What code 5651 covers
Typical duties
- Framing walls, floors and roof systems on two- and three-story apartment buildings
- Setting trusses and sheathing roof decks on townhome rows
- Installing light-gauge steel interior framing on these dwellings
- Hanging doors and windows and building stairs in each unit
- Installing vinyl or aluminum siding on multi-unit dwellings
- Building the detached garages and carports that go with the project
Operations included
- Carpentry on buildings designed mainly for multiple dwelling occupancy, three stories or less
- Garages built in connection with those dwellings
- Light-gauge steel interior framing by carpentry contractors on these dwellings
- Aluminum or vinyl siding on dwellings three stories or less
- When the same contractor does all of the carpentry, the full scope from sill to trim, including roofing, wallboard, siding and cabinets
What code 5651 does not cover
- Carpentry on detached private homes for one or two families: Code 5645
- Buildings over three stories, mixed-use and commercial carpentry: Code 5403
- Cabinet and interior trim installers who do no other carpentry on the job: Code 5437
- Concrete and masonry work on the project: the concrete or masonry codes
Code 5651 rate and cost context
5651 was $7.68 on the 2022 FWCJUA table and is $4.886 for 2026.
Because NCCI retired 5651 in most states, a quote built from another state’s code list may show Florida apartment framing as 5645 or 5403. Florida still lists 5651 on its 2026 rate pages, so ask for it by number when the work is multi-unit and three stories or less.
| Year | Rate per $100 |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $7.68 |
| 2023 | $6.72 |
| 2024 | $5.87 |
| 2025 | $5.24 |
| 2026 | $4.886 |
If you are placed in the FWCJUA
Florida’s residual market charges the voluntary rate plus a surcharge on the voluntary premium: 93% in Tier 1 and 183% in Tiers 2 and 3 for 2026. On this code that works out to about $9.43 (Tier 1) or $13.83 (Tiers 2–3) per $100 of payroll before any experience mod.
Example: estimating code 5651 premium
A framing contractor building a three-story apartment complex reports this payroll in 5651.
| Annual payroll in this code | $520,000 |
| Voluntary-market premium (rate × payroll ÷ 100) | $25,407 |
| FWCJUA Tier 1 (with 93% surcharge) | $49,036 |
| FWCJUA Tiers 2–3 (with 183% surcharge) | $71,902 |
Example only. Assumes no experience modification, schedule credits, expense constant or taxes. Minimum premium applies if the result is lower ($649 / FWCJUA $2,900).
Misclassification pitfalls for code 5651
Using 5645 for apartment buildings
Code 5645 is for private dwellings for one or two families. Garden apartments, multi-unit townhome buildings and small condo buildings are 5651 in Florida.
Projects with a fourth story
Once a residential building is over three stories, or is mixed-use, carpentry falls under 5403. Check the building height and use on each project before you report the payroll.
Splitting out trim and cabinets
If your crews do any other carpentry on the same job, cabinet and trim work stays in 5651. Code 5437 is only for specialists who do nothing else on the job.
Framing subs without certificates
Multi-unit framing is often subbed by the building. Florida requires coverage from the first employee in construction, and section 440.10 makes the contractor responsible for an uninsured sub’s workers.
Codes that sit next to 5651
- Code 5645: for carpentry on detached one- or two-family dwellings.
- Code 5403: for carpentry NOC, including buildings over three stories and commercial work.
- Code 5437: for specialist cabinet and interior trim installers.
- Code 5445: for wallboard installation within buildings by a drywall contractor.
- Code 5551: for roofing by a roofing contractor.
Payroll and audit notes for code 5651
Payroll in 5651 includes framers, carpenters, siding installers, laborers who stage material and drivers.
Keep a project list with the number of stories and the building type. It is the first thing an auditor checks for this code.
Collect a certificate of insurance or exemption certificate from every framing sub.
Who usually reports code 5651
- Apartment and townhome framing contractors
- Multi-unit residential carpentry subcontractors
- Siding contractors on apartment and townhome projects
- Carpenters building garages for apartment complexes
Code 5651 questions
What is class code 5651?
It is carpentry on dwellings three stories or less designed for multiple dwelling occupancy, such as apartments. Florida’s 2026 rate is $4.886 per $100 of payroll.
Is 5651 still used in Florida?
Yes. NCCI replaced 5651 with 5645 in most states, but Florida’s 2026 rate pages still list 5651 with its own rate.
What is the difference between 5645 and 5651?
5645 is carpentry on detached one- or two-family homes. 5651 is carpentry on multi-unit dwellings three stories or less.
What code is apartment framing over three stories?
Carpentry on buildings over three stories, or mixed-use buildings, is Code 5403.
What is the minimum premium for 5651?
For 2026 it is $649 in the voluntary market and $2,900 in the FWCJUA.
Sources
- NCCI: Summary of the Florida Workers Compensation Rate Filing Recommendation Effective January 1, 2026
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation: Commissioner approves 6.9% workers’ compensation rate decrease effective January 1, 2026 (Nov. 17, 2025)
- Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association (FWCJUA): Rates (2022–2026 rate tables and minimum premiums)
- FWCJUA: Bulletins (Bulletin 25-9: 2026 Tier 1, 2 and 3 surcharges)
- NCCI Scopes Manual: National Scopes, Code 5651 (Carpentry—Dwellings—Three Stories or Less)
- NCCI Scopes Manual: National Scopes, Code 5645 (Carpentry—Detached One or Two Family Dwellings)
- Florida Administrative Code: Rule 69L-6.021 — Construction Industry Classification Codes, Descriptions, and Operations Scope of Exemption
- Florida Statutes: Section 440.10 — Liability for compensation (contractors and subcontractors)
Facts checked October 19, 2026.