Bid bonds by the numbers
- $150,000
- Federal contract size that requires performance and payment bonds
- Acquisition.gov (FAR 28.102)
Why bid bonds are usually free
A bid bond guarantees one thing: if you win, you will honor your bid and furnish the required performance and payment bonds. That is a short, low-risk promise, so most sureties issue the bid bond at no separate premium as part of your surety program.
The cost you pay sits on the final bonds, not the bid: what a performance bond costs is the number that matters, and how the two bonds differ explains why. The bid bond is the door; the real underwriting is the room behind it.
What actually drives the cost
- Full contract capacity. Underwriters ask the real question up front: if you win, can they bond the whole job? Your approved program is what they are pricing, which comes down to your single and aggregate limits.
- Finances and experience. Working capital, completed work, and your track record set the size of program a surety will stand behind.
- Credit. Personal and business credit shape your rate on the performance and payment bonds, and whether the file is hard to place.
Getting one before a deadline
Bid deadlines do not wait. The fastest path is to have a surety program approved before you need the bond, so we can issue against it on short notice. If you are starting cold, we can still move fast, but do not leave it to the last hour. Read the full bid bond page, then start a contract bond quote.