Contractors
Class Code 5445: Wallboard, Sheetrock, Drywall, Plasterboard, or Cement Board Installation—Within Buildings & Drivers — Workers' Comp Insurance
Covers drywall and wallboard contractors who hang, tape, and finish gypsum board and similar wall panel products inside buildings, along with the contractor's drivers. It's the standard classification for interior drywall installation work.
- Risk level:
- elevated
What code 5445 covers
Class 5445 applies to contractors installing wallboard, drywall, sheetrock, and similar panel products within buildings, covering crews who measure, cut, hang, tape, mud, and finish wall and ceiling panels, along with drivers who transport materials and crews to job sites. The work involves lifting and maneuvering heavy sheets of material, often overhead for ceiling work, along with ladder and scaffold use and repetitive taping and finishing motions. This classification covers both new-construction rough hanging and finish work, as well as patch and repair jobs in existing buildings. Contractors who also perform structural framing or significant carpentry beyond what supports drywall installation may need that portion of the work evaluated under a separate carpentry classification.
Included operations
- Measuring, cutting, and hanging wallboard and drywall panels
- Taping, mudding, and finishing drywall joints
- Ceiling panel installation, including overhead work
- Patch and repair work on existing wallboard
- Drivers transporting materials and crews to job sites
Businesses that typically carry 5445
- Drywall installation contractors
- Wallboard and finishing contractors
- Interior framing and drywall companies
- Small, owner-operated contracting businesses
- Regional trade contracting companies
- Subcontractors working for general contractors
- Design-build contracting firms
Common misclassifications
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What drives the cost of code 5445
- Total payroll for employees performing the classified work, not gross receipts
- Experience modification factor built from claims history
- State-specific base rates and loss costs filed for this class code
- Use of subcontractors and whether they carry their own workers' comp coverage
- Safety programs, jobsite supervision, and documented training
- Payroll properly split across multiple classifications when work crosses trades
What underwriters look for
- Years in business and prior workers' comp loss history
- Types of jobs typically performed (new construction, remodel, residential vs. commercial) and average job size
- Whether subcontractors are used and certificates of insurance are collected and tracked
- Total payroll for employees actually performing the classified work
- Safety program, training documentation, and any OSHA history
Eligibility
State differences
This entry uses standard NCCI class code phraseology, which applies in most NCCI-governed states. Pennsylvania (PCRB), Delaware (DCRB), California (WCIRB), New Jersey (NJCRIB), Michigan, New York (NYCIRB), and Massachusetts maintain their own classification manuals, and code numbers or phraseology can differ there. Our agency confirms the correct classification for your state before quoting.
Where code 5445 fits
Quote class code 5445.
One application goes out to every carrier we can access for your class of business. You get a ranked comparison you can review and purchase online — with a licensed agent available whenever you want one.
Mon–Fri, 8:00am–6:00pm ET · Independent agency licensed in 23 states
Class code 5445 questions
Does this code cover taping and finishing, or just hanging the panels?
Both — measuring, cutting, hanging, taping, and finishing drywall are all part of this classification.
What about ceiling drywall work?
Yes, ceiling panel installation, including overhead work, is included in this classification.
Does this cover structural framing too?
Significant structural framing is typically evaluated under a separate carpentry classification rather than this drywall-specific code.
Are our material delivery drivers included?
Yes, drivers transporting drywall materials and crews to job sites are part of this classification.
Last reviewed · Reviewed by Provident Financial Group licensed agents