$668 Million Set aside for Louisiana Coastal Projects – Get Bonded!

According to Construction Executive, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority released its 2015 fiscal year plan which includes $668 million for flood protection projects.  Click here for the entire article. While the article breaks down the details of funding, along with specific regions where the money will be spent, we will discuss what you need to do from a bonding standpoint to be sure you are ready to bid on this work. 

The Miller Act requires that contractors doing business in public works must provide performance and payment bonds.  Each state has adopted “Little Miller Acts” which define the contract amounts when a bond is required.  In Louisiana, the bond threshold is $150,000.  The bond amount is the level at which bonding is mandatory, however public agencies still have the option of bonding levels less than $150,000.  The good news is it’s easy to get set up for bonding to take advantage of public works opportunities.

There are two basic options to get set up for performance and payment bonds. A credit program and a standard program.  If a contractor doesn’t fit into either one of these programs due to damaged credit or limited financial strength, there are structured bond programs available.

Credit Program – As the name suggest, this program is based primarily on the contractor’s personal credit.  Most surety companies have a version of this program, but in general a contractor can qualify for bonds up to $350,000 with providing limited information.   Download our credit application.

Standard Program – This is the best way to get set up if a contractor plans on bidding many projects, and in excess of $350,000.  Qualification is a lot like getting a loan, and as such requires more information.    Download our Questionnaire to get started.

Bid bonds, performance bonds, and payment bonds are all part of the process in public works construction.  It can be confusing to understand and navigate through all the information.  It’s our job to make sure this process is as easy as possible.  Feel free to call us at 877-654-22-327 for more clarification.