Standard Bonding Program Capacity From $10M to $1B+

The Standard Bonding Program

Our Quick App credit-based programs are built for speed and simplicity — they get qualified contractors bonded fast, up to $2M instantly through Merchants and up to $3M through Liberty XPress. But every serious contractor eventually needs more capacity than credit alone can support.

The Standard Bonding Program is the full-underwriting tier. It's the program established contractors use to build real bonding capacity — $10M, $50M, $100M, and beyond. Through our network of 80+ A-rated sureties, we match your program to the markets best suited to your financial profile, project mix, and growth trajectory. There's no fixed upper limit. We've placed programs in the hundreds of millions and worked on bonds of a billion or more.

When Does It Make Sense to Move to Standard Bonding?

• You've outgrown the credit-only programs ($3M aggregate isn't enough for your pipeline)
• You have CPA-prepared financial statements (compilation, review, or audit)
• Your average single bond is over $1M or your aggregate program exceeds $5M
• You want lower premium rates — standard rates typically run 1%–2% versus 3%+ on credit-only programs
• You're pursuing larger public work, federal projects, or design-build contracts
• You need bid bonds for projects the credit-only programs exclude (design-build, IDIQ over $2M, etc.)

What's Required for Standard Underwriting

Standard bonding programs are underwritten on the financial strength of your business and personal balance sheets. To establish or expand a standard program, here's the complete document package our underwriters typically need:

Don't have CPA-prepared financials yet? No problem. You can submit internally-prepared financial statements instead, as long as they're on an accrual or percentage-of-completion basis and include a Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss, and aging accounts receivable with cash verification. Combined with your tax returns, this is enough to start a smaller standard program. As your program grows, sureties will eventually want CPA-prepared statements — but you don't need them to begin.

Larger programs may also require accounts receivable/payable aging, cash verifications for personal/business amounts over $25,000, additional prior job references with contact information, and supplemental documentation. We'll provide a specific checklist matched to your situation when you start the conversation.

How the Process Works

1. Initial conversation — Reach out to Christian. We'll discuss your business, target capacity, project pipeline, and bonding history to confirm Standard Bonding is the right path.
2. Gather underwriting documents — We provide the Contractor Questionnaire and a document checklist. You compile your financials and supporting materials.
3. Market submission — We submit your full underwriting file to the surety markets best matched to your profile. With 80+ A-rated sureties in our network, we shop your program for the best terms and capacity.
4. Underwriting decisions — Sureties respond with proposed single and aggregate limits, premium rates, and any conditions. We negotiate on your behalf.
5. Program established — Once you accept terms, your bonding line is set. We issue bonds as your projects come up, typically same-day for routine requests once your program is in place.

Standard Bonding by Contractor Size

Standard Bonding isn't a single program — it's a category that includes multiple market segments, each with sureties that specialize in contractors of that size. Where you fit determines which markets we shop your program to. Here's how it breaks down:

Small Contractor Standard Program

Typical range: Single bonds up to $6M, aggregate up to $15M backlog. Annual revenue under $10M.

This is the entry tier for full underwriting. The small contractor surety market is highly competitive with vast surety participation — meaning you have access to the most competitive rates in the industry. Sureties in this space are specifically built around small contractors and treat you as an important client rather than a small fish in a large pond. CPA-compiled financials are typically sufficient at this level; review-level statements aren't usually required.

Small-to-Medium Contractor Standard Program

Typical range: Annual revenue $10M–$25M, single bonds $5M–$15M, aggregate $15M–$50M.

For growing contractors who have outgrown the small contractor market but aren't yet large enough to interest the major sureties. We have specialty markets focused on this band that support contractor growth outside the rigid underwriting boxes used by larger sureties. The advantage: a surety in your size class works with you to grow, rather than asking you to fit their template.

Medium Contractor Standard Program

Typical range: Single bonds under $50M, aggregate work programs under $100M.

Mid-market contractors get the most competitive rates from a specialized blend of sureties who target this band specifically. While the largest sureties also write in this range, you're a small client to them. Working with the right-sized surety market makes you a top-of-list client rather than bottom-of-pile.

Large Contractor Standard Program

Typical range: Single bonds $100M+, aggregate programs $250M to $1B+.

Large contractor programs are underwritten by the top 20 surety performers in the country — the only sureties with the capacity and reinsurance relationships to support bonds of this size. Rates are the most competitive available because the markets compete for established public contractors with strong financials. Many programs at this level involve co-surety or reinsurance arrangements to spread risk.

Specialty Standard Program

Typical range: Single bonds up to $4M, aggregate up to $8M.

For contractors who don't quite fit standard underwriting due to a credit issue, a job stretch, limited backlog, or other underwriting concern. Specialty programs charge a higher premium than standard programs but provide a path to bonded work while you build toward standard qualification. Useful for contractors recovering from a tough year or pushing into a job size their current track record doesn't fully support.

The right tier depends on your specific situation. The first conversation tells us where you're starting, where you're going, and which markets to approach.

Ready to Build a Standard Program?

Tell us about your business and target capacity, and we'll start the conversation. No commitment — just a discussion of what's possible.