WC Premium Audit Defense for contractors
Received a large workers' comp audit bill? We help contractors review misclassifications, payroll allocation errors, missing sub certificates, and other issues that inflate the audit — and dispute them with the carrier.
What it covers
- Review of audit for class code misclassifications
- Payroll allocation analysis across multiple class codes
- Subcontractor certificate verification and exclusion
- Dispute preparation and carrier negotiation
- Premium reduction strategies for future policy years
- Guidance on proper record-keeping to reduce future audit exposure
Who it's for
- Contractors who've received a large unexpected audit bill
- Contractors whose payroll was misclassified during auditing
- Any contractor who believes their audit was calculated incorrectly
Why CCA
- We know the audit process and what carriers can and can't do
- We've helped contractors reduce audit bills by thousands of dollars
- We help you build better records so future audits are cleaner
Common questions about wc premium audit defense
Yes. If the auditor misclassified employees, improperly allocated payroll, or failed to exclude subcontractors with their own certificates, you have grounds to dispute the audit. The dispute process varies by carrier, but we know how to navigate it.
The most common errors are: payroll assigned to the wrong (higher-rated) class code, subcontractor payroll included when certificates were available to exclude it, owner payroll included when the owner was excluded, and field versus office payroll not properly split.
Dispute timelines vary by carrier and state, but generally you have 60–120 days from receiving the audit statement. Don't wait — call us as soon as you receive an audit bill you believe is incorrect.
Keep time records by employee and by type of work, collect and file certificates of insurance from every subcontractor, document owner payroll separately, and maintain clear payroll records by class code if your crew does multiple types of work.
Yes. If an audit is corrected, it can affect your experience mod in future years. We help you understand how the audit result feeds into your mod and what steps can reduce your rate at renewal.
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.
Pair it with related coverage
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.