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Practical Tools to Help You Get Bonded and Grow Your Bond Program

Getting bonded and growing your bonding capacity requires more than just understanding how the process works. It requires having the right documents organized, the right financial information prepared, and the right reporting in place before you need it.

We built these resources to give contractors a head start. Whether you are preparing for your first bond application or working to increase your capacity on an existing program, these checklists, templates, and guides will help you get organized, stay ahead of what the surety needs, and present your business in the strongest possible light.

Every resource on this page is free. Download what you need, use it, and if you have questions about how to apply it to your specific situation, call us.

Contractor Bonding Checklist

 Not sure what you need to get bonded? This checklist walks you through every document and data point a surety will ask for when you apply for a bond or establish a bond program. Use it to make sure your underwriting package is complete before you submit it to your bond agent. A complete, organized submission means faster approvals and better terms. 

 Download the Contractor Bonding Checklist 

Bond Underwriting File Template

 Your underwriting file is the package of documents the surety reviews when evaluating your bond application or capacity request. This template gives you a ready-made structure for organizing every document the surety will need: financial statements, personal financial statements, WIP schedule, completed project list, bank references, company resume, and project-specific information. Keep it updated and you will always be ready when an opportunity comes up. 

 Download the Bond Underwriting File Template

 Work in Progress (WIP) Template

 Your WIP schedule is one of the most important documents in your underwriting file. This template gives you a clean, surety-ready format for tracking every active project, including contract amounts, costs to date, billings to date, estimated cost to complete, and percentage of completion. Use it to keep your WIP current and consistent with your financial statements. 

 Download the WIP Template

Contractor Financial Statement Guide

 Sureties evaluate your financial statements differently than a bank or the IRS. This guide explains what surety underwriters look for in your financials, which metrics matter most, how the level of CPA assurance affects your capacity, and how to present your numbers in a way that supports your bonding goals. Share it with your CPA so they understand what the surety needs. 

 Download the Contractor Financial Statement Guide

Surety Bonding Glossary

 The surety industry has its own language. Aggregate limit, indemnity, obligee, penal sum, work-in-progress, percentage of completion. If you have encountered a term you do not recognize, this glossary defines the most common surety bonding terms in plain English so you can understand what your bond agent, your surety, and your contract documents are telling you. 

 View the Surety Bonding Glossary

Need Help Putting It All Together?

 

These resources are designed to help you prepare. But if you want someone to walk you through the process, review your documents, or help you build a strategy for getting bonded or growing your capacity, that is exactly what we do.

If you are new to bonding, start with a New Contractor Bond Consultation. We will walk you through how bonding works and map out your next steps.

If you have an existing program, request a Contractor Bond Program Review. We will evaluate your current position and tell you what it will take to grow.

Take the Contractor Bond Scorecard

How Contractors Qualify for Bonds

Building an Underwriting File