Georgia Contractor License Bonds

Get Your Georgia Contractor Bond

Who Is Required To Purchase a Georgia Contractor Contractor Bond

Georgia has the following net-worth license requirements for residential and general contractors:

• General contractor minimum net-worth - $150,000
• General contractor limited minimum net-worth - $25,000
• Residential basic contractor minimum net-worth - $25,000
• Residential light commercial contractor minimum net-worth - $25,000

If you're unable to meet the net-worth requirement for Residential Basic and/or Residential Light Commercial, you can purchase a surety bond (contractor license bond) and still obtain a license.

The Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors currently set the contractor bond amount at $25,000.

County or Municipal Bonding Requirements

Depending on where your project is located you may have to purchase a separate county or municipal contractor license bond or permit bond.

Typically, you'll be notified of this bonding requirement when you go to pull permits for the project.

The amount of the bond will be told to you at that time. Each county and city will have its own requirements.

For example, we've helped dozens of contractors performing work in Augusta Richmond County purchase:

• Contractor license bonds
• Plumbing contractor bonds
• Low voltage contractor bonds

If you discover you need a bond for a local license or for a specific project, we can help you purchase the correct bond fast and for less. Fill out our free quote form explaining the bond you were told to get. We'll help manage the process from there.

Why is a Georgia Contractor Bond Required?

The State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors requires a minimum net-worth as evidence of financial strength.

Every year the Board reviews data about consumer complaints against contractors.

The data suggests that contractors with a specific net worth can handle projects adequately and are less likely to be put in a situation where they may cut corners that can lead to harming a customer.

The Board also realizes, just because a contractor does not have a high net-worth, does not mean they can't add valuable services to their community and the public.

This is why the Board requires a contractor surety bond.

The bond is a form of insurance to protect the public in the event that a contractor does financially harm their customer.

What Does a Georgia Contractor License Bond Protect Against?

Every year there will always be a few licensed contractors who purposefully cut corners to increase profits by financially harming their customers.

These purposeful acts of misconduct include:

• Breaking the terms of a construction project
• Taking deposits or down payments and never starting or completing a project
• Replacing agreed upon materials with cheaper alternatives to increase profits
• Failing to pay subcontractors for completed work
• Neglecting building codes and purposefully performing poor quality work

If a contractor is found guilty of any of these actions, a claim can be made against the contractor license bond for financial repayment, but only up to the $25,000 bond amount.

The State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors deems contractors who meet the minimum net-worth requirement financially capable of handling these situations if they arise during the course of business.

How Much Does a Georgia Contractor Bond Cost?

The cost of a surety bond depends on two factors:

1. The state mandated bond amount
2. A rate quoted from a surety

The bond amount the Board requires is $25,000. This is the maximum amount of coverage available to customers if a claim situation arises.

A surety is an insurance company that underwrites surety bonds. Each surety will conduct an independent analysis of a contractor to determine a rate.

The factors used for this analysis are the:

• Personal credit of the owner or owners
• Business and contracting experience of the owner or owners
• Bonding history of the owner or owners if they've been licensed before

And this is why it's a great idea to use a surety agency like Surety Bonds Direct.

We work with a network of A-rated sureties that specialize in bonding contractors. Typically our bond specialists will price shop for you to find the lowest rate.

You Get a Low Fixed Price With Zero Credit Check

Because of our network of A-rated sureties and the contractor landscape in Georgia, we can offer you a low fixed price with zero credit check.

This means you can purchase your bond right now and have it issued, typically within one business day.

Get started by purchasing your bond now, or if you prefer to speak with a bond specialist, you can call 1-800-608-9950.

County, City, or Local Government License Bonds

For local bonding requirements, you can instantly purchase your bond, for bond amounts up to $25,000.

Once you have the bond amount given to you by the county or city agency requiring the bond, the minimum price starts at $100.

The price is typically 1% to 1.8% of the bond amount.

Surety Bonds Directly allows you to enter your bond amount and instantly purchase your bond. After you purchase, the bond will be issued within 1 to 2 business days.

What Happens After You Purchase Your Bond?

After you purchase your bond, Surety Bonds Direct's issuing department will prepare your bond with the correct signatures, notarized seals, and the required power of attorney.

The Board allows us to email you a copy of the final bond so you can print it, sign it, and submit it with your application.

If you want a physical copy of your bond for your records, we can mail you a copy. This is not required.

Renewing Your Contractor Bond

Georgia contractor license bonds expire one year from the active (effective) date of your bond.

Your bond specialist will reach out to you 30 to 45 days in advance of your renewal date to make paying the renewal premium easy.

Once you pay the renewal premium, your bond remains active.

When you meet the net-worth requirement, you no longer have to renew your surety bond. You can let it expire.

This Contractor License Bond is Continuous

A continuous bond means the original bond remains active as long as you pay the renewal premium.

Most of the time, you never have to worry about having a new bond issued or submitting the bond to the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors.

If during renewal we can obtain lower pricing for you from the surety, we can secure the lower priced bond. In this situation, you will have to email the new bond to the Board so they know you're still bonded.

Contractor Bonds And Getting Your Georgia Business License/Registration

If this is your first time applying for a Georgia residential and/or general contractor license, read our post that outlines the 6 steps to getting your Georgia contractor license.

At a high level the steps are:

1. Determine if you'll apply through examination or reciprocity
2. Declare a qualifying agent if a business entity is applying
3. Decide on license classification
4. Meet the financial net-worth or surety bond requirement
5. Complete necessary background forms
6. Submit your completed application