Get Bonded in Seconds — Up to $2 Million

How Instant Approval Works

The instant approval program is our partnership with Merchants Bonding Company, an A-rated surety. It's built for qualified contractors who want to get bonded fast — no waiting on an underwriter, no financial statement package. Here's the entire process:

1. Apply online — Complete a short application with your business and bond details. It takes just a few minutes.
2. Soft credit check, instant decision — Underwriting is based on the weighted average credit of the indemnitors. The credit pull is a soft inquiry that does not affect your credit score, and qualifying submissions get an automated decision in seconds.
3. E-sign and get bonded — Sign the indemnity electronically and your bond is issued. No printing, no mailing, no waiting.

Bonds Covered Under This Program

• Bid bonds — for public and private construction bid submissions
• Performance bonds — guaranteeing project completion per contract specifications
• Payment bonds — protecting subcontractors, laborers, and suppliers
• Non-construction performance bonds — for service, supply, install, and fabrication contracts

Do You Qualify?

The instant program has clear eligibility rules. Reviewing them before you apply saves time. The applicant company, its owners, and any predecessor must not have:

• Ever declared bankruptcy
• Defaulted on a contract
• Been involved in a surety claim
• Been involved with any lawsuits or liens in the last five years
• Open bonds with another surety
• Been in business (or under current management) for less than three years

Geographic exclusion: Not available for contractors or bonds within the five boroughs of New York City.

Project Parameters

The following project characteristics fall outside the instant program (regardless of credit). If your project hits one of these, it doesn't mean you can't get bonded — it just means we'll place it through one of our other programs instead:

• Completion time over 18 months
• Warranty or maintenance guarantees over 24 months
• Liquidated damages over $2,500 per day
• Bid spreads of 10% or greater
• IDIQ, phased, or percentage bonds with total contract value over $2 million
• Design-build contracts
• Environmental or remediation exposure
• Subdivision or completion bonds (ask us about the developer program)
• Takeover projects where a prior contractor defaulted
• Work outside your home state or contiguous states, unless within 300 miles of your home office
• Bond forms with forfeiture or pay-on-demand language

Don't Qualify? We Have Other Programs

The instant program is just one of the ways we get contractors bonded. If you don't fit the criteria above — whether it's the project type, time in business, credit, or bond size — we almost always have another path:

• Quick Bonding (credit-based) — other credit-based markets, including a $3M credit-only program, for contractors who fit a different profile
• Standard Bonding — full underwriting from $2 million to $1 billion+, usually at lower rates
• SBA Bond Program — government-backed bonds for contractors with credit challenges or limited time in business

The fastest way to find your path is to tell us about your situation or call 877-914-0909. We'll match you to the right program.

Instant Approval FAQs