What to ask contractors for: Florida workers' comp
3 min read · Last updated
Florida sets different workers' compensation thresholds for construction and non-construction employers, and it counts some owners in a different way from sole proprietors. This guide sets out what the state's official coverage page says and which documents to request from contractors. General information, not legal or insurance advice; check your contracts and your insurer. Facts last checked on 7 November 2026 against official state pages.
What the official sources say
The Florida Division of Workers' Compensation, part of the Florida Department of Financial Services, publishes a coverage requirements page (https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/wc/employer/coverage-requirements). It sets different thresholds by industry. For construction, the page's wording is 'Employers with one or more employees'. For non-construction work, it is 'Employers with four (4) or more employees'.
The same page refers to 'the owner of the business who are corporate officers or Limited Liability Company (LLC) members' and counts them for these thresholds.
For non-construction work, the page says that sole proprietors and partners in a partnership are 'not employees unless they want to be included'. Inclusion is by filing a form DWC-251 with the Division of Workers' Compensation.
What this means for collecting vendor documents
For a construction contractor with one or more employees, the page's construction wording applies. Ask for a certificate of insurance that shows workers' compensation coverage and its policy period, and keep the expiry date on file.
Because the page counts corporate officers and LLC members, a headcount that leaves out an owner who is an officer or member does not follow the page. Ask for a signed and dated headcount statement that shows how owners were counted.
For a non-construction sole proprietor or partner, the page says the owner is not an employee unless included by filing DWC-251. Ask whether the vendor has filed that form, and keep a copy if it has. The quoted sentences do not address construction sole proprietors, so do not assume the non-construction rule applies to construction work.
How ShowMeTheDocs helps
ShowMeTheDocs keeps each vendor's certificates with their expiry dates and status. Starter requirement packs list the trades each requirement applies to, so a workers' compensation requirement can be set for the vendors it applies to. Vendors are emailed 30, 14 and 7 days before an expiry date, and they upload certificates through a self-service portal link without needing an account.
You can start a 14-day free trial to try the tracker on your own vendor list, or compare plans on the pricing page.
Questions
Is one employee enough to fall under the Florida construction wording?
The official page says construction employers with one or more employees fall within its construction wording. Non-construction employers are described with a threshold of four or more. Check which group the vendor's work falls in.
Are corporate officers and LLC members counted?
The official page says the owner of the business who is a corporate officer or LLC member is counted for these thresholds. Keep a signed and dated headcount statement with the vendor's file.
Does a sole proprietor count as an employee in Florida?
For non-construction work, the page says sole proprietors and partners are not employees unless they include themselves by filing form DWC-251. The quoted sentences say nothing about construction sole proprietors, so check that point on the official page or with your insurer.
Related guides
Track every vendor document in one place.
Start a 14-day free trial. No credit card required.