Georgia workers' comp · owners with no employees
Ghost Policy in Georgia: Workers' Comp for Owners With No Employees
A Georgia ghost policy is a minimum-premium workers' comp policy for roofers, painters, and one-person LLCs and sole proprietors with no employees: it gets you the certificate a general contractor asks for, but the owner is usually excluded, so it generally pays nothing if you are hurt. Quinn Alliance LLC writes ghost policies for contractors in Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Cherokee, Paulding, Douglas, and Forsyth counties, with online quotes for eligible trades anywhere in Georgia; call (470) 648-6767.
By Frank Quinn, Principal Agent, GA License #244699 · Updated October 2026. Ready to call? See who to call for a Georgia ghost policy.
- Work alone
- No employees
- No subcontractors
- GA License #244699
- Licensed Georgia agency
- Online quotes for eligible trades
Start your ghost policy quote.
Or talk with us to tailor the coverage that fits your operations.
What does your business do?
What coverage are you after?
Pick the closest match.
How is the work performed?
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What kind of handyman work do you do?
Which best describes the work?
What kind of tree work?
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One question about your subs
Roughly what share of your work is subcontracted to 1099 crews?
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Also need Workers' Comp?
Here's your next step
Based on your trade and answers, your next step is the carrier's secure online application. It takes about 10 minutes. Quinn Alliance is your agent of record on the policy.
We place your policy with a carrier that fits your business, and we stay your agent for the life of it. That means:
- Access to multiple carriers to compare options for your operations.
- Claims experience on your side if you ever have a claim.
- Risk management and accounting experience reviewing how the policy fits the way your business runs.
- Certificates and service through the Quinn Alliance client portal after you bind.
If anything changes, or you'd rather we handle it for you: call (470) 648-6767 or have us reach out.
Thank you. A licensed agent has your details.
Your trade goes to a licensed agent for review instead of an online quote. We typically follow up the same day.
The short version
- A ghost policy is a workers' comp policy for a business with no employees. The owner is usually excluded, so it generally pays nothing if the owner is hurt.
- Its job is to produce the certificate of insurance (COI) a general contractor requires, not to protect you.
- It is priced on an "if any" payroll basis, so it usually sits at the carrier's minimum premium.
- If you pay subcontractors who have no workers' comp of their own, the year-end audit can charge their pay to your policy.
- The day you put someone on payroll, you have generally outgrown a ghost policy.
How it works
- Answer a few questions
Tell us your trade and how the work gets done: alone, with subs, or with employees.
- We match the quote path
Eligible solo trades can quote online. Roofing, tree work and owners who sub out work go to a licensed agent for review.
- Certificate after binding
Once the policy binds, the certificate gets emailed to you and certificate holders can be added by your agency, Quinn Alliance.
Do you even need workers' comp in Georgia?
Georgia requires workers' comp once a business regularly employs three or more people, part-time or full-time. Exempted corporate officers and LLC members still count toward those three. A contractor can also be liable for a subcontractor's injured workers if that sub had no coverage (O.C.G.A. 34-9-2 and 34-9-8).
So a true one-person operation often is not required by the state to carry it. You buy a ghost policy because the general contractor hiring you requires the certificate, and a handshake will not get you on the site. How you are organized (sole proprietor, LLC, corporation) and how your workers are classified can change the answer, so confirm it for your own operation.
What a ghost policy actually is
A ghost policy exists to satisfy a certificate requirement. Because the owner is excluded, an injured owner generally collects nothing from it. Some owners choose to be included instead so they are actually covered. That is a different policy, rated on payroll, and it costs more.
People also call it an "if any" policy, because it covers payroll "if any" turns up at audit. It produces a certificate the contractor can keep on file, written assuming little or no payroll, so the premium stays at the carrier's minimum.
Why contractors insist on the certificate, and how the audit works
At audit, your carrier looks for proof that every subcontractor you paid had workers' comp while you paid them. Without that proof, the carrier can charge for that sub's work on your policy. Georgia's insurance department warns about exactly this and recommends verifying coverage, not just collecting a certificate.
For a sub's certificate to protect you at audit, it generally has to pass three tests:
1. It shows workers' comp, not just general liability
A general liability certificate does nothing for the workers' comp audit.
2. It covers the whole time you paid them
If the sub's policy lapsed while you kept paying, that gap can be charged to you.
3. You can produce it at audit
The audit works off what is documented. A missing certificate can cost the same as missing coverage.
