Date Published: May 10, 2018
What is a payment bond? It is a third party guarantee that a company will pay the bills associated with a particular contract. It is a type of surety bond. There is no “blanket” bond that guarantees payment of all of company’s obligations. Contract bonds are always contract specific.
When would I need a payment bond?
As mentioned previously, a payment bond is a contractual requirement. The most common use of a payment bond is in support of a public works contract. Most publicly bid projects will require a performance and payment bond. The bond guarantees
that all sub contractors and suppliers will be paid. Private jobs can also require a bond as smart developers will want a guarantee of a lien free project. Many project lenders may also require a general contractor provide a bond as the bank has a vested interest in seeing that a project is completed lien free. Finally, many general contractors will require sub contractors to provide payment bonds. If a sub contractor fails to pay its subcontractors and suppliers the general contractor would be obligated to make those payments, even if it already paid the sub contractor.
Keep in mind that this bond is in place to protect the issuer of the contract, not the party that provided the bond. If there is a claim on a bond, the party that provided the bond will be expected to reimburse the surety for its loss including reasonable fees incurred by the surety.
Other resources for what is a surety bond? include the Surety Information Office, and the National Association of Surety Bond Producers, a surety industry trade group.
Bonds are a great way to guarantee a lien free project. Now that you know what a bond is, you can apply for one by clicking here.
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