Columbus construction companies: keep crews covered without renewal whiplash
You bid jobs on labor cost, but your health plan won't hold still: renewals jump, and when headcount swings between seasons, group-plan participation rules put the whole plan at risk. Meanwhile, in Franklin County the same tier of coverage costs an estimated $484–$885/mo per employee less on the individual market than on the small group market (2026 plan year).
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Big workforce, benefits built for someone else
Franklin County has 36,711 private construction employees across 2,353 establishments, at an average weekly wage of $1,657 (BLS QCEW, 2024 Q2). That's skilled-trade pay — and skilled-trade recruiting now expects real benefits on top of it. But the standard small group plan was designed for a steady office headcount, not a contractor whose W-2 crew flexes with the job calendar and works alongside subs who were never on the plan to begin with. Every season the roster moves, participation percentages move with it, and every renewal the price moves too.
And renewals don't wait for a convenient moment. If your plan renews before bid season, this year's increase is baked into every number you quote for the next twelve months — which is why the time to price the alternative is before the renewal letter arrives, not after you've signed it.
The Franklin County 2026 gap: small group vs individual, same tier, same age
Lowest-cost plan on each market. Plan year 2026 on both sides. Estimates — your crew's ages set your actual numbers.
| Tier / age | Small group | Individual | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze, age 27 | $810/mo | $326/mo | $484/mo |
| Silver, age 27 | $872/mo | $352/mo | $520/mo |
| Gold, age 27 | $933/mo | $436/mo | $498/mo |
| Bronze, age 50 | $1381/mo | $555/mo | $825/mo |
| Silver, age 50 | $1486/mo | $600/mo | $885/mo |
| Gold, age 50 | $1591/mo | $743/mo | $848/mo |
This is where the mechanism comes in: an ICHRA (Individual Coverage HRA) lets you fund a fixed tax-free monthly allowance per employee toward their own ACA marketplace plan instead of buying one group policy — so a gap like Franklin County's becomes budget your company may be able to capture. Companies like yours could see savings; not every company will, and the estimate above is county-level, not a quote.
Estimates from CMS Marketplace Public Use Files (individual) and Ideon (small group), plan year 2026, Franklin County OH. Both sides always the same plan year. Not a quote; actual costs depend on census and plan selection.
Illustration: a 45-person Columbus contractor
Say you run a 45-person crew and contribute $600/mo per employee — about $324,000 a year in benefit spend. Franklin County's 2026 per-employee difference is an estimated $484–$885/mo, but savings are capped by what you actually contribute — you can't capture more than the $600 you put in. At $484–$600/mo per employee, the estimated annual opportunity runs $261,360–$324,000 — money that flows straight into how competitively you can bid the next job.
Illustrative estimate based on county-level 2026 market data — not a quote or guarantee. Actual results depend on your employee census, ages, family composition, plan design, and contribution strategy.
Our promise: we run your real census against real county rates, free. If the numbers don't work for your company, we tell you to keep your group plan. About a third of the companies we analyze should.
Why a fixed allowance fits how contractors actually operate
Headcount flexes, no participation cliff
Group plans can require a minimum share of eligible employees to enroll — a threshold seasonal swings routinely break. An allowance is funded per enrolled employee, so a lean winter roster doesn't threaten anyone's coverage.
Coverage follows the worker
Trades workers change employers with the work. An employee who owns their individual plan keeps the same doctors and coverage across job changes — a real recruiting line when you're competing for skilled labor.
A per-head number you can bid with
You set the monthly allowance, so the benefit cost per W-2 employee is fixed and known when you price a job — no more absorbing a surprise renewal in the middle of a fixed-bid contract.
Columbus construction employer FAQs
How do construction companies in Ohio offer health insurance to employees?
Most Columbus-area contractors either buy a small group plan or offer nothing. Group plans are the pain point: in Franklin County, the lowest-cost small group plan runs an estimated $810–$1,591 per employee per month by tier and age (2026 plan year), and participation requirements punish the seasonal headcount swings normal in construction. A growing alternative is a fixed monthly allowance (an ICHRA — Individual Coverage HRA) that employees use to buy their own ACA marketplace plan, where Franklin County's comparable individual plans run an estimated $326–$743/mo.
How much does health insurance cost per employee for a construction company?
In Franklin County for plan year 2026, the lowest-cost small group plan runs an estimated $810–$1,591 per employee per month depending on metal tier and age, while the lowest-cost individual-market plan for the same tier and age runs an estimated $326–$743. The difference — an estimated $484–$885 per employee per month — is what a fixed-allowance strategy may capture, capped by what you actually contribute. Actual costs depend on your crew's ages and the plan design.
What benefits help construction companies recruit skilled trades workers?
Real health coverage is near the top of the list. Franklin County construction pays an average of $1,657 a week (BLS QCEW, 2024 Q2) — skilled-trade wages competitive enough that benefits often decide the offer. A defined monthly health allowance is easy to state in a job ad ("$600/mo toward your health plan"), moves with the employee across projects, and doesn't depend on hitting group-plan participation minimums.
What happens to a group health plan when construction headcount drops in the off-season?
Small group plans typically carry minimum-participation requirements — a minimum share of eligible employees. When crews shrink in winter or between jobs, a contractor can fall below the threshold and risk losing the plan at renewal. A fixed-allowance (ICHRA) approach has no participation cliff: the employer funds an allowance per enrolled employee, and headcount can flex without endangering anyone else's coverage.
Where does this Franklin County construction data come from?
Employment figures (36,711 private construction employees, 2,353 establishments, $1,657 average weekly wage) are from the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Franklin County OH, 2024 Q2. Individual-market premiums are from the CMS Marketplace Public Use Files for plan year 2026; small group benchmarks are from Ideon for the same tier, age, county, and plan year. Figures are estimates, never mixed across plan years.
Methodology: Individual-market premiums are the lowest-cost plan by metal tier and age from the CMS Marketplace Public Use Files, plan year 2026. Small group premiums are the lowest-cost plan for the same tier, age, and county from Ideon. Both sides of every comparison use the same plan year (2026); figures are estimates and no individual employer outcome is implied. Construction employment statistics (NAICS 23 employment, establishments, and average weekly wage): BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Franklin County OH, 2024 Q2.
Last updated: August 16, 2026 · Plan-year 2026 data, same year both markets. Sources: CMS Marketplace Public Use Files (individual market) · Ideon (small group) · BLS QCEW 2024 Q2 (employment).
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Employment context: BLS QCEW 2024 Q2, Franklin County OH. Rate data: CMS Marketplace PUF + Ideon, plan year 2026, same plan year on both sides.
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