Surety Bonds
Depending on your business type, you may eventually encounter the need for a surety bond. A surety bond is a contract involving three parties: The person or entity performing the service (principal), the person or entity for whom the service is performed (obligee) and the entity that guarantees the principal will perform as agreed (surety). In the event of a loss or failure to perform, the surety bond pays the obligee, not the principal.
At Lions & Coventry Insurance Services, we specialize in providing bonding services that help to protect the integrity of your business. Our Surety Bond services include writing agreements that guarantee the party requesting the bond that your business will uphold its obligations.
TYPES OF SURETY BONDS
Lions & Coventry Insurance Services can write a variety of Surety Bonds, including:
- Performance and Payment Bonds
- Contractor Bonds
- Cannabis Surety Bonds
- Sub-Division Bonds
- Court Bonds
- Conservator Bonds
- Fidelity Bonds
- Public Officials
- Liquor Licenses
Since there are many types of Surety products, it’s important to discuss your options with a licensed, professional bond agent. Our underwriting services are flexible to meet your unique business needs, and we specialize in a high degree of customer care that will ensure maximum consideration for your assets.
Contact a surety bond specialist at Lions & Coventry Insurance Services today to keep your commercial responsibilities protected.
Need a surety bond quote? Call (916) 967-7715 or use our contact form. Lions & Coventry license #0G22084 — brokerage guidance only; no fake premiums or rankings.
Surety bonds FAQ
These answers are brokerage guidance for California contractors and businesses that need license, performance, payment, or related surety bonds — not legal advice. Bond availability, underwriting, collateral, and cost depend on the obligee form, credit, experience, and surety appetite. We do not invent a premium, promise a surety, or claim a ranking before review. For the wider contractor program, see our construction insurance hub.
What does a surety bond typically cover?
A surety bond is a three-party agreement: the principal (your business) promises to perform; the obligee (often a licensing board, owner, or public agency) is protected if you do not; and the surety guarantees that obligation up to the bond’s penal sum. Common construction paths include CSLB contractor license bonds, bid / performance / payment bonds on public or private contracts, and specialty filings such as subdivision or cannabis bonds when the form requires them. The bond backs a contractual or statutory duty — it is not a substitute for general liability, workers compensation, or builders risk. Exact terms follow the bond form and underwriting, not a brochure summary.
What is commonly excluded or outside a surety bond?
A surety bond is not insurance that pays your business for a loss. If a claim is paid to the obligee, the principal typically must indemnify the surety. Bonds do not replace commercial general liability, commercial auto, or workers compensation, and a certificate of insurance does not satisfy a bond filing. Limits of the penal sum, conditions in the bond form, and underwriting requirements (credit, indemnity, collateral) can leave gaps when people treat a bond like a policy. Read the specimen form and ask before you assume a bond covers a claim that belongs on another line.
Who typically needs surety bonds in California construction?
California contractors often need a CSLB license bond to hold or renew a contractor license. Primes and public owners commonly require bid, performance, and payment bonds on larger jobs. Specialty bonds (subdivision, court, liquor, cannabis Form 8113 paths, and others) apply when the statute or contract says so. Owners, GCs, and lenders may also ask for evidence of insurance next to the bond — keep the bond filing and the COI request separate. Use our California contractors COI & additional-insured checklist when the job still needs certificate wording after the bond is in place.
What documents help get a surety bond quote?
Helpful items include: legal entity name and FEIN, CSLB license number and classifications (when applicable), the exact bond form or obligee wording, penal sum and effective dates needed, years in business, ownership and personal indemnity details, recent financials or bank references when the surety asks, and job or contract details for performance / payment bonds. For cannabis filings, bring the current DCC form and premises list. Accurate entity names and the correct form matter more than a rushed guess — wrong obligee wording can force a rewrite. We review submissions as brokerage guidance only; we do not invent premiums on this page.
How do I start a surety bond quote with Lions & Coventry?
Call (916) 967-7715 or send details through our contact form. Tell us the bond type (license, performance / payment, cannabis, or other), the obligee and form, the penal sum and deadline, and your entity / CSLB details. We can also help map bonds next to GL and related coverages on our construction insurance program so certificates and filings stay aligned. Lions & Coventry license #0G22084 — brokerage guidance only, not legal advice.
How to get a surety bond quote in California
Educational steps for California contractors and businesses preparing a license, performance, payment, or specialty surety bond submission. This is brokerage guidance from Lions & Coventry Insurance Services — not legal advice, not a premium quote, and not a ranking claim.
- Identify the bond type and obligee — CSLB contractor license bond, bid / performance / payment bond, subdivision, cannabis, or another filing. Confirm who the obligee is and whether a specific bond form or specimen wording is required.
- Confirm entity and license facts — legal entity name, FEIN, ownership, years in business, and CSLB license number / classifications when the bond ties to a contractor license. Wrong entity names force rewrites.
- Gather the form, penal sum, and deadline — exact bond form or obligee wording, required penal sum, effective dates, and any job or contract details for performance / payment bonds. For cannabis filings, bring the current form and premises list.
- Separate the bond from insurance evidence — a surety bond backs a statutory or contractual duty; it does not replace GL, workers compensation, or builders risk, and a COI does not satisfy a bond filing. Keep both paths aligned via the construction insurance hub and the California contractors COI & Additional Insured checklist.
- Call or contact for a quote — reach Lions & Coventry at (916) 967-7715 or the contact form with bond type, obligee / form, penal sum, deadline, and entity / CSLB details so we can review underwriting needs. We do not invent premiums on this page.
Related: construction insurance · COI & Additional Insured checklist. Next step: call (916) 967-7715 or use /contact/. License #0G22084 — Citrus Heights, CA.