Status update, October 21, 2026: The Colorado Division of Insurance scheduled a virtual public hearing on this filing for October 20, 2026. As of October 21, 2026, the Division’s workers’ compensation page lists no Commissioner’s order for the 2027 filing. We will update this post when an order is issued.
NCCI has proposed a 3.9% decrease in Colorado’s average workers’ comp loss costs, effective January 1, 2027. It is a proposal, not a decision: the Colorado Division of Insurance scheduled a public hearing for October 20, 2026, and the Commissioner rules afterward. Even if the filing is approved as proposed, your own premium depends on your class codes, payroll, and claims history, so it can move differently than the statewide average.
Below: what the filing says, how approval works, and what Denver-metro employers should check before the next renewal.
What NCCI Filed and How the Approval Process Works
NCCI, the rating organization that submits Colorado’s advisory loss costs, filed for policies effective January 1, 2027. NCCI’s filing, which the Division of Insurance has placed on file for public inspection, proposes an overall average decrease of 3.9% in voluntary loss costs from the current level.
On September 22, 2026, the Commissioner of Insurance placed the filing on file for public inspection and set a virtual public hearing for October 20, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Under the statute cited in the Division’s hearing notice, C.R.S. 10-4-406, the filing cannot be approved, disapproved, or take effect during its fifteen-day review period except after that hearing. The Commissioner also requested an actuarial review, which the Division posted alongside the filing.
Attendees were required to register to attend, and the notice said they could comment by audio or in writing through Zoom. As a public hearing, it is open to any Colorado employer, Denver-metro businesses included.
After the hearing, the Commissioner issues an order. The notice does not give a date for it; last year the Division announced its approval on November 4.
Why a Lower Average Loss Cost Does Not Guarantee a Lower Premium
A loss cost is the base component insurers typically use to build a workers’ comp rate. It is not the number on your invoice. The proposed 3.9% is an average across every classification code, and an average can hide classifications that move more, less, or in the opposite direction. Your premium also reflects your payroll, your experience modification rate, and the pricing choices of the carrier you buy from.
The Division made the same point when it announced last year’s decrease: even as statewide average loss costs fall, employers may see premiums increase, decrease, or stay the same. For how workers comp fits into your total spend across every line, see our Colorado business insurance costs guide.
How the 2027 Proposal Follows Twelve Straight Years of Decreases
The proposal follows a long run of reductions. In November 2025, the Division announced it had approved a 6.9% decrease in loss costs for 2026, the twelfth straight year of decreases, which brought the cumulative reduction since 2015 to 56.8%.
Here is our own arithmetic, kept separate from the Division’s figures. A 56.8% cumulative reduction means loss costs now sit at 43.2% of their 2015 level. If the proposed 3.9% decrease were approved as filed, that would fall to about 41.5%, roughly a 58.5% cumulative reduction (1 – 0.432 x 0.961). That 58.5% is a BIG calculation, not a Division figure. It assumes the Division’s cumulative number compounds year over year, and it only applies if the Commissioner approves the filing as proposed.
What Colorado Employers Should Do Before the Order and Before Renewal
- Check your renewal date. The proposed effective date is January 1, 2027, so ask your broker whether your renewal falls before or after it, since that is when the proposed loss costs would begin to apply.
- Audit your class codes and payroll split. Loss costs are set class by class, so a miscoded employee can cost you under any filing. Our workers’ comp insurance team can review yours before renewal.
- Review your experience modification worksheet for errors. Mistakes there can carry into future premiums, and our experience modification rate guide shows what to look for.
- Read the Division’s posted filing and actuarial review at doi.colorado.gov to see the proposal for yourself.
- Wait for the Commissioner’s order before budgeting. We will update this post when it is issued.
How the 2027 Proposal Differs by Class Code
The proposed average hides a lot of movement. Using the filing’s class-level loss costs, most of the construction-related classes below would fall, but roofing would rise slightly, which is the point of the caution above: an average does not tell you where your class lands. For a worked example of how class code and payroll turn into premium, see our illustrative 15-employee construction example.
| Class code | Trade | 2026 approved | 2027 proposed | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8810 | Clerical office employees | $0.050 | $0.044 | -12.0% |
| 5183 | Plumbing | $1.717 | $1.678 | -2.3% |
| 5403 | Carpentry, not otherwise classified | $2.322 | $2.208 | -4.9% |
| 5645 | Carpentry, detached one or two family dwellings | $4.595 | $4.257 | -7.4% |
| 5022 | Masonry | $4.862 | $4.823 | -0.8% |
| 5551 | Roofing, all kinds | $5.404 | $5.485 | +1.5% |
Sources: NCCI Proposed Loss Cost Filing for January 1, 2027 (A-sheets, cover letter dated July 30, 2026) and the 2026 filing and Commissioner’s Order, Colorado Division of Insurance, doi.colorado.gov, accessed October 21, 2026. Loss costs are per $100 of payroll and are advisory, not final rates. The change column is our own calculation from the two published figures, not a Division figure. The 2027 figures are proposed and not approved.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did NCCI propose for Colorado workers’ comp loss costs in 2027?
NCCI proposed an overall average decrease of 3.9% in Colorado’s voluntary workers’ comp loss costs, effective January 1, 2027. The Colorado Division of Insurance has not approved it. The Commissioner decides after the October 20, 2026 public hearing, and as of October 21, 2026 no order has been posted.
When was the Colorado public hearing on the 2027 workers’ comp filing?
The Colorado Division of Insurance scheduled a virtual public hearing for October 20, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with comment by audio or in writing through Zoom. The Commissioner rules afterward. As of October 21, 2026, the Division lists no order for the 2027 filing.
Will my Colorado workers’ comp premium go down if the 2027 filing is approved?
Not necessarily. The 3.9% is a statewide average of advisory loss costs, so individual classifications can move more, less, or the other way, and each carrier then applies its own pricing. Your own premium may not track the headline number until you see your renewal quote.
Which Colorado construction classes could change under the 2027 proposal?
In the filing, the proposed loss cost for residential carpentry (class 5645) falls from $4.595 to $4.257 per $100 of payroll, a 7.4% decrease by our calculation, while roofing (class 5551) rises from $5.404 to $5.485, about 1.5%. These are proposed advisory loss costs, not final rates, and your premium also depends on your carrier, experience mod and payroll. Ask your broker to run your own class codes.