Home / Specialty lines / Surety & contractor bonds
Surety & contractor bonds
Not insurance, exactly. A bond guarantees to someone else that you'll perform — and if you don't, you repay the surety.
Start the surety & contractor bonds application →- What it covers
- License and permit bonds required by a city or the state
- Performance and payment bonds on construction contracts
- Bid bonds
- Notary, title, and court bonds
- What it doesn't cover
- Your own losses — a bond protects the party requiring it, not you
- Anything a liability policy covers
- Typical limits
- Set by whoever requires the bond. Contract bonds are underwritten on your financial statements, working capital, and track record.
- Worth knowing
- Because bonds are underwritten on financials, a clean, well-presented balance sheet directly affects your bonding capacity. That is the part most contractors leave on the table.
Common questions about surety & contractor bonds
What does surety & contractor bonds cover?
License and permit bonds required by a city or the state. Performance and payment bonds on construction contracts. Bid bonds. Notary, title, and court bonds.
What does surety & contractor bonds not cover?
Your own losses — a bond protects the party requiring it, not you. Anything a liability policy covers.
What limits are typical?
Set by whoever requires the bond. Contract bonds are underwritten on your financial statements, working capital, and track record.
What should I watch out for?
Because bonds are underwritten on financials, a clean, well-presented balance sheet directly affects your bonding capacity. That is the part most contractors leave on the table.