Campground Workers' Comp for Seasonal Staff

Workers' compensation for a campground or RV park is priced mainly on payroll and a class code the insurer assigns, and seasonal staff, a live-in manager and work campers are the places payroll is easiest to get wrong. In states that use National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) rules, the seller's claims history usually follows the park to you, and you must report the ownership change within 90 days. This guide helps new owners estimate payroll honestly and avoid an audit surprise.

The short answer

Class codes vary by state and bureau. Campgrounds may have no code of their own. California sources point to building operations, code 9015, but other states may differ and the insurer assigns the class.
The premium is an estimate. The final bill is set at audit from actual payroll, and the insurer can audit for up to three years after the policy ends.
Seasonal, live-in and owner labor needs records. Lodging given as pay, work campers and owners who work in the park are common audit questions.
The seller's history follows the business in NCCI states. Report an ownership change within 90 days, and do not assume a new LLC starts fresh.

How does a carrier classify a campground's payroll?

A class code groups businesses by what they do. It classifies the employer's business in a state, not each employee's job title. Rates are set per $100 of payroll for each class, and the experience modification (the mod) then adjusts the result. Most states use NCCI, eleven use independent bureaus (California, New York and Pennsylvania, for example; North Carolina has its own bureau but uses NCCI's experience rating plan), and four use monopolistic state funds.

Campgrounds may not have a class code of their own. California's rating bureau is reported to place campground operations under a building operations class, and a 2012 California campground association safety post says RV parks and campgrounds have no code of their own and are most commonly placed under building operations, code 9015. Other states, including NCCI states, may group campgrounds differently. A building or property management code such as 9015 is commonly used in some states, but the class depends on the state, bureau and carrier. Describe your operations accurately, let the insurer assign the class, and ask for it in writing.

The class follows the business, but each role below changes what an auditor will ask to see.

Role at the park	What the auditor will want to see
Grounds and maintenance (mowing, tree trimming, repairs, hookups)	Payroll by employee and duties, plus ladder, chainsaw or equipment use
Front desk and reservations	Whether the work is truly office work, since a separate office rate (called a standard exception) needs real records
Camp store, propane exchange, pool and recreation staff	Whether the bureau rates the store or pool as separate operations, a question for the carrier
Resident manager	Cash pay, and how any housing or site given as pay is treated (under the North Carolina edition of NCCI's Basic Manual, the rental value of a house or apartment and the value of other lodging given as pay can count as payroll, and other states differ)

How a bureau splits payroll between a campground and any separate restaurant, golf or pool operation depends on its manual and the carrier, so ask in writing. Under the North Carolina edition of NCCI's Basic Manual, if one employee works in two classes, the carrier wants records of actual time and pay for each, or all of the pay can go into the highest rated class involved. Only a few standard exception classes, such as clerical office work, can sit beside the main class, and only if the duties fit. Other bureaus have their own rules, so ask in writing. See class code corrections.

How do you estimate seasonal payroll without an audit surprise?

The final premium is set after the policy ends, from actual payroll and the correct class codes, and the insurer can audit for up to three years afterward. That matters for a park whose in-season payroll is far higher than its off-season payroll.

Build the estimate by month from the seller's payroll records: the spring opening crew, the summer peak at the front desk, store and pool, the fall closing crew, and any winter storage or caretaker pay.
Know what counts as payroll. Under NCCI's Basic Manual (North Carolina's edition is one example), payroll includes wages, commissions, bonuses, holiday, vacation and sick pay, the value of meals, and the rental value of a house or apartment or the value of other lodging given as pay, as the records show. Other states vary, so ask how housing is treated.
Keep timesheets and a payroll register, and tell the insurer during the year when plans change.

The audit process is in payroll estimates and audit bills, and changing payroll providers covers a closing-day risk.

What happens to the seller's mod when you buy, and does your state change it?

