EXCAVATION INSURANCE GROUP
How Do I Lower My Workers’ Comp Premium Over Time?
Excavation Insurance Group explains the two real levers, e-mod management and accurate classification coding, that lower workers' comp premium over time.
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Quick answer: Excavation Insurance Group on this: You lower your workers’ comp premium over time mainly by improving your experience modification rating, which rewards a cleaner claims history, and by making sure your classification codes and payroll splits are accurate so you’re not overpaying on the base rate. Neither is an overnight fix, both move over a multi-year timeline.
MANAGE THE E-MOD SIDE
Because your experience mod is generally built off your last three completed policy years, the biggest lever you have is a genuinely clean, well-managed claims record going forward. Run a documented safety program (trench protection procedures, operator training, daily hazard checks), get injured workers back to modified or light duty quickly when medically appropriate instead of leaving claims open longer than necessary, and report every incident promptly and accurately so it doesn’t get mismanaged into something costlier than the original injury warranted.
GET YOUR CLASSIFICATION CODES RIGHT
Separately from your claims history, make sure your payroll is split correctly across classification codes if your crew handles a mix of high-risk excavation work and lower-risk duties like cleanup or hauling. Without clean time and duty records showing who did what, an auditor can default your entire payroll to the highest applicable code, which inflates your premium independent of your actual safety record. This is a fixable administrative gap, not a rate you’re stuck with.
Between the two, most contractors who see their premium trend down over several years are doing both at once: keeping claims low and infrequent, and making sure the coding underneath the rate accurately reflects the work being done.
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Related: Experience Modification Rating and How to Lower It · Classification Codes and How They Affect Your Premium
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