Contractor bonding resources
Practical guides on getting bonded, pricing premium, and funding the first weeks of a project.
Requesting a bond does not affect your credit.
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Contractor surety bonds explained
What bid, performance, and payment bonds do and how sureties underwrite them.
Read the guideHow much a surety bond costs
What drives contractor bond pricing: contract size, credit, experience, and program.
Read the guideThe SBA Surety Bond Guarantee Program
How a federal guarantee gets small contractors bonded for larger contracts.
Read the guideFunding project mobilization
Covering premiums, materials, rentals, and early payroll before payment arrives.
Read the guideBonding by trade
What underwriting looks for in the trades we bond most often.
General contractors
As the prime contractor you are usually the party named on the bond requirement in the invitation to bid, so a bid bond is due with the proposal and payment and performance bonds are due at award.
See bonding for general contractors
Electrical contractors
On public work the GC usually requires subcontractor payment and performance bonds on electrical scopes above a set dollar threshold, and school, municipal, and federal jobs bond almost every time.
See bonding for electrical contractors
HVAC contractors
Mechanical scopes on public buildings, healthcare, and education work are bonded routinely, and equipment procurement schedules mean the bond is often required earlier than on other trades.
See bonding for HVAC contractors
Plumbing contractors
Public work, hospitals, and multifamily projects commonly require payment and performance bonds on the plumbing scope, and licensing authorities may require separate license bonds.
See bonding for plumbing contractors
Excavation and Site Work contractors
Highway, municipal, and utility owners bond site work almost universally, and many require a bid bond with every proposal regardless of contract size.
See bonding for excavation and site work contractors
Roofing contractors
Public and institutional re roof projects are usually bonded, and manufacturer warranty requirements often sit alongside the surety requirement.
See bonding for roofing contractors
Latest articles
From the CapStream blog.
Bonding basics
How to get bonded as a contractor
Bonding runs on a line of capacity you set up once, then draw from project by project. Here is what that takes.
Read the article
Underwriting
Why surety bond applications get declined
A decline is a statement about the file, not a verdict on the company. Six reasons underwriters say no, and what changes each one.
Read the article
Public projects
When public projects require bonds: the Miller Act and Little Miller Acts
Federal work comes with a bonding requirement written into statute. Here are the thresholds, the amounts, and who can claim.
Read the article
Have a question we have not covered?
The bonding FAQ answers the questions contractors ask us most, and the contact page reaches the underwriting team directly.
Put the guides to work on your next bid
Requesting a bond or loan does not affect your credit.