Contractor Bonds for San Francisco — BART, Public Works & Tech Campus
San Francisco's BART transit expansion, SFMTA capital program, city public works pipeline, and tech campus construction boom all demand contractors with serious bonding capacity. From CSLB license bonds to $20M+ performance bonds, we connect Bay Area contractors with construction-focused sureties.
San Francisco Bonding Landscape
Bay Area contractors face unique bonding demands — BART/SFMTA transit pre-qualification, SF public works requirements, tech campus performance bonds, and seismic retrofit completion guarantees.
BART & SFMTA Bonding Pre-Qualification
BART's $6.4B capital program and SFMTA's transit expansion mandate performance and payment bonds on virtually all contracts exceeding $25,000. Pre-qualification requires demonstrated bonding capacity of 10x–15x the bid amount in aggregate. BART's Tier 1 subcontractors typically need $5M–$20M aggregate capacity. Contractors without established surety relationships are automatically disqualified from the Bay Area's largest public infrastructure pipeline.
City of San Francisco Public Works Bonds
SF's Administrative Code Chapter 6 requires performance and payment bonds on public works contracts exceeding $25,000. The city's Local Business Enterprise (LBE) program creates bonding assistance for small/micro-LBEs through surety bond guarantee programs — but qualification requires an established relationship with a surety willing to issue bonds backed by SBA or city guarantee programs. We connect qualified contractors with participating sureties.
Tech Campus & Private Development Bonds
Bay Area tech campus construction — Google, Apple, Meta, Salesforce — increasingly requires performance bonds on subcontracts exceeding $1M–$2M. These are private bonds not governed by public works statutes, but tech companies' construction managers demand them as risk mitigation on $50M–$500M campus projects. Contractors accustomed to unbonded private work discover they need bonding capacity to compete in the Bay Area tech construction market.
Seismic Retrofit & Soft-Story Bonds
San Francisco's mandatory soft-story retrofit program (Ordinance 66-13) affects 4,900+ buildings. Property owners increasingly require performance bonds from retrofit contractors to guarantee completion within the city's compliance deadlines. A failed or abandoned retrofit triggers DBI enforcement, fines, and potential red-tagging. Performance bonds on seismic work protect both the property owner and the contractor's reputation.
Complete Bay Area Bonding Solutions
From the mandatory CSLB license bond to multi-million dollar BART performance bonds, we provide every bond type San Francisco and Bay Area contractors need — with competitive rates for all credit levels.
- CSLB license bond ($25,000) — mandatory for all California contractor licenses
- Qualifier bond ($12,500) — required when qualifying individual isn't majority owner
- Bid bonds — 10% of bid amount for BART, SFMTA, and SF public works projects
- Performance bonds — 100% contract value guaranteeing project completion per specs
- Payment bonds — 100% contract value guaranteeing subcontractor/supplier payment
- Permit bonds — required by SF DBI for specific construction and demolition activities
- Maintenance bonds — post-completion warranty bonds for public infrastructure work
- Subdivision bonds — guaranteeing completion of improvements for residential developments
Real-World Scenario
SOMA Mixed-Use Development — $8.2M Subcontract
A mechanical contractor bidding a $8.2M HVAC subcontract on a 42-story mixed-use tower in SOMA discovered their bonding capacity was limited to $3M. Their existing surety — a generalist that handled their license bond — hadn't reviewed their financials in two years and couldn't underwrite the project's seismic zone construction risk profile.
We connected them with a construction-specialized surety, submitted updated CPA-reviewed financials showing $1.2M working capital and $2.8M net worth, and obtained a $12M aggregate bonding capacity within 3 weeks. The contractor secured the SOMA project and has since bonded $22M in Bay Area work through the new surety relationship.
Result: $12M Bonding Capacity
- • Previous capacity: $3M (limited to small projects)
- • Updated CPA-reviewed financials submitted
- • New surety: construction-specialized, Bay Area experienced
- • New capacity: $12M aggregate
- • First bonded project: $8.2M SOMA mixed-use HVAC
- • Bond premium: ~$123,000 (1.5% of contract value)
The right surety relationship transformed this contractor's business — unlocking Bay Area projects they'd been excluded from for years.
Contractor Bonds Resource Library
In-depth guides covering CSLB bond requirements, BART bonding pre-qualification, bonding capacity growth, and California-specific surety information.
San Francisco Contractor Bonds FAQ
What bonds do San Francisco contractors need?
At minimum, every California contractor needs a $25,000 CSLB license bond. SF contractors pursuing public works need bid bonds (10% of bid), performance bonds (100% of contract), and payment bonds (100% of contract). BART and SFMTA projects require pre-qualified bonding capacity of $5M–$20M aggregate. Tech campus subcontracts increasingly require performance bonds on contracts exceeding $1M–$2M. We structure your surety program to cover all Bay Area bonding requirements.
How do I qualify for BART bonding requirements?
BART pre-qualification evaluates bonding capacity, financial statements, project experience, and safety records (EMR below 1.0). Your surety must provide a bonding capacity letter demonstrating 10x–15x the bid amount in aggregate capacity. This requires reviewed or audited financial statements, a strong balance sheet (working capital ratio above 1.5:1), and completion history on projects of similar scope. We work with construction-focused sureties experienced in Bay Area transit bonding.
What does a performance bond cost in San Francisco?
Performance bond premiums typically range from 1–3% of the contract value. A $5M BART subcontract performance bond costs approximately $50,000–$150,000 in premium. Rate factors include: contractor credit score, financial statement strength, project completion history, and the surety's assessment of the specific project risk. Contractors with strong financials and clean track records qualify for rates at or below 1.5%. We shop multiple construction sureties for competitive rates.
Can small SF contractors get bonded for public works?
Yes. San Francisco's LBE program and the SBA's Surety Bond Guarantee Program help small contractors access bonds they couldn't obtain independently. The SBA guarantees bonds up to $6.5M for individual contracts and $10M aggregate. SF's bonding assistance programs reduce or eliminate the collateral requirements that often block small contractors. We connect qualified small contractors with participating sureties and guide them through the guarantee application process.
How do I increase my bonding capacity for larger Bay Area projects?
Bonding capacity depends on working capital, net worth, backlog-to-equity ratio, and completion history. To grow from $1M to $5M+ capacity: maintain clean financial statements (reviewed or audited by a CPA), build working capital (target 10% of desired capacity), complete bonded projects on time and within budget, and establish a relationship with a construction-focused surety. We've helped Bay Area contractors grow from $500K to $15M+ capacity over 18–36 months.
Unlock Bay Area Projects with Proper Bonding
Get bonded for BART, SFMTA, SF public works, and tech campus projects. Same-day license bonds and competitive performance bond rates from construction-focused sureties.