How To Find & Bid on Construction Jobs in California The following free California construction bid opportunities resource has been put together by Surety First, Inc. to help contractors find and bid on construction projects in their local CA area/region. Our list provides bid opportunities available in all major California cities including San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, […]

Every month, hundreds of California contractors will have their license suspended by the Contractors State License Board as a result of not having an active contractors license bond (or bond alternative) on file as required by the CSLB, making it illegal for a contractor to operate until the situation is remedied. While this situation can […]

Congratulations on your journey to becoming a licensed contractor in California!  If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve reached the point in the licensing process where you’ve been assigned your application fee number by the Contractors State License Board and have received a letter indicating you need to show proof of bonding.  What’s […]

One of the most common questions contractors have regarding their bond is how to contact the surety that wrote their bond for claims, billing or other purposes. 

Any contractor that has purchased a contractors license bond in California has signed an indemnity agreement as part of the bonding process, but how many have taken the time to carefully read what it entails? While often misunderstood, a California contractors license bond indemnity agreement is essentially a legally binding contract whereby a contractor agrees to […]

Contractors entertaining the idea of illegally operating without a license in California should think twice as it’s perhaps the worst occupational decision one can make for several reasons. In addition to stiff criminal & financial penalties, unlicensed contractors also have no legal right to enforce contracts they establish with customers.   How Much Work Can […]

A contractor’s surety bond is a three party contract between a principle (the contractor who must procure a bond), an obligee (the entity that requires the bond such as a government agency, supplier or project owner) and the surety providing the bond.  The bond guarantees the contractor will act in accordance with contractual stipulations or […]

Social media has captured the marketing world’s interest in recent times as a method to connect and engage potential customers in ways previously unattainable just a few years ago. While many social media platforms have come and gone over the years, none has grown more explosively than Pinterest. 

Establishing trust is essential to successfully marketing any construction business and for many potential customers, the first impression they’ll have of a prospective contractor is through their website.  As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression and with this in mind, there are several elements that are universally […]

Rapidly escalating California contractor license bond rates are a hot topic as of late and for good reason.  Many contractors have seen their license bond renewals increase from around 1% of the bond premium to well over 10% in some instances.  While premium changes of this magnitude may come as a surprise to unsuspecting contractors, there […]