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Contractor license bonds

Your contractor bond, without the long application

Washington contractors need a bond on file with L&I to register, renew or hold an electrical or plumbing license. Tell us which one and where to send it. Most standard license bonds are quoted the same business day.

Start the 2-minute form Call (800) 800-9644

No financial statements needed for standard license bonds

About 2 minutes

Tell us which bond you need

Two short steps. You don't need financial statements or a work-in-progress schedule for a standard license bond.

  • New registrations, renewals and replacement bonds
  • Bonds sized to L&I's current amounts
  • Bond pricing based mainly on the owner's credit

Bidding a job or signed a contract that needs a bid, performance or payment bond? Use the full surety bond request instead. Those need more underwriting.

Step 1 of 2

The bond

Pick the bond L&I or the agency is asking for. Not sure? Choose that and we will sort it out.

Which bond do you need?
What's happening?
Only if L&I or the agency asked for a non-standard amount.
Leave blank if you're registering for the first time.
Bond pricing is based mostly on the owner's credit. A range is fine.

Your details go only to First Underwriters to quote your bond and are kept confidential. The surety may check the owner's credit before issuing.

Washington requirements

Which bond L&I asks for

General contractor

$30,000 continuous bond to register under RCW 18.27, for contractors working in more than one trade or hiring subcontractors.

Specialty contractor

$15,000 continuous bond for contractors registered in a single specialty.

Electrical / telecom

$4,000 bond with your electrical or telecommunications contractor license under RCW 19.28.

Plumbing contractor

$6,000 bond for the plumbing contractor license under RCW 18.106. A general contractor doing plumbing needs both bonds.

How it works

From request to bond on file

Send the short form

The bond, your business name exactly as registered, and a rough credit range.

We quote it

We take it to the sureties we work with and come back with a price, usually the same business day for standard bonds.

Sign and pay

You approve the quote and pay the premium, usually for the bond's term.

Bond goes to L&I

You get the bond ready to file with your registration or license, and we keep the renewal date on our calendar.

Bond vs. insurance

The bond isn't your liability insurance

Your contractor bond

  • Protects your customers and the state
  • Pays valid claims, then the surety collects from you
  • Required to register, renew or hold a license
  • Priced mostly on the owner's credit

Your general liability policy

  • Protects your business from injury and property damage claims
  • Pays covered claims without you paying it back
  • Also required to register: $200,000 / $50,000, or $250,000 combined, with L&I as certificate holder
  • Priced on your trade, revenue and loss history
Questions

Contractor bond questions

How much does a contractor bond cost?
The premium is a small percentage of the bond amount, set by the surety mostly on the owner's personal credit. Owners with strong credit pay the least. We'll give you the actual price before you commit.
Can I get bonded with bad credit?
Usually, yes. Some sureties specialize in lower credit scores. The premium is higher, but standard license bonds are rarely declined outright. Tell us about past bond claims or judgments up front so the quote holds.
Why is L&I asking me for a bigger bond?
L&I can require up to three times the normal amount when a contractor, or a previous business tied to the owners, has unsatisfied final judgments. Choose "Higher registration bond required by L&I" and include the amount from your notice.
I already have a bond. Can I switch?
Yes. We can quote a replacement and line up the new bond so there's no gap in your registration. Don't cancel the old bond until the new one is on file.
I do electrical or plumbing work too. Do I need more than one bond?
Often, yes. Electrical and plumbing contractor licenses each carry their own bond, separate from contractor registration. Tell us every license you hold and we'll quote them together.
What about workers' comp?
In Washington, workers' comp comes from L&I itself, not from us. What we can add is stop-gap employers liability, which covers the lawsuits L&I's coverage doesn't. Most general contracts require it.

While we have you: the rest of your contractor program

The same specialist who handles your bond can quote general liability, stop-gap, commercial auto and tools coverage. One call, one renewal date to remember.

Get a contractor insurance quote Call (800) 800-9644
Related
About surety bondsBid, performance and payment bondsGeneral contractor insuranceConstruction insuranceWorkers' compensation

Bond amounts reflect Washington Department of Labor & Industries requirements as of November 2026 (RCW 18.27.040, RCW 19.28.041, RCW 18.106.410) and can change. All bonds are subject to surety underwriting and approval. A surety bond is not insurance for the contractor; the contractor must repay the surety for claims it pays.

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