Fort Myers Contractor Insurance Audit Help: WC & GL Defense

Fort Myers and Lee County have been at the epicenter of Florida\u2019s construction activity since Hurricane Ian made landfall in September 2022. The rebuild effort has brought billions of dollars in construction work to the region — and with it, a dramatic increase in insurance audit activity. Carriers are auditing Fort Myers contractors more frequently, more aggressively, and with larger premium demands than at any point in recent memory.

Hurricane Rebuild Work and Insurance Audit Risk

The post-Ian rebuild created a unique insurance audit environment for Fort Myers contractors. Many contractors took on significantly more work than in prior years, hired additional subcontractors on short notice, and worked across multiple counties simultaneously. All of these factors increase audit risk: higher payroll means larger auditable bases, quickly-hired subs often lack proper COI documentation, and multi-county work creates classification disputes. Carriers auditing Fort Myers contractors in 2023–2026 are finding large discrepancies between estimated and actual payroll — and billing accordingly.

Common WC Audit Overcharges in Lee County

The most common workers\u2019 comp audit overcharge we see for Fort Myers contractors is the failure to properly document subcontractor COIs during the rapid-hire environment of the rebuild. When a contractor hired 10 new subs in a single month to meet rebuild demand, COI collection was often an afterthought. At audit time, carriers find missing COIs and add every one of those sub payrolls to the auditable base. For a contractor who paid $500,000 to uninsured subs (even if those subs actually had coverage — just missing COIs), the additional premium can be $30,000–$80,000.

GL Audit Issues for Fort Myers Rebuild Contractors

Fort Myers contractors doing storm damage repair and rebuild work face a specific GL audit challenge: carriers often apply higher-rated class codes for \u201cstorm work\u201d even when the actual work performed is standard residential construction. Roofing, siding, and structural repair work should be classified at standard residential rates, but carriers frequently apply catastrophe or emergency response rates that are significantly higher. Audit Monkey disputes these misclassifications and ensures Fort Myers contractors are audited at the correct rates for the work actually performed.

Get Help with Your Fort Myers Insurance Audit

If you\u2019re a Fort Myers or Lee County contractor who has received a large WC or GL audit bill — especially related to rebuild work — contact Audit Monkey for a free review. We understand the unique audit environment created by the post-Ian rebuild and know exactly how to dispute the overcharges that carriers are applying to Southwest Florida contractors.