Class Code 6325
Conduit Construction Or Underground Wiring
Class Code 6325 covers installation, repair and related work for conduit systems and underground wiring in California. The approved pure premium rate for 9/1/2026 is $3.793 per $100 of payroll — an important baseline for estimating your workers' comp exposure when employees do trenching, directional boring, vault work and conduit pulls.
What Class Code 6325 Covers
This classification applies to hands-on construction and installation of conduit, ducts, manholes, handholes and underground electrical or communications wiring, including trenching, boring, pulling and splicing inside conduit systems. It includes work where crews excavate, install conduit or duct banks, set vaults, pull cable through conduit, backfill and compact, and test or energize circuits when performed as part of the conduit/underground wiring operation. Equipment commonly used under this code includes excavators, trenchers, directional drills, vacuum excavators, cable reels and winches. Routine site tasks such as locating utilities, temporary de-energizing, and installation of warning tape or concrete encasement are part of this work when integral to conduit/underground wiring operations.
Who It Applies To
- Electrical contractors specializing in underground conduit and feeder installation
- Telecommunications and fiber-optic installers doing buried conduit and pulls
- Utility contractors installing duct banks, manholes and handholes
- Directional boring and horizontal drilling subcontractors for underground cable
- Municipal public works crews performing underground wiring or conduit work
Common Job Duties
- Excavating trenches and using directional boring to create conduit runs
- Installing conduit, duct banks, manholes/handholes and concrete encasement
- Pulling, lubricating and dressing cables through conduit and terminating/splicing
- Backfilling, compaction, and restoring pavement or landscape after installation
- Operating trenchers, excavators, boring machines, vacuum excavators and cable reels
- Testing continuity and insulation and coordinating temporary de-energized work
Common Injury Risks
Understanding the $3.793 Rate
The pure premium rate of $3.793 per $100 of payroll is the estimated cost of expected losses for this class before insurer expenses and adjustments. To calculate the pure premium, multiply payroll (divided by 100) by 3.793; insurers then apply their loss cost multiplier, policy premiums, credits/debits, and your experience modification factor (X-mod). Final premium is influenced by your payroll accuracy by class, loss history, deductible selection, policy limits and any state or carrier adjustments.
Cal/OSHA Compliance Requirements
Cal/OSHA requires competent-person oversight of trenching/excavation operations and implementation of protective systems (shoring/sloping/benching) to prevent cave-ins; trenches must have secure access/egress and spoil placed clear of edges. Underground work must comply with electrical safety rules for lockout/tagout and qualified person requirements when de-energizing or working near live conductors; employers must call the one-call utility notification system (811) before digging and follow confined-space entry procedures and atmospheric testing before entry into vaults or manholes.
How Key HR Helps Employers Under Class Code 6325
As a PEO, Key HR can reduce workers' comp cost drivers for conduits and underground wiring crews by ensuring correct class coding and payroll allocation, administering claims and return-to-work programs, and delivering targeted safety training (trenching/competent person, confined-space entry, cable-pull ergonomics). We also help track subcontractor insurance and certificates, run loss-run analyses to lower your experience modification, and implement jobsite audits and toolbox talks tied to the specific hazards of underground electrical work.
Get a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Does installing conduit beneath a slab count under class code 6325 or another code?
If the primary operation is installing conduit or underground wiring (including under slabs) and the crew performs the excavation, conduit placement and pulling of cable, it belongs in 6325. If the activity is predominantly concrete work or general building slab construction performed by a concrete crew, that portion should be coded to the concrete or building class. Separate payrolls should be allocated when trades are distinct.
How can I lower workers' comp premiums for underground wiring crews?
Focus on preventing high-severity losses: enforce competent-person trenching programs, pre-job utility locates (811), confined-space procedures for vaults, GFCI use on portable equipment, qualified-person electrical protocols, and documented return-to-work plans. Improving loss history reduces your experience modification factor, which has a direct impact on premium.
Do subcontractors working on conduit need to be listed separately?
Yes — you should obtain certificates of insurance from subcontractors and ensure their payroll is not incorrectly reported under your policy. If you control the subcontractor's day-to-day operations, payroll reporting rules vary; Key HR can advise on proper reporting and help verify subcontractor coverage to avoid misclassification and premium exposure.
Quick Facts
- Class Code
- 6325
- Classification
- Conduit Construction Or Underground Wiring
- Pure Premium Rate
- $3.793 / $100 payroll
- Effective Date
- September 1, 2026
- Source
- WCIRB Approved Filing
Manage Workers' Comp Through a PEO
Key HR provides pay-as-you-go workers' comp for California employers — no large deposits, no audits, better rates.
Get a Quoteor call (800) 922-4133Ready to Simplify Workers' Comp for Class Code 6325?
Key HR provides California employers with pay-as-you-go workers' comp, HR compliance support, and payroll — all through one PEO partnership.