Workers' compensation in Centerville: the Tennessee rules
Whether Tennessee requires workers' comp for your team, what it costs at the 2026 median, and how Centerville businesses get covered the same day.
In Tennessee, workers' compensation is required once a business has 5 or more employees. The 2026 national median cost is $54 a month.
Centerville, Tennessee has about 3,561 residents, and carriers price its businesses on trade, payroll and revenue rather than on the town itself.
Small businesses in Centerville compare against a national median of $45 a month for general liability - $538 a year in 2026 policy data.
In Tennessee, workers' compensation is required once a business has 5 or more employees. Miss the threshold and the penalties in most states are per-employee, per-day - far more than the premium. The median small firm pays about $54 a month, and quoting takes the same ten minutes as GL.
Workers' compensation is the one coverage where Tennessee law, not prudence, sets the floor. In Tennessee, workers' compensation is required once a business has 5 or more employees. The national median cost is $54 a month, but the real driver is payroll and job class - office payroll costs cents per hundred dollars, roofing payroll costs dollars.
What it costs in 2026
| Coverage | Median monthly | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | $45 | Injuries to others and damage to their property |
| Business owner's policy (BOP) | $83 | GL plus your own property and lost income |
| Professional liability (E&O) | $88 | Claims that your work or advice caused a loss |
| Workers' compensation | $54 | Employee injury care and lost wages |
| Commercial umbrella | $86 | Extra limits above your other liability policies |
| Commercial property | $108 | Standalone cover for gear, inventory, premises |
| Cyber insurance | $129 | Data breach response and liability |
See your workers' comp rate for Centerville
These carriers quote small businesses online in about ten minutes. Prices come from the carrier, not from this site.
Disclosure: this is an independent guide. If you start a quote through a link here, the carrier may pay this site a referral fee. That fee never changes the price you are quoted.
When workers' comp pays - and when it will not
Typically covered
- Medical treatment for a work injury, from the ER through rehab
- About two-thirds of lost wages while the employee cannot work
- Disability benefits when an injury is permanent
- Death benefits paid to the family after a fatal accident
- Employer's liability defense if the injured employee sues
Typically not covered
- Injuries while intoxicated or on drugs - routinely denied
- Self-inflicted injuries, or fights the employee started
- The commute to and from work - the going-and-coming rule
- Independent contractors - usually outside the policy, and misclassifying them is a major audit risk
- Injuries outside the scope of the job
Tennessee workers' comp rules
| Requirement | Tennessee rule |
|---|---|
| Employee threshold | Employers outside construction and coal mining must carry workers' comp once they have five or more full- or part-time employees. |
| Construction businesses | Construction employers must cover all employees from the first employee and must also cover themselves; coal mining employers must have coverage with one or more employees. |
| Where to verify | Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance |
Corporate officers and family members meeting the definition of employee count toward the five-employee total even if they decline coverage.
This guide is research, not advice: an independent summary of published data. It is not an insurance company, agency or broker, and it cannot tell you what your business should buy - a licensed agent in Tennessee can.
Getting a Centerville quote
Same-day coverage is standard with online carriers, which matters when a landlord or client contract suddenly demands a certificate of insurance. Quote, buy, and the COI arrives by email - often within the hour.
This guide is research, not advice: an independent summary of published data. It is not an insurance company, agency or broker, and it cannot tell you what your business should buy - a licensed agent in Tennessee can.
Common questions
Are online quotes as accurate as an agent's?
They are built from the same underwriting inputs - trade, payroll, revenue, location, claims. The price is bindable, not an estimate. What an agent adds is judgment on coverage shape, which matters most for unusual or high-risk operations.
What makes premiums go up the most?
Trade risk class, payroll size, revenue, claim history and coverage limits - roughly in that order. A single recent claim can move pricing more than every discount combined, which is why deductible choices matter.
What is the difference between general liability and a BOP?
General liability covers harm you cause to others - injuries and property damage. A business owner's policy (BOP) adds coverage for your own property - gear, inventory, premises - plus business interruption, at a median $83 versus $45 per month.
Is the cheapest business insurance good enough?
Only if the carrier actually pays claims. Before comparing price, check two public numbers: the insurer's AM Best financial strength rating (A- or better) and its complaint index with state regulators (1.0 is average - lower is better). The difference between a good payer and a bad one is usually a few dollars a month; the difference at claim time is everything.
Is business insurance required by law in Tennessee?
Two lines can be legally required: workers' compensation once you reach the state employee threshold, and commercial auto liability for business vehicles. General liability is not state-mandated, but leases and client contracts routinely require it.
See your workers' comp rate for Centerville
These carriers quote small businesses online in about ten minutes. Prices come from the carrier, not from this site.
Disclosure: this is an independent guide. If you start a quote through a link here, the carrier may pay this site a referral fee. That fee never changes the price you are quoted.
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