The seller's claims history usually follows the park in NCCI states, and buying through a new LLC does not reset it. Report the change to your insurer within 90 days. The rating organization decides the effect. The general rules are in the new owner review of workers' comp and reviewing your experience mod for errors. Park specifics:

Small parks may not have a mod. Each state sets a minimum premium to qualify, and below it a 1.00 factor applies, and the seller's experience may still count in later years. Ask the seller for the mod worksheet and monthly payroll.
Past audits. Check that resident manager housing and work camper arrangements were reported the same way before.
State funds. In North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming, coverage comes from the state fund (in Wyoming, confirm whether your operation must carry coverage or may elect it). A state fund's billing method can differ from the private market, so ask how it will bill you. Washington and Ohio, for example, have successor liability rules that can reach a buyer, so ask counsel.

For injury context, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 4.3 recordable cases per 100 full-time workers in RV parks and recreational camps in 2024, against 2.3 for all private industry. Your own claims history, not the national average, feeds your mod. The price picture is in what drives insurance cost for a campground or RV park.

How do work campers, owners and 1099 helpers count?

Work campers (a free site for labor). The US Department of Labor says an employer may count employer-provided lodging toward wages only if it is regularly provided, voluntary, lawful, primarily for the employee's benefit and recorded accurately, and never above the employer's actual cost. Whether a work camper is an employee for workers' comp varies by state, so ask your carrier and employment counsel.
Owners who work in the park. Whether an owner or LLC member who mows, staffs the desk or lives on site is covered, excluded or optionally included depends on the state and the entity type. It changes payroll and who is protected after an injury, so get your broker's answer in writing.
1099 helpers. A worker paid on a 1099 form is not automatically outside your premium. The premium base includes pay to others doing work that could make the insurer liable, unless you show proof that their own employer lawfully secured coverage. That includes the tree service, paving crew or event vendor you hire for a weekend, so collect certificates before the work starts. See do I need workers' comp for 1099 contractors.

A hypothetical example. A couple parks a motorhome and works 25 hours a week at the front desk in exchange for the site and no wage. The seller allowed it for years. At the first audit the auditor asks whether the couple count as employees under the policy and what the free site was worth as pay. Whether the site meets the federal lodging credit conditions is a separate wage and hour question for employment counsel. The better time to ask both is before closing.

What should you ask your broker and payroll provider this month?

Which class codes are on the policy, in which state, and is the store, pool or any restaurant rated separately?
Which rating organization applies, and has the ownership change been reported?
Which months carry the highest payroll, and does the estimate show them?
How are resident managers and any lodging given as pay treated?
Do we have certificates for every contractor and a written position on work campers?
When is the next audit, and what will the auditor ask for?
Which owners work in the park, and how are they treated on the policy?

Morrow can help prepare these questions and review the policies you inherited, though the rating organization and insurer decide classification and the mod. See insurance after you buy a campground or RV park for the full program.

Keep reading

Frequently asked questions

What workers' comp class code applies to a campground or RV park?

It depends on the state, the rating bureau and the insurer's classification. Campgrounds may have no class code of their own. In California, a rating bureau page is reported to place campground operations under building operations, code 9015, and a 2012 association post says that is most common there. Other states may group them differently, so ask your carrier for the class in writing.

Do I inherit the seller's experience mod when I buy a campground?

Usually, yes, in states that use NCCI rules, whether you buy stock or assets and take over operations. A small park may have no mod at all, but the history can still matter later. Report the change within 90 days, and the rating organization decides the effect.

Does workers' comp cover a work camper who gets a free site for labor?

It depends on whether the person is an employee under your state's law and your policy's terms. The federal rules on counting lodging toward wages are separate. Ask your carrier and employment counsel before closing.

Do I need workers' comp if I only use seasonal and part-time staff?

Possibly. Most states require workers' comp for employees, but thresholds and exemptions differ, so seasonal or part-time status alone does not settle it. Texas lets most private employers opt out, and North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming use state funds (in Wyoming, confirm whether your operation must carry coverage or may elect it). Confirm with your broker and state agency.

References

Just bought a business? Get your insurance reviewed.

Send Morrow the declarations pages, loss runs and key contracts you inherited. Morrow can review them against the business you bought, flag gaps and request quotes where it makes sense. Any new terms depend on carrier underwriting.

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This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice, and not a coverage determination. Coverage depends on the actual policy wording, carrier underwriting, your purchase agreement and your contracts. Ask your attorney and accountant about deal and legal questions.

Workers' Comp, Payroll and Class Codes for a Campground or RV Park