Surety bond cost by the numbers
- $25,000
- California contractor license bond, required since Jan 1, 2023
- CA Business & Professions Code, 2023
- $150,000
- Federal contract size that requires performance and payment bonds
- Acquisition.gov (FAR 28.102)
You pay a premium, not the bond amount
The number on a bond, $10,000, $25,000, $50,000, is the coverage, the most a valid claim could pay. It is not your cost. You pay an annual premium, which is a percentage of that amount. So a $50,000 bond does not cost $50,000; it costs a fraction of it.
Type and credit set the rate, not just the size
Two bonds of the same size can cost very different amounts. A credit-driven license bond is priced mostly on your personal credit and can run 1% to 15% of the bond. A contract bond is priced on the contract and your finances, usually 1% to 3%. Small commercial bonds are so low-risk they often just hit a minimum premium near $100. The bond amount sets the base; the type and your credit set the rate.
| Bond amount | Typical annual premium |
|---|---|
| $1,000 to $10,000 | Often a minimum, around $100 |
| $15,000 | Roughly $100 to $150 |
| $25,000 | Roughly $150 to $500 (credit-driven) |
| $50,000 | Roughly $500 to $1,500 |
| $75,000 | Roughly $750 to $2,250 |
| $100,000 | Roughly $1,000 to $3,000 |
These are general ranges for reasonable credit, not quotes. Strong credit lands at the low end; challenged credit costs more but is still placeable.
Find your exact number
For a fast estimate, use our surety bond cost calculator, which sizes the premium by bond and credit band. For a specific bond, we have detailed cost guides:
- Contractor license bond cost and cost by credit score
- Bid bond, performance bond, and auto dealer bond cost
- Notary, probate, and freight broker bond cost
Or skip the estimate and get a real quote. We shop multiple markets and bring back the actual number you qualify for, credit challenges included.