Arizona Tribune - Lumber Launches Licensed Benefits and Risk Advisory for Construction Employers

PALO ALTO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / August 6, 2026 / Lumber, the AI-powered Construction workforce management platform, today launched Lumber Benefits and Risk, a licensed employee benefits and workforce risk practice delivered in partnership with FIRMA Insurance Solutions and Workforce Junction. The program gives contractors access to health plan strategy, alternative funding, prevailing wage fringe planning, and multistate compliance support through the same platform that already runs their payroll and workforce data.

The launch arrives as employers face another year of steep healthcare cost increases. PwC projects a 9% group medical cost trend for 2027, the highest in 17 years. For contractors, that increase compounds an existing workforce problem: competition for skilled trades keeps intensifying, and benefits remain one of the few costs an employer can still control directly.

"Contractors have been handed the same choice every year: absorb the increase or pass it to the crew," said Shreesha Ramdas, Chief Executive Officer of Lumber. "We already show an employer exactly what labor costs. Helping them lower it is the natural next step. This is the first time a construction workforce platform has put a licensed benefits advisor behind that number."

What the Program Delivers

A captive health program with a written savings guarantee. Qualified employers self-fund with the protection of a written five-year savings guarantee. If an employer does not save against what they would have paid fully insured across five consecutive renewals, the difference is deposited into their claims account, and employers keep 100% of unused captive dollars. Published program results show an average of 25% lower annual healthcare cost than fully insured plans, and the Validation Institute has independently verified that participants pay a lower cost per member per year than they would fully insured. Savings vary by group.

Prevailing wage fringe strategy. Contractors performing public works owe a fringe obligation for every hour worked. Paid in cash, those dollars stay in the payroll base and carry payroll tax and premium load. Directed into bona fide benefit plans instead, the same dollars leave that base and lower total labor cost per hour, which affects every bid a contractor submits.

Cost control and claims transparency. Level-funded options, pharmacy and PBM strategy, dependent eligibility review, and full claims visibility, targeting up to 25% off total cost.

Compliance managed on a calendar. Multistate leave, ACA, ERISA, and COBRA tracked and administered and not discovered at audit.

Support built for field crews. Bilingual enrollment and education in English and Spanish, dedicated benefit support staff, and a full line of medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and voluntary coverage.

"Most contractors have never seen what their health plan actually costs them, because no one has shown them the claims," said Fabiola Jauregui, Founder and Managing Partner of FIRMA Insurance Solutions. "The fringe conversation surprises people most. A contractor paying fringe in cash is paying tax and premium on money that could be buying the crew real benefits. Once a CFO sees that number, the conversation changes."

How the Partnership Works

Lumber owns the client relationship and the platform. FIRMA Insurance Solutions holds the insurance license and delivers advisory work, carrier negotiation, and ongoing service. Workforce Junction provides integrated benefits administration technology, enrollment, and employee support. All client-facing material carries the Powered by FIRMA Insurance Solutions attribution.

Lumber Benefits and Risk is available now to Lumber clients and prospects. Employers may request a no-cost benefits and risk review at firmainsurance.com/contact.

About Lumber

Lumber is an AI-powered construction workforce management platform helping contractors manage payroll, compliance, scheduling, onboarding, time tracking, benefits, and workforce operations. Built for construction, Lumber helps contractors cut administrative burden, improve field productivity, and connect the jobsite to the back office. Learn more at www.lumberfi.com.

About FIRMA Insurance Solutions

FIRMA Insurance Solutions is an employee benefits and workforce risk advisory firm built for construction and labor-intensive employers. FIRMA helps contractors control health costs, meet prevailing wage and leave obligations, and deliver benefits their crews understand, with bilingual enrollment and compliance managed on a calendar. FIRMA Insurance Solutions is a DBA of Innovation Health Consulting LLC. CA License No. 0E59175. Learn more at www.firmainsurance.com

About Workforce Junction

Workforce Junction is an employee benefits administration technology company serving small and midsize employers and the benefit advisors who support them. Through its Benefits Junction platform, the company provides open enrollment and eligibility management, carrier connectivity and EDI, ACA tracking and reporting, compliance support, employee advocacy and communications, data analytics and reporting, and invoice audit and reconciliation. Workforce Junction is led by Chief Executive Officer Mathew Augustine. Learn more at workforcejunction.com

Contact
Sumeetha @ [email protected]

SOURCE: Lumberfi

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