What you need to know about Florida Surety Bonds
Surety bonds in Florida are legally binding agreements that ensure obligations are met. There are three parties involved in the contract:
The process in Florida begins when the obligee informs you or your business a surety bond is required. You must then research the type of bond that you need and its specific requirements. From there, you will apply online for the bond through a surety company or agency.
The surety company will require you to provide personal and business information such as names, addresses, social security numbers, and employee identification numbers. Their underwriters will use this information to review your financial health to assess the risk of issuing you the bond.
After your application is approved, you will receive a surety bond quote with the bond premium (which is another name for the price of the bond and which varies depending on the amount of bond coverage you applied for). If you accept the quote, you pay the premium and the surety company issues you the bond.
The State of Florida requires different surety bonds across a variety of industries. There are two primary categories for these bonds; contract bonds and commercial bonds.
Contract Surety Bonds provide project owners assurance that contractors will perform their work properly. There are different types of contract bonds, including performance bonds which protect the project owner from financial loss if the contractor fails to perform in accordance with the agreement.
Contract Surety Bonds are most common in the construction industry but can also be used for janitorial services, transportation, and security services.
Commercial Bonds are often related to a specific license or permit and are required by the state of Florida and other municipal entities to ensure businesses conform to the regulations in place to protect the general public. Some of the most common bond types include:
Surety bond costs vary depending on the bond amount and the premium rate. The obligee sets the required bond amount and the surety determines your premium rate, which is the percentage of the total bond amount you pay as the premium.
Premium rates for surety bonds tend to range between 1% and 15%. When determining your premium rate, the surety company evaluates your credit history, financial statements, industry experience, and licensing history. The better your financial standing, the better rate you will receive. Bad credit can result in higher premiums and make it harder to secure certain bonds.
Below are the costs for some of the more popular surety bonds in the state of Florida.
You’ll know if you need a surety bond because some entity will have required you to obtain one. They must also inform you of which specific bond type you’ll need. There are thousands of bonds across the country, all of which vary by state and industry.
Visit EZSuretyBonds.com to browse hundreds of bonds by state, type, or industry.
