Insurance requirement guides for bonding.
Septic installers and pumpers hold separate licenses in most states, with bond amounts ranging from $15,000 in Oregon to $75,000 in Oklahoma and GL minimums up to $1 million in New Jersey.
Freight brokers must post a $75,000 FMCSA bond or trust fund — not liability insurance — under 49 CFR 387.307, and confusing the two costs new brokers money.
Bail bond agents are licensed insurance producers in most states — but five states have eliminated commercial bail entirely, license and all.
California requires a $1 million general liability policy to license a security guard agency; Florida requires only a $10,000 bond for unarmed agencies. See how licensing insurance and bonding minimums compare across 5 major states.
Texas requires assisted living facilities to carry $100,000/$300,000 minimum general liability coverage before licensure; Florida mandates coverage without setting a fixed dollar floor. See what applies state to state, and when a separate bond is required.
A surety bond must be repaid by the business after a claim is paid; liability insurance is absorbed by the insurer instead. See how California, Florida, and Nevada require different combinations of the two — and why "bonded and insured" isn't one guarantee.
About half the states require a surety bond for a private investigator license, and a smaller group layers on liability insurance — Illinois requires $1 million. See which states require what, and why a bond and a policy protect different parties.
Chimney fires and carbon monoxide incidents typically surface weeks after service, making products/completed operations coverage the central requirement for CSIA-certified sweeps, not just general liability.
Garage door contractors typically need $500K-$1M in general liability with products/completed operations coverage, plus bonding in states that license the trade under a specialty contractor category.
Pool contractors need general liability with completed operations coverage, contractor's pollution liability for chemical exposure, and NCCI Class Code 6400 workers' comp — plus state-specific license bonds ranging from ,000 to 5,000.
Glazing contractors need $1M general liability with a matching completed operations aggregate — window seal failures and glass breakage claims often arise 1-3 years after installation. California C-17 license requires a $25,000 surety bond.
Locksmiths need $300,000–$1,000,000 general liability plus a surety bond in licensed states — and standard GL has coverage gaps for key-duplication and wrongful-entry claims that require endorsements.
Auto dealers need a state surety bond ($10,000–$100,000 depending on state), garage liability instead of standard GL, dealers open lot for inventory, and garagekeepers for customer vehicles in service. Standard commercial GL explicitly excludes garage operations.
Most licensing states require contractor license bonds of $5,000–$25,000 as a condition of licensure. California requires $25,000 (CSLB); Washington requires $12,000 (L&I); federal projects over $150,000 require performance and payment bonds under the Miller Act.
Most states require $1M GL for an irrigation contractor license. Completed operations water damage — leaking zone valves and burst laterals — is the highest-frequency claim type, and backflow preventer failures create contamination liability that can reach far beyond the cost of the original installation.
Demolition contractors face some of the highest insurance costs in construction — structural collapse, asbestos exposure, and debris claims require $2M/$4M GL, Code 5057 workers' comp, and Contractor's Pollution Liability for any pre-1978 structure.
Excavation contractors face some of the highest workers comp rates in construction — cave-ins, equipment rollovers, and utility strikes drive $1M GL and Code 6217 WC requirements on every commercial dig.
Masonry contractors typically need general liability at $1M per occurrence, workers comp, and a surety bond for state licensing. Completed operations coverage is essential given the latent structural claim risk from brick, block, and stone work.
Drywall contractors need $1M GL to access most commercial job sites, workers' comp is required in 49 states once any employee is hired, and standard GL policies sometimes exclude completed operations defects — the most common claim in this trade.
Fence contractors must carry workers' comp in 49 states once any employee is hired, and standard GL policies often exclude underground utility strike claims — the most common costly event in this trade. Here's what fence installers need.
Most states require $500K–$1M general liability insurance to obtain a commercial pesticide applicator license. Standard GL policies exclude pesticide pollution claims — operators also need Contractors Pollution Liability to cover chemical drift and fumigation exposure.
General liability is not legally required for window cleaners but is contractually mandatory for virtually every commercial account. High-rise work above 4 stories requires specialty underwriting — standard GL carriers often won't write it.
Security companies are required by state licensing boards to carry $300K–$1M general liability and workers' comp before receiving an operating license. Armed guard operations require $2M–$5M and a firearms liability endorsement.
Dog walkers need $1M general liability plus care, custody and control coverage — standard GL excludes pets in your care. Platform coverage from Rover and Wag only applies to on-platform bookings.
Most states require notaries to post a surety bond ($500–$25,000), but a bond protects the public — not you. E&O insurance protects the notary personally and is required by most signing agent clients.
Most licensed states require contractors to carry both a surety bond and liability insurance — but they serve completely different purposes. Bond amounts range from $2,500 in Arizona to $2,000,000 in Nevada for large contractors.
Solar installers need $1M–$2M general liability, workers' comp, and a contractor license bond in most states. Battery storage work requires explicit GL endorsements — many standard policies exclude it.
Pool contractors need general liability ($1M+), workers' comp, and a surety bond in most states. Installation work requires higher limits — and completed operations coverage is critical for leak claims.
Most states don't require cleaning service insurance, but clients do. Learn what general liability, bonding, and workers' comp cleaning businesses need, plus typical costs.
Carpenters need general liability insurance for most jobs. Learn what coverage carpenters need, typical costs, bonding requirements, and state-by-state licensing rules.
Most states don't legally require handyman insurance — but property managers, apartment complexes, and clients increasingly demand it. Here's what you actually need and what it costs.
Most states require licensed HVAC contractors to carry general liability insurance and surety bonds. Learn what coverage you need, typical costs, and state-by-state requirements.
Most states require licensed plumbers to carry general liability insurance and surety bonds. Learn what coverage you need, typical costs, and state-by-state requirements.
Most states require general contractors to carry liability insurance and surety bonds. Learn coverage requirements, typical costs, and what commercial clients expect.
Most states require electricians to carry general liability insurance and surety bonds. Learn what coverage you need, typical costs, and state-by-state requirements.
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This collection features 35 carefully researched guides for bonding insurance requirements. Our content provides clear, accurate information about coverage minimums, compliance rules, and state-specific regulations. All guides are written in plain language with official sources cited.
