Zenith Insurance Company’s average rate increase by +5.16% — effective 9/1/2026
09/24/2026
Zenith Insurance Company has filed new California workers’ compensation base rates with the California Department of Insurance for policies effective September 1, 2026.
How are average rates changing?
| Issuing Company | Average Rate
9/1/2025 | Average Rate
9/1/2026 | % Change |
|---|
| Zenith Insurance Company | 9.30 | 9.78 | +5.16% |
*Average rate calculation does not include per capita or per race rates (7707 – Firefighters – volunteers, 7722 – Police, Sheriffs – volunteers, or 8278 – Jockeys).
Does the average change apply to every policy?
Not necessarily. A carrier’s average rate change provides useful context, but individual class rates may move differently. The effect on a specific policy depends on the classifications and exposures involved.
The examples below show how some of Zenith Insurance Company’s individual advisory rates are changing compared with the prior policy period.
| Class – Description | Advisory Rate
9/1/2025 | Advisory Rate
9/1/2026 | % Change |
|---|
| 45 - Orchards–nut crops | 9.31 | 10.31 | +10.74% |
| 36 - Dairy Farms | 13.37 | 14.22 | +6.36% |
| 172 - Truck Farms | 7.91 | 8.10 | +2.40% |
| 40 - Vineyards | 8.06 | 7.80 | -3.23% |
| 50 - Farm Machinery Operation | 11.10 | 10.24 | -7.75% |
| 171 - Field Crops | 11.84 | 10.38 | -12.33% |
What does this mean for an individual account?
The average rate increase is only a starting point. To understand the potential effect on a specific policy, review the applicable classifications and compare how those rates changed.
With WorkCompare, users can generate a Pre-Quote Estimate to evaluate how current rate changes may affect potential pricing before formal quotes arrive.