Last updated: October 2026. EMR thresholds vary by GC and change annually — verify the specific prequalification form before you bid.
Your experience mod (EMR) does not legally control what a general contractor "lets" you bid, but it functions as a hard gate on most commercial bid packets: a large share of GCs and construction managers set a maximum EMR, commonly 1.00 or 1.25, as a pass/fail prequalification line before your bid is even scored. If your experience mod is above that GC's threshold, your bid is disqualified regardless of price, and no insurance endorsement fixes it. The EMR is a safety-and-loss number issued by a rating bureau, not a coverage term, so it is the one bid-killing figure your COI and endorsements cannot paper over.
TL;DR
- The gate is real but private: each GC sets its own EMR cutoff; 1.00 and 1.25 are the two most common ceilings written into prequalification forms.
- EMR is not insurance, it is a score: 1.00 is the industry average; below 1.00 means fewer-than-expected losses, above 1.00 means more.
- No endorsement saves you: additional insured, waiver of subrogation, and primary and non-contributory fix contract requirements, not your mod.
- It lags 3+ years: your current EMR reflects claims from roughly 1.5 to 3.5 years ago, so today's bid gate is yesterday's loss history.
Methodology: this guide ranks factors by fit — whether your EMR actually clears a given GC's gate — not by reward or incentive. There is nothing to buy here; the EMR is a score issued by a rating bureau, and this page exists to help you read the gate correctly before you spend time on a bid.
Definition: what "experience mod as a bid gate" means
The experience mod (experience modification rate, EMR, or experience modification factor) is a number that compares your workers' comp loss history to other employers in your classification. 1.00 is average. Above 1.00 means you have had more losses than expected and your premium is surcharged; below 1.00 means fewer losses and a credit. The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) explains the mechanics of how the factor is calculated in its experience rating overview (NCCI, "Experience Rating," accessed October 2026).
A general contractor experience mod requirement is the maximum EMR a GC or construction manager will accept from a subcontractor before that sub can bid or be awarded commercial work. It is a prequalification filter, not a line of coverage. It lives on the prequal form, not on your certificate of insurance. The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) treats subcontractor prequalification — including safety and EMR screening — as a standard risk-management practice (AGC of America, Risk Management resources, accessed October 2026).
So the question "does my experience mod change what a GC will let me bid" has a sharp answer: not by law, but functionally yes, because the GC uses your EMR as a gate.
Does my experience mod change what a GC will let me bid?
Functionally, yes, on jobs where the GC sets an EMR threshold to bid commercial work. The two numbers you will see most often on a prequalification exhibit are a maximum EMR of 1.00 (the strict version, meaning "at or better than average") and 1.25 (the common version, allowing some room above average). Public and institutional owners frequently push their GCs to enforce 1.00 or lower. Many state workers' comp boards publish their own overviews of how experience modification works in their jurisdiction; for example, the New York State Workers' Compensation Board describes how employer loss experience feeds premium calculation (NYS WCB, Employer Handbook, accessed October 2026).
Here is what that means in practice:
- Below the GC's ceiling: you clear the gate and your bid gets scored on price and scope like everyone else's.
- At the ceiling: you usually clear, but some portals round or require the exact ModMaster or rating-bureau worksheet showing the governing factor.
- Above the ceiling: your bid is disqualified at the prequalification stage. The GC removes you from the scoring pool before price is ever considered, and no certificate of insurance, additional-insured endorsement, or waiver of subrogation will reinstate you — because the problem is your loss-history score, not your coverage.
Before you bid: an honesty note
EMR thresholds are not standardized. One GC may cap at 1.00, another at 1.25, and a third may waive the ceiling for specialty trades or small-dollar scopes. The number can also change each annual rating cycle, so an EMR that cleared a gate last year may not clear it today. Always pull the specific GC's prequalification form and confirm the current threshold — and your current governing mod — before investing time in a bid. Don't assume your last-known number still applies.
FAQ
Can an endorsement lower my EMR for a bid? No. Additional insured, waiver of subrogation, and primary and non-contributory are contract-coverage terms. Your EMR is a loss-experience score from a rating bureau; endorsements cannot change it.
What EMR do most GCs require? The two most common ceilings written into prequalification forms are 1.00 and 1.25. Public and institutional work often enforces 1.00 or lower.
Why does my EMR reflect old claims? Experience rating uses a multi-year window that excludes the most recent policy period, so your current mod reflects losses from roughly 1.5 to 3.5 years ago.
Where do I find my governing mod for a bid? Request the current rating worksheet from your workers' comp carrier or rating bureau; that worksheet, not your certificate of insurance, is what GCs accept as proof.