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Nevada Contractor License Bonds


What is a Nevada Contractor License Bond?

Nevada requires all licensed contractors to purchase a surety bond called a contractor license bond.

A contractor license bond (surety bond) is a type of insurance contract required by the Nevada State Contractors Board to complete licensing. This bond is a a financial guarantee that you'll follow all Nevada building codes and regulations, plus you'll provide your customers with ethical contracting services that meet all agreed upon terms.

When you purchase a contractor license surety bond, you're making this promise to the Nevada State Contractors Board and to your customers.

Get Your Nevada Contractor License Bond

Contractor's Board License Bond
up to $2,000
Contractor's Board License Bond
over $2,000

Bonds over $2,000 up to $500,000

Residential Pool & Spa Contractor Bond

Bonds $10,000 or more up to $400,000

Residential Improvement Bond for Protection of Consumers

$100,000 Bond

Contractor License Bond - Filed with City, County or Other Local Government

Bonds up to $25,000

1-Year Bond Starts at $100.00
1.0%-1.8% of the Bond Amount


2-Year Bond Starts at $175.00
1.0%-1.8% of the Bond Amount

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Who Is Required To Purchase a Nevada Contractor Contractor Bond

Nevada requires every contractor license classification to purchase a surety bond:

  • Class A - General Engineering Contractors
  • Class B - General Building Contractors
  • Class C - Specialty Contractors

There are 36 separate speciality contractor classifications and skills. Nevada is a unique state because the contractors board requires each primary (Class A, B, and C) to be independently licensed. However, sub-licenses can be combined under one primary/main license.

Nevada Contractor Bond Amount

Nevada does not have a set bond amount for each license classification.

Part of the licensing process is an initial application review. The Board will assess your application, primarily these factors to determine your specific bond amount:

  • Your experience outlined on the application
  • Your financial statement submitted with the application
  • The type of license you're applying for

The bond amounts can range from:

  • Below $2,000
  • Up to $500,000 (but not over)

Watch our video about the Nevada contractor license bond.

Finally, there are a few special contractor bonding requirements that are unique to Nevada and special types of projects.

  • Swimming pool and spa contractor consumer protection bond
  • Home improvement consumer protection bond

Why is a Nevada Contractor License Bond Required?

The Nevada State Contractors Board requires all individuals and businesses to obtain a contractor license in order to perform contracting services in the state.

This license process ensures each contractors has:

  • A minimum level of experience
  • Obtained the necessary level of education
  • The proper business records are submitted
  • Selected the appropriate monetary limit

And one of the requirements before having you license issued is purchasing the contractor license bond.

What Does a Nevada Contractor License Bond Protect Against?

There will always be licensed contractors who purposefully try to cut corners to increase profits or even steal money.

These fraudulent actions of misconduct include:

  • Breaking the terms of a construction project
  • Taking deposits or down payments and never starting or completing a project
  • Replacing agreed upon materials with cheaper alternatives to increase profits
  • Fail to pay subcontractors for completed work
  • Fail to follow building codes and purposefully performing poor quality work

If a contractor is found guilty of any of these actions, a claim can be made against the contractor license bond for financial repayment, but only up to the bond amount determined by the Nevada State Contractors Board.

How Much Does a Nevada Contractor License Bond Cost?

The cost of the Nevada contractor license bond is based on a rate quoted by a surety.

A surety is an insurance company that underwrites the surety bond. And like any insurance company, the rates they charge are based on their own internal process, typically taking into consideration these three factors:

  • Primarily personal credit
  • Contracting experience and industry experience
  • Any prior bond claims if you've been licensed in the past

Even though each surety uses these similar factors, the rates they quote will vary.

And because rates vary, the final prices can vary too. Specialized surety agencies like Surety Bonds Direct help customers save hundreds of dollars purchasing a contractor surety bonds.

We use our network of A rated sureties to price shop for you and find you the lowest possible price.

Contractor Bonds Up To $2,000

For contractor license bonds up to $2,000, we've secured low fixed prices with no credit check.

