitted and surplus lines markets for contractors with high experience mods, prior losses, OSHA citations, and other issues standard carriers won't write.

If you have employees, you need a real policy. If you're a sole proprietor with no employees who simply needs a certificate for a GC, a ghost policy is the right fit. We'll help you figure out which one applies to your situation.

A.M. Best ratings reflect a carrier's financial strength. We place coverage with A-rated carriers so you can be confident the policy will pay if a claim happens.

Yes. Roofing, demolition, framing, and other high-hazard trades are our specialty. We have markets that write these trades where other agencies can't help.

A waiver of subrogation prevents your WC carrier from suing the general contractor after paying a claim. Most GCs require this endorsement. We add it to your certificate same day.

Trade type, payroll estimate, employee count, states where you work, and any loss history. More detail means a more accurate quote, but we can start with the basics.

Yes. Short-term or project-based workers' comp policies are available for contractors who need coverage for a specific job rather than a full year. Call us and describe your project.

A lump-sum policy requires a large down payment at the start of the year. Pay-as-you-go spreads your premium across each payroll cycle based on actual wages. PAYG is better for contractors with variable workloads; lump-sum is simpler for stable payrolls.

If your subcontractors can't provide certificates of insurance, the carrier may add their payroll to your audit. Always collect certificates from every sub. We help contractors understand audit exposure before the audit happens.

Yes. We write new ventures and startups. Without loss history, you'll be rated on industry averages, but coverage is available for day one.

A missed payment can result in a lapse in coverage and loss of your certificate. If this happens, call us immediately — we can help reinstate or replace coverage quickly.

Need workers' comp today?

Get a same-day workers' comp quote from specialists who understand the contractor market — ghost policies, pay-as-you-go, annual policies, and same-day COIs.