Class Code Experts
The number-one reason San Diego employers overpay for workers' comp is an incorrect NCCI class code. We audit every new client's classification at placement — and if your current agent put you in the wrong code, we fix it.
Mandatory in California · Labor Code § 3700
Workers Compensation Insurance for San Diego Employers — Fast Quotes, Every Class Code
Kennedy Insurance places compliant, competitively priced workers comp for San Diego businesses of every size. From office class code 8810 to construction code 5403, we run your risk through a network of specialty carriers — Employers, ICW, Berkshire Hathaway Homestate, Zenith, State Fund, Travelers — and deliver the lowest rate your class code and X-Mod allow.
9+
Specialty WC Carriers
Same-day
Certificates of Insurance
All
NCCI Class Codes
37+
Years Serving SD Employers
California law requires workers' compensation for every employer with one or more employees. Non-compliance can trigger fines up to $100,000, a stop-work order, and personal liability for injuries. Kennedy Insurance helps San Diego employers stay covered — and stay compliant.
Why Kennedy
Why San Diego Employers Choose Us for Workers Compensation Insurance
Most business insurance shops treat workers' comp as an afterthought. We treat it as a specialty. Here's what that means for your San Diego business.
X-Mod Management
Your Experience Modifier multiplies your premium. We help you understand exactly how your claims history rolls into your mod — and what levers (safety programs, claim closure, reserve disputes) actually move it.
Pay-As-You-Go Options
No more big year-end audit surprises. We can place your workers' comp on a pay-as-you-go basis tied to your actual payroll each pay period — integrated with ADP, Paychex, Gusto, QuickBooks, and more.
Specialty Carrier Access
We place through nine-plus specialty WC carriers — Employers, ICW, Berkshire Hathaway Homestate, Zenith, AmTrust, CompWest, Travelers, The Hartford, and State Fund — so the right market bids on your risk.
Fast Certificate Turnaround
San Diego GCs, landlords, and municipal projects won't let you start work without a current COI. We issue certificates — with the specific additional insured or hold-harmless language required — the same day.
Safety & Dividend Programs
Several of our WC carriers offer safety dividends and schedule credits for employers who run documented safety programs. We help you qualify — and keep qualifying — for those savings year after year.
Class Code Quick Reference
Common Workers Comp Class Codes We Place in San Diego
NCCI class codes determine your base WC rate before the X-Mod is applied. Below are the codes we most frequently place across San Diego industries. Yours isn't listed? Call 619-797-1440 — we handle every class code in California.
Code
Industry
Typical Roles
Rate Tier
8810
Office / Clerical
Admin staff, CSRs, accountants (pure desk work)
Low
8742
Outside Sales
Salespeople making client visits
Low
8803
Auditors / Accountants
Travel-based professional services
Low
9079
Restaurants (Full Service)
Cooks, servers, bussers, hosts
Medium
9082
Restaurants (Fast Food)
Quick-service, drive-thru operations
Medium
8017
Retail — Storefront
Cashiers, stock, floor staff
Low-Medium
8833
Healthcare — Physician Office
MDs, RNs, MAs, office staff
Medium
8835
Home Health Care
In-home aides and nursing visits
Medium-High
0042
Landscaping / Grounds
Mowing, trimming, installation crews
High
5403
Carpentry — Residential
Framing, finish carpentry, remodels
High
5474
Painting
Residential and commercial painters
High
5606
Contractor — Executive Supervisor
GC owners, supervisors, project managers
Low (if non-field)
5645
Carpentry — Light Commercial
Tenant improvement, interior buildouts
High
7380
Drivers / Couriers
Delivery drivers, light trucking
Medium-High
8380
Automobile Service / Repair
Mechanics, techs, body shop staff
Medium
Rate tiers are directional; actual base rates are set by WCIRB and vary by carrier filing. Contact our San Diego workers' comp desk for a carrier-specific quote on your exact class code and payroll.
Who We Serve
San Diego Industries Where We Place Workers Compensation Daily
We place WC for employers across San Diego County — from single-employee office startups to 200-person contractors. Here are the industries where our team has the deepest carrier relationships.
Construction & Trades
Codes 5403, 5474, 5645, 5606, 5183, 5190. Residential, commercial, specialty. Prevailing-wage reporting supported.
Quote Construction WC
Restaurants & Hospitality
Codes 9079 and 9082. Full-service, fast-casual, bars, food trucks. Liquor liability often paired.
Quote Restaurant WC
Professional Services & Office
Codes 8810, 8742, 8803. Law firms, accounting practices, consultancies, agencies. Some of the lowest WC rates in California.
Quote Office WC
Retail & Specialty Shops
Codes 8017 and 8018. Storefront retail, boutique, e-commerce warehousing. Multiple locations supported.
Quote Retail WC
Healthcare & Clinics
Codes 8833 and 8835. Physician offices, dental, chiropractic, home health. Blood-borne pathogens addressed.
Quote Healthcare WC
Landscaping & Grounds
Code 0042. Residential, commercial, HOA grounds-keeping. Seasonal payroll handled via pay-as-you-go.
Quote Landscape WC Pay-As-You-Go
Tie Your Premium to Actual Payroll, Not Estimates
Traditional California workers' comp policies estimate your annual payroll up front and true up at year-end audit — which often means a surprise invoice. Pay-as-you-go fixes that. Your premium is calculated each pay period from your actual reported payroll, so cash flow is smooth all year.
- No year-end audit surprise. Premium always matches actual payroll because it was calculated from actual payroll.
- Better cash flow. Pay as you earn, not in big up-front deposits and annual premium audits.
- Seasonal-friendly. Premium scales down in slow months and up in peak months — great for landscapers, contractors, and hospitality.
- Integrated with most payroll providers. ADP, Paychex, Gusto, QuickBooks Online Payroll, Rippling, and more.
- Still fully compliant. Exactly the same California workers' compensation coverage, just billed differently.
About Kennedy Insurance
San Diego's Workers' Comp Placement Specialists Since 1987
Kennedy Insurance has been placing California workers compensation insurance for San Diego employers since Michael Kennedy opened the agency in 1987. Over 37 years our team has handled every class code WCIRB publishes — offices, restaurants, contractors, healthcare, retail, trucking, landscaping, manufacturing — and in almost every industry segment San Diego County has to offer.
We're a truly independent brokerage. We place workers comp through the California specialty carriers with the best appetite and pricing for each specific risk: Employers, ICW Group, Berkshire Hathaway Homestate, Zenith Insurance, AmTrust, CompWest, Travelers, The Hartford, and State Compensation Insurance Fund (State Fund). Different risks want different markets — that's the point of shopping.
Our office is at 2295 Fletcher Parkway, Suite 100, El Cajon, CA 92020, minutes from I-8, SR-67, and SR-125. We serve employers across all of San Diego County, and we're BBB accredited A+ since 2004 under California DOI license #0C67789.
Beyond placement, we support the ongoing operational side of workers' comp: COI requests, OSHA/CalOSHA posting notices, mid-term payroll adjustments, X-Mod review, audit preparation, and claims follow-up. Your dedicated account manager handles all of it.
Quote Process
How to Get a San Diego Workers Comp Quote
Most new quotes are turned around in one business day. If you're starting a project and need a Certificate of Insurance fast, let us know — we can often bind and issue same-day.
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Confirm Class Code
We verify your correct NCCI classification. Misclassification is the top reason San Diego employers overpay.
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Gather Payroll & History
Annual payroll by class code, employee count, years in business, 3-year loss runs, and your X-Mod letter if you have one.
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Quote Multiple Carriers
We submit to every specialty market that fits — Employers, ICW, Berkshire Hathaway, Zenith, Travelers, State Fund, and more.
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Review Options
We walk you through base rate, schedule credits, pay-as-you-go eligibility, and any safety dividend programs.
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Bind & Comply
Same-day binding if needed. We issue your COI and provide the CA posting notices required at your workplace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Workers Comp FAQ
The questions San Diego employers ask most often about California workers' compensation — and the honest answers.
Yes. California Labor Code Section 3700 requires every California employer — even those with just one employee — to carry workers compensation insurance. Failure to carry WC is a criminal misdemeanor and can result in fines up to $100,000, a stop-work order, and personal liability for any employee injury. Sole proprietors with no employees are generally exempt but can elect coverage for themselves.
California workers' comp premium is calculated from three factors: (1) your NCCI class code rate per $100 of payroll, which reflects your industry's injury risk, (2) your total annual payroll by class code, and (3) your Experience Modifier (X-Mod), which adjusts your premium based on claims history. Kennedy Insurance reviews all three to help San Diego employers reduce their WC cost.
An NCCI class code is a four-digit industry classification that sets your base WC rate. Code 8810 (clerical office) has among the lowest rates in California; codes 5403 (carpentry) and 5474 (painting) are much higher. Misclassification — being placed in a higher-rated class than your actual operations justify — is the #1 cause of overpayment. We audit every new client's class code assignment.
Your Experience Modifier is a multiplier (typically 0.80-1.25) applied to your base premium based on your three-year claims history. 1.00 is average. Below 1.00 saves you money; above 1.00 costs you more. California employers with more than $7,000 in annual WC premium typically receive an assigned X-Mod from WCIRB each year.
Yes. Pay-as-you-go WC calculates premium on actual payroll each pay period instead of an estimated annual figure. This eliminates big year-end audit true-ups and smooths cash flow. We offer PAYG through carriers integrated with ADP, Paychex, Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, Rippling, Paycor, and most other major providers.
Same business day in most cases. If a San Diego GC, landlord, or municipal project needs a COI with specific additional insured or hold-harmless language, we can usually turn it around within 1-4 hours. Recurring COI needs can be automated so your GC gets them without asking.
Our network includes Employers, The Hartford, ICW Group, Berkshire Hathaway Homestate, Zenith Insurance, AmTrust, CompWest, Travelers, and State Compensation Insurance Fund (State Fund). The best market for your account depends on your class code, payroll, and loss history.
California WC policies are audited annually after the policy ends. The carrier compares your actual payroll records to the estimate you provided at the start of the term. Higher actual payroll means additional premium owed; lower means a refund. Kennedy Insurance prepares San Diego clients for audit throughout the year so there are no surprises.
Employer Reviews
What San Diego Employers Say
Feedback from business owners across construction, restaurants, healthcare, and professional services.
Our prior broker had us in the wrong class code for six years. Kennedy caught it at our first review, refiled with WCIRB, and saved us $14,000 in the first policy year alone.
Tim R.
General Contractor · San Diego
Pay-as-you-go through Gusto was a game-changer. No more year-end audit surprise. I know exactly what WC costs every pay period now.
Maria L.
Restaurant Owner · North Park
Our mod went from 1.14 to 0.92 over three years working with Kennedy on claims and safety. That alone is saving us thousands annually.
Javier S.
Landscaping Business Owner · Chula Vista
I needed a COI by end of day for a municipal contract. Kennedy had it to my GC within an hour with the exact additional-insured language we needed.
Diana C.
HVAC Subcontractor · La Mesa
WC Carrier Network
California Workers Comp Carriers We Represent
Specialty workers' compensation carriers we place through for San Diego employers. Each has different appetites, class-code sweet spots, and pricing.
Employers
ICW Group
Berkshire Hathaway Homestate
Zenith Insurance
AmTrust
CompWest
Travelers
The Hartford
State Fund (SCIF)
Talk to Our WC Desk
Get Your San Diego Workers Comp Quote Today
Call, email, or chat. Bring your current declarations page or a quick payroll breakdown — we'll run it through our carrier network and have competing quotes back to you in one business day. Same-day Certificates of Insurance available for project starts.