District of Columbia home improvement contractor bonds.
$438 flat.
The District requires a $25,000 home improvement contractor bond, filed with DLCP under 16 DCMR § 800 et seq., before you can be licensed to do residential improvement work. We write it at a flat $438 with one soft credit pull — same price for every contractor.
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How much does a District of Columbia home improvement contractor bond cost?
$438, the same for every applicant.
Three steps to licensed.
Your DLCP home improvement license is waiting on this bond. Here's the entire process — no broker phone tag:
Apply once, online
Business details, owner information, effective date. The only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.
Approved
Most are approved as soon as you apply. The soft credit pull never affects your score. If it needs a second look, one to two business days at most.
E-sign & file with DLCP
Pay online and receive the executed $25,000 bond ready to file with your home improvement contractor