Usually not. Classification is the job category your payroll is rated under, and in most states an estimator or project manager who visits job sites does not qualify for the clerical category. They usually land in your main trade category. Many states have a cheaper category for supervisors who do not perform the work, and another for job site estimators. Who this is for: contractors paying the crew's rate on a salaried estimator or project manager.
The short version
- Clerical is only for people who stay in a separated office. Regular site visits break that rule.
- An estimator or project manager who visits sites is usually rated in your main trade category.
- Many states have a cheaper category for supervisors who do not perform the work, and one for job site estimators.
- Payroll cannot be split with the clerical category. All of that pay goes to the category where most of the work sits.
- The right category can still be several times cheaper than the trade rate.
Why does an estimator or project manager not count as clerical?
The clerical category has a short test in most states. The work must be office work only. It must happen in a work area kept apart from the shop or yard by a wall, floor, partition, counter, or other barrier, away from the work itself. And they can only leave now and then, for errands. An estimator who walks sites to measure fails that last part.
The rule also does not allow splitting. An employee who does clerical work and anything else has all of that payroll rated in the category where most of his work sits, and in the highest rated one if your records cannot show the hours. See the bookkeeper version of this question.
What category do project managers and estimators usually fall in?
It depends on what they do on site, and on which categories your state's rule setting group allows. Brokers call it the rating bureau. Rates below are illustrative.
| What the person actually does | Where most states put the payroll | Illustrative rate per $100 |
|---|---|---|
| Estimator who prices jobs from plans and never visits sites | Clerical office employees (code 8810) in many states, though some rule setting groups treat estimating as its own job | $0.20 to $0.40 |
| Estimator who visits sites to measure and bid, but does no work there | The separate category for construction job site salespeople and estimators (code 8720) where the state has it, otherwise the trade category | $0.40 to $1.00 |
| Project manager who visits sites but directs the crew only through a foreman | Construction executive supervisor (code 5606) in many states, otherwise the trade category | $1.00 to $2.50 |
| Superintendent or working foreman who directs the crew on site | The trade category | Often $5 to $20 |
Payroll cannot be divided between the job site estimator category and a construction category at the same site. If the estimator also does or supervises work there, all of his pay for that site goes to the trade category. Outside sales is a different category, for someone who sells and never estimates, and Florida, Massachusetts, Montana, Texas, and Virginia do not have it.
Two cautions. Not every state uses these categories. California, New York, New Jersey, and about a dozen other states run their own rating bureau and their own rules. In North Dakota, Ohio, Washington, and Wyoming the state fund decides the category, and Washington rates by hours worked. The supervisor category is also only for someone with no direct charge of the work.
Does the job title matter, or the duties?
Duties, always. The auditor does not rate the words on the business card. They ask what the person did last month, where, and how often. A "project manager" who spends half the week hanging drywall is a drywaller. Write the job description to match what really happens, because it is checked at the premium audit, the insurer's year end payroll check.
How much does the right category save?
An illustrative example for a project manager earning $95,000 at a roofing contractor. Real figures depend on trade and state.
| Category the payroll is rated under | Illustrative rate per $100 | Yearly premium on $95,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Roofing (the crew's category) | $18.00 | $17,100 |
| Construction executive supervisor | $1.50 | $1,425 |
| Clerical, only if the person never visits sites | $0.30 | $285 |
For an electrician or a plumber the gap is smaller, but still usually a few thousand dollars a year for one salaried person.
What should I do if my project manager is rated in the trade category?
- Write down what they actually do, including how often they are on site and whether they ever perform or supervise the work.
- Keep a site visit log. Dates, sites, purpose, time on site.
- Ask your broker which category your state allows.
- Request the change in writing with the records attached. See how to ask for a review and what records you need.
What this looks like in real life
Illustrative example. It is typical of what we see and is not a promise of how any specific situation would be handled.
The setup: A general contractor in Florida pays a project manager $88,000. He visits three or four sites a week, meets owners and inspectors, and reviews schedules. A working foreman directs each crew. His payroll is rated under carpentry at an illustrative $9 per $100, or $7,920 a year.
What went wrong: The prior broker never asked what he did. The insurer's audit form listed him as "project manager, field," and the auditor kept him in carpentry.
What it cost: The broker sends a one page description of his duties, three months of site visit logs, and the foremen's names, and asks for the construction executive supervisor category at an illustrative $1.60 per $100. His premium drops to about $1,400, a saving of about $6,500.
The fix: Salaried supervisors and estimators are the most common payroll to be rated wrong. Describe the real duties, keep a log, and ask for the category your state allows.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can a project manager or estimator be classified as clerical?
Usually not. Clerical is for people who work only in a separated office and rarely leave it. An estimator or project manager who visits job sites fails that test. They may still fit a cheaper supervisor or estimator category.
Q: What if my estimator does all the takeoffs from the office and never visits a site?
Often yes, if the office is separated from the shop and he never goes to a site. Some states treat estimating as its own category even when it is done at a desk, so ask your broker first, and keep a job description that says the role has no site visits.
Q: What is the difference between a project manager and a foreman for workers comp?
Control of the work. A foreman or superintendent directs the crew on site and is rated in the trade category. A project manager who gives direction only through a foreman may fit a supervisor category.
Q: Can I split my project manager's payroll between office time and field time?
Not with the clerical category. All of that payroll goes to the category where most of his work sits, and to the highest rated one if your records cannot show the hours. Splitting by hours is only for categories properly on your policy.
Q: What records prove my project manager does not do the work?
A written job description, a site visit log with dates and purpose, the names of the foremen who direct each crew, and payroll records showing the salary on its own line.
Q: How much does the wrong category cost me?
The trade rate minus the correct rate, times payroll. For a $95,000 project manager at a roofer that is more than $15,000 a year in the example above.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Matching a salaried estimator, project manager, or superintendent to the category your state allows is part of how we place and service a contractor's workers comp.
- Free contract review. Send us the contract or bid documents and we mark up the insurance section in plain English, whether or not you buy anything from us.
- Free, instant certificates. Clients issue their own certificates of insurance online in about a minute, any hour, any day, at no charge.
- Markets you cannot reach online. One application, shopped across many insurance companies for general liability, workers comp, auto, umbrella, and pollution coverage.
One more thing. This article is general information and is not legal advice or a statement of coverage. Your contract and your policy wording control in every case. Requirements vary by customer, by state, and by insurance company, so have a licensed advisor review your own contract and your own policy before relying on any of it.
Last updated: Reviewed by the Morrow commercial lines team. Last updated September 2026.