Bond Term Price Click to Purchase
1 Year $100.00 Click to Purchase
2 Years $175.00 Click to Purchase

Contractor Bonds Over $2,000

Contractor bonds with amounts greater than $2,000 a surety will determine a customized quote.

Here's a table showing you examples of pricing for a $45,000 contractor bond.

Bond Amount Surety Bond Rate Price You Pay
$45,000 0.5% $225
$45,000 1% $450
$45,000 2% $900
$45,000 3% $1,350
$45,000 4% $1,800
$45,000 5% $2,250

But it's important to get your specific pricing and the process is easy to start.

Click here and start the online quote process. It takes 90 seconds to submit your request and we'll start pricing shopping for you.

If you prefer to speak with a bond specialist, you can call 1-800-608-9950.

Having a bond specialist secure pricing for you costs nothing and there's zero obligation to purchase the bond once you receive the pricing.

Contractor Consumer Protection Surety Bond

Under certain circumstances determined by the Nevada State Contractors Board, residential swimming pool contractors and residential home improvement contractors may be required or choose to purchase a consumer protection bond.

Pricing for the following consumer protection bonds will be determined by a rate quoted from the surety. There is no fixed pricing available.

Residential Home Improvement Contractors

Under the current law, residential contractors must accept a down payment on a project of $1,000 or 10% of the project price, whichever is less.

If a contractor wants to accept a larger down payment or deposit on a project, they can purchase a consumer protection bond in the amount of $100,000.

Watch our video about the residential consumer protection bond.

This bond will provide the financial guarantee to the project owner that the contractor will not take the downpayment and ignore or fail to complete the project.

This residential consumer protection bond is not a requirement. As the contractor, you elect to purchase it based on your business requirements.

Residential Swimming Pool and Spa Contractors

Swimming pool and spa contractors may be required to purchase a consumer projection bond. This requirement will be determined using the contractor's financial, professional responsibility, and the magnitude of the operations.

The amount of this consumer protection surety bond will not be less than $10,000 or more than $400,000.

Swimming pool and spa contractors may be required to further purchase a performance bond in an amount not less than 50% of the contractor project amount.

You'll be notified of these requirements by the Nevada State Contractors Board.

What Happens After You Purchase Your Bond?

After you purchase your bond, Surety Bonds Direct's issuing department will prepare your bond with the correct signatures, seals, and the required power of attorney.

Nevada requires the original bond with your signature on it. This means the bond will have to be mailed to you. This is a good reason to purchase your surety bond as soon as you can. Remember you have 30 days to secure your bond. Get it done!

Renewing Your Contractor Bond

Nevada contractor license bonds expire one year from the active (effective) date of your bond.

Your bond specialist will reach out to you 30 to 45 days in advance of your renewal date to make paying the renewal premium easy.

Once you pay the renewal premium, your bond remains active.

This Contractor License Bond is Continuous

A continuous bond means the original bond remains active as long as you pay the renewal premium.

Most of the time, you never have to worry about having a new bond issued or submitting the bond to the Nevada State Contractors Board.

If we find you lower pricing, we'll get you that bond and in this case you will have to submit the new bond to the Nevada State Contractors Board.

Contractor License Bonds And Getting Your Nevada Business License/Registration

If you're applying for your first Nevada contractor license, read our post that outlines the 9 steps getting your Nevada contractor license.

At a high level the steps are:

  1. Choose your license classification
  2. Elect and declare the qualifying individual
  3. Meet all of the experience requirements
  4. Determine and declare your monetary limit
  5. Purchase your surety bond
  6. Meet the examination requirements
  7. Submit to a criminal background check
  8. Pay into the residential recovery fund
  9. Purchase the necessary business insurance

Remember, you need to submit your application for an initial review before you can complete all of these above steps.

After your initial review, you'll be notified of the surety bond amount your license requires. You have 30 days to purchase and submit your bond. Do not wait until the last second.

The Nevada State Contractor Board requires a physical copy of the license bond with your signature on it. So you must account for a few additional days to have the bond shipped to you.