Tip: you can confirm a sub's Georgia workers' comp coverage through the State Board's online coverage verification, and register to be notified if that policy cancels.
Does a ghost policy fit you or your business?
A ghost policy fits when
- You are a true one-person operation.
- You or the owners sub all work to subs who carry their own workers' comp.
- You only need to prove coverage to a contractor.
It is the wrong tool when
- You have anyone on payroll, even part-time or seasonal.
- You pay day labor or uninsured subs you cannot get a certificate from.
- You want yourself covered if you are injured.
In the payroll and uninsured-help cases, the carrier can find that exposure at the year-end audit and bill you for it after the job is done.
Georgia ghost policy cost by trade
Short answer: recent Georgia ghost policy quotes in our files ran from $1,075 to $1,626 for one year (September and October 2026). A pressure washer that private carriers declined paid $1,620 in Georgia's assigned risk plan. Roofing and tree work are quoted case by case by a licensed agent.
A ghost policy usually lands at the carrier's minimum premium because there is little or no payroll to rate. Your trade, how the carrier classifies your work, extras your contractor requires, and the carrier itself move that minimum. Any figure is an estimate until the carrier reviews the application.
How workers' comp is rated
Payroll÷100×Class rate
Subject to the carrier's minimum premium. With little or no payroll, a ghost policy usually sits at that minimum.
Real Georgia ghost policy quotes, September to October 2026Owner excluded, no employees. One-year totals as quoted by the carrier, wholesaler or assigned risk plan. Names removed.
| Trade (class code) | How it was quoted | One-year total |
|---|---|---|
| Drywall installer, works alone (5445) | Online owner-excluded program Pay in full | $1,100$1,000 premium + $100 loss control fee |
| Same drywall business (5445) | Wholesale carrier, agent-placed Monthly plan available | $1,120Includes carrier charges and a $250 wholesale broker fee |
| Flooring installer (5478) | Wholesale carrier, after the online program declined over signs of helpers Agent-placed | $1,120$610 premium + $260 carrier charges + $250 broker fee |
| Residential remodeler, carpentry and finish work (5645 and related classes) | Wholesale carrier, $500,000 employer's liability limits Agent-placed | $1,075$565 premium + $260 carrier charges + $250 broker fee |
| Interior trim and cabinet contractor using insured subs (5437, 5645) | Wholesale carrier, with a blanket waiver of subrogation Agent-placed | $1,620$1,110 premium (includes $500 for the blanket waiver) + $260 + $250 |
| Painting contractor, interior and exterior (5474) | Wholesale carrier, after another carrier declined the exterior work Agent-placed | $1,626$1,116 premium + $260 carrier charges + $250 broker fee |
| Pressure washer who also washes roofs (assigned risk class 9014) | Georgia assigned risk plan (NCCI), after the online program and a wholesale carrier declined Assigned risk | $1,620$1,460 premium with $1M employer's liability + $160 expense constant. Paid in full. |
| Roofing (5551) and tree service (0106) | Licensed agent review only. Not eligible in the online program we use. | Case by caseCall (470) 648-6767 |
Totals include premium, carrier expense constants and state charges, and any wholesale broker fee shown on the quote. Card processing fees and monthly installment fees (up to $15 per installment on the wholesale quotes above) are extra. Quinn Alliance's agency service fee, when one applies, is shown separately and disclosed in writing before you buy. Pricing varies with factors specific to each application, and carrier rates can change. These are past quotes for other businesses, not a quote for yours. Every quote is subject to the carrier's underwriting review and to policy terms, conditions and exclusions.
Why one flat price may not fit roofing, tree or exterior work
Some websites advertise a single flat Georgia price, such as $958. Flat-price programs usually require no employees, no subcontractors and no payroll, and some bundle a separate accident policy. Before you pay, ask whether your trade and your actual work are eligible.
Our own September 2026 files show why. After review, the online program declined three applicants: a flooring installer (signs of helpers), a communications installer (work at height) and a pressure washer who also washed roofs. The pressure washer had a $1,100 online quote and paid it, then the carrier declined after reviewing the roof washing and refunded it. The policy that actually issued was $1,620 in the assigned risk plan. A low number only helps if the carrier accepts how you really work.
What moves a ghost policy price
- Class codeEach class has its own rate and minimum. Roofing, tree and exterior work often need agent review or a different market.
- Contract extrasA blanket waiver of subrogation added $500 of premium on one quote above.
- LimitsEmployer's liability limits change the premium.
