For policies incepting September 1, 2026, all 16 California construction dual-wage classifications move. Carpentry 5403/5432: $41 to $46. Steel framing: $41 to $46. Electrical: $36 to $40. Roofing 5552/5553: $31 to $33. Concrete: $33 to $36. Plumbing: $32 to $35. Excavation, sewer, and water/gas mains: $40 to $45. The same day, the 6.6% advisory pure-premium increase takes effect.
California is the only state that prices identical construction work on two class codes split by wage. The high-wage code is cheaper because the data says those crews cost less per $100 of payroll. If your carpenter is at $44 on September 1, you just bought the low-wage rate unless you raise the wage or accept the hit.
Run the roster against the new table before the renewal is issued. Split payroll if someone works two trades. That is the difference between a clean audit and a bill you cannot collect from last year’s jobs.
If this is on your renewal, call the office at (619) 420-8600 or start a quote. We will tell you what the market will actually write.
Sources: CPR Brokers dual-wage tracker, 2026; BerkleyNet CA dual-wage table.