Retail
Class Code 8111: Plumbers' Supplies Dealer & Drivers — Workers' Comp Insurance
Covers dealers selling plumbing supplies, fixtures, and related materials to contractors and consumers, including counter sales, warehouse staff, and delivery drivers. It's a specific wholesale/retail hybrid classification for the plumbing supply trade.
- Risk level:
- moderate
What code 8111 covers
Class 8111 applies to businesses selling plumbing supplies, fixtures, pipe, and related materials, covering counter and showroom sales staff, warehouse employees who pick and stage orders, and delivery drivers who supply contractors and consumers. Plumbing supply dealers often serve both walk-in retail customers and contractor accounts placing larger orders, and the classification is written to cover that combined exposure rather than splitting by customer type. Warehouse and material-handling duties add more physical exposure than a pure counter-sales operation, given the weight of pipe, fixtures, and fittings involved. This code is distinct from plumbing contractors who install the materials at a job site, which falls under a completely different, construction-focused classification.
Included operations
- Counter and showroom sales of plumbing supplies
- Warehouse picking, staging, and inventory of pipe and fixtures
- Delivery to contractors and customers
- Order fulfillment for contractor accounts
Assigned elsewhere
- Plumbing installation and contracting work performed at job sites — see code 5183 (Plumbing NOC & Drivers)
- General hardware store sales — see code 8010
- Building material dealer operations for general construction supplies — see code 8058 or 8232 as applicable
- HVAC equipment dealers, evaluated under the applicable classification
Businesses that typically carry 8111
- Plumbing supply wholesalers/retailers
- Plumbing fixture showrooms
- Contractor supply houses focused on plumbing materials
- Independent, owner-operated retail locations
- Regional and multi-location retail chains
- Strip-mall and shopping-center storefronts
- Franchise retail locations
Common misclassifications
Code 5183
Plumbing supply dealer staff and plumbing contractor field crews are easy to confuse on paper but involve very different classifications — selling materials versus installing them.
Code 8058
A plumbing supply dealer can be miscoded under the general building material dealer classification instead of the plumbing-specific code.
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What drives the cost of code 8111
- Total annual payroll for employees assigned to this classification
- Experience modification factor based on claims history
- State-specific base rates and loss costs filed for this class code
- Claims frequency and severity trends for the business
- Safety programs, training, and workplace controls in place
- Payroll mix across multiple classifications at the same location
What underwriters look for
- Square footage, sales volume, and number of locations
- Whether the business has its own delivery drivers or uses third-party carriers
- Stocking, lifting, and equipment use such as forklifts, box cutters, or ladders
- Prior claims history and current experience modification factor
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 8111 fits
Quote class code 8111.
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 8111 questions
Does this code cover plumbers who install what we sell?
No, installation work by plumbing contractors is a separate, higher-hazard classification (5183) distinct from selling and delivering the supplies.
What if we sell to both walk-in customers and contractor accounts?
Both are contemplated within this classification without needing to split payroll by customer type.
Are our delivery drivers included?
Yes, drivers delivering plumbing supplies to contractors and customers are part of this classification.
Is this the same as a general hardware store code?
No, plumbing supply dealers have their own specific classification distinct from general hardware retail.
Last reviewed · Reviewed by Provident Financial Group licensed agents