- SubsInsured subs only. Uninsured subs can be charged at audit.
- Payment planPay in full, or monthly with installment fees.
- Carrier reviewRoof work, height and helpers can trigger a decline after you apply.
The expensive part is the audit, not the up-front premium. Put real wages or uninsured subs through an "if any" policy and the audit can rate that pay at your class rate. The owner is usually excluded, so a ghost policy generally pays nothing if the owner is hurt. Getting the classification right and keeping sub certificates clean from day one is what protects your wallet. We shop multiple carriers so the policy fits how you actually work.
Start my quoteWhen you outgrow it
You have generally outgrown a ghost policy when you put your first person on payroll, when you regularly pay help you cannot get a certificate from, or when a contract requires coverage on you personally. Make that switch on purpose, before the audit makes it for you.
Ready to quote? GhostPolicyNow.com is our dedicated Georgia ghost policy resource, with an online quote path for owner-only businesses.
Coverage by trade
Common questions
How much does a ghost policy cost in Georgia?
Recent Georgia ghost policy quotes in our files (September and October 2026) ran from $1,075 to $1,626 for one year, including carrier charges and any wholesale broker fee. A pressure washer that private carriers declined paid $1,620 in Georgia's assigned risk plan. Your class code, the carrier's minimum premium, fees, extras like a blanket waiver, and whether the carrier accepts your actual work set the price. The owner is usually excluded, and the audit can charge for uninsured subs.
Is there a cheap ghost policy in Georgia?
The floor is the carrier's minimum premium for your class code, plus carrier fees and any broker fee. Our lowest recent quotes were $1,075 to $1,120 for one year for interior trades like drywall, flooring and residential remodeling. Roofing, tree work, roof washing and work at height often do not qualify for low-priced online programs. The lowest quote only helps if the carrier accepts how you really work. Misstating employees or subs can lead to audit charges or cancellation.
Does a ghost policy cover me if I get hurt?
Generally no. The owner is usually excluded, so there is typically no benefit to you if you are injured. It exists to satisfy a certificate requirement. If you want coverage for yourself, that is a different policy rated on payroll.
Is workers' comp required for a one-person business in Georgia?
Georgia requires workers' comp once a business regularly employs three or more people, part-time or full-time. A true one-person operation often is not required to carry it. Most solo operators buy a ghost policy because a general contractor requires the certificate, not because the state does.
Do LLC members and corporate officers count toward Georgia's three-employee rule?
Yes. According to the State Board of Workers' Compensation, exempted corporate officers and exempted LLC members do not reduce the employee count. If your LLC has several members plus one helper, check the count before assuming you are exempt.
Why did my audit charge me for subcontractors?
Your carrier could not confirm those subs had their own workers' comp for the time you paid them, so it charged for their work on your policy. Collect a workers' comp certificate from every sub, check the dates, keep copies, and verify coverage through the State Board's lookup.
Do my subs' certificates have to show workers' comp specifically?
Yes. A certificate that only lists general liability generally does nothing for the workers' comp audit. It needs to show the sub's workers' comp coverage for the period you paid them.
Can I add employees to a ghost policy later?
Once you put real payroll through the business, a ghost policy no longer fits and the audit will rate that payroll. At that point you move to a standard workers' comp policy rated on real wages. Call before you hire and make the switch on purpose.
Sources: O.C.G.A. 34-9-2 · O.C.G.A. 34-9-8 · Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation, Employer Information · Georgia OCI, How to Verify Workers Compensation Coverage and Avoid Audit Surprises
General information for Georgia businesses, not insurance, legal or tax advice. Whether workers' comp is required for your business, and how a policy or audit treats your situation, depends on your facts and the carrier. All coverage is subject to carrier underwriting, terms and eligibility.
“Awesome experience very detailed oriented caring and spent all evening going over options that benefits my buiseness.”
Bobby W.Business ownerGoogle review · Sep 2026 “I wish I could leave 10 stars. … So I searched and found Quinn Alliance. They took care of us quickly…”
Kay AreClientGoogle review · Sep 2026 “Frank took the time to actually listen to the type of handyman and exterior work I perform, understand the specific coverage I needed, and shop multiple carriers to find the best fit for my business.”
Ryan GHandyman & exterior workGoogle review · Sep 2026
Excerpts from public Google reviews of Quinn Alliance, shortened for length and not reworded. No review was paid for or rewarded. Reviews describe individual experiences; coverage and pricing depend on carrier underwriting and policy terms.