Workers' comp class code · Construction & Trades
Class code 5183 — Plumbing
Installation and repair of piping, fixtures, and drainage systems in residential and commercial buildings.
This classification covers plumbing contractors who install, service, and repair the pipes, fixtures, and drainage systems that move water and waste through homes and commercial buildings. Crews run supply lines, set toilets, sinks, and water heaters, tie into municipal water and sewer connections, and troubleshoot leaks or clogs on service calls. Work happens on new construction, remodels, and emergency repairs, so schedules swing between planned installs and reactive jobs.
Payroll under this code typically includes journeyman and apprentice plumbers, service techs who drive to customer sites, and helpers who carry material and dig short trench runs. Office staff who never touch tools are usually kept separate under a clerical code, but anyone who steps into a mechanical room or crawlspace belongs here.
Injury exposure centers on repetitive kneeling and awkward reaches under sinks and slabs, cuts from pipe cutters and torches used for sweating copper joints, and back strain from carrying cast iron or PVC. Confined spaces like crawlspaces and mechanical pits add slip and lifting hazards, and soldering work introduces burn risk.
What code 5183 typically includes
- Rough-in and finish plumbing on new construction
- Water heater and fixture installation and replacement
- Drain, waste, and vent line repair
- Emergency leak and clog service calls
- Connecting appliances and gas water lines (where local code allows)
Codes this one gets confused with
5183-2 — Gas Fitting
Gas fitting is billed separately once a crew works mainly on gas piping and gas appliances rather than water and drain systems.
See code 5183-25537 — HVAC Installation
HVAC techs work on heating and cooling equipment, not the water supply and drainage systems plumbers handle.
See code 55376829 — Well Drilling
Well drilling covers sinking the well itself, which is a different scope than the plumbing that connects a home to its water source.
See code 6829What this code means for your premium
Plumbing sits in the moderate range for construction trades — higher than office or sales work because of tool use and physical strain, but lower than roofing or steel erection since most work happens indoors at ground level.
Estimate your premiumClassification is not final until a carrier assigns it. Code numbers, wording and exceptions vary by state and rating bureau — several states run their own bureaus. This page is general reference written in our own words; your carrier's underwriter assigns the code based on your actual operations and payroll records.
Questions about code 5183
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