Contractor Bonds
Every licensed contractor in California must file a $25,000 CSLB license bond — and public or larger private jobs add bid, performance, and payment bonds on top. We place bonds quickly, often same-day for license bonds, so a missing piece of paper never holds up your license or your bid.
What it covers
- CSLB contractor license bond — the $25,000 bond every CA license requires
- Bond of qualifying individual, when your RMO/RME needs one
- Bid bonds — qualify to bid public and larger private projects
- Performance bonds — guarantee the job gets done per contract
- Payment bonds — guarantee subs and suppliers get paid
- Disciplinary bonds, when the CSLB requires one after enforcement
No bond, no license
The CSLB requires an active $25,000 contractor license bond on file for every licensed contractor in California. If the bond lapses, your license suspends automatically — and working on a suspended license can mean unpaid contracts you can't legally enforce.
Bonding capacity wins bigger work
Public works and increasingly private commercial projects require bid, performance, and payment bonds. Building surety capacity — the amount underwriters will bond you for — is how contractors graduate from small jobs to the profitable ones.
How we make it simple
License bonds are usually same-day: application, credit check, issued, filed. For contract surety we package your financials once and build a bonding relationship that grows with you — so when a bid needs a bond by Friday, the answer is yes.
Contractor Bonds — frequently asked questions
The bond amount is fixed at $25,000 by the CSLB, but you don't pay that — you pay an annual premium that's a small percentage of it, typically determined by your personal credit. Contractors with strong credit often pay a low flat rate for multi-year terms; challenged credit costs more but is still very placeable. We work with surety markets that specialize in California contractors, so we can nearly always find an option — often issued the same day you apply.
Insurance protects you; a bond protects the other party — the state, the project owner, your suppliers — and if the surety pays a claim, you're expected to pay the surety back. A license bond guarantees you'll follow contracting law; a performance bond guarantees you'll finish the job; a payment bond guarantees your subs and suppliers get paid. You need both bonds and insurance, and we place both, which keeps requirements coordinated and renewals simple.
Usually same day. The application is short, approval is typically instant or within hours, and we file with the CSLB electronically. If your license is suspended for a lapsed bond, this is the fastest fix in insurance — call us in the morning and you're commonly reinstated-pending within a business day. Bid and performance bonds take longer because underwriters review financials, so start that conversation before the bid date, not the week of.
Almost always, yes. California's surety market includes carriers that specialize in challenged-credit contractor bonds — you'll pay a higher premium than a contractor with clean credit, but coverage is very placeable and your license stays active. As your credit improves, we re-shop the bond at renewal to bring the premium down. Don't let a credit score keep your license suspended; the cost of not working is far higher than the bond premium.
Ready to quote your contractor bonds coverage?
One conversation and we take it to the market. Big or small… we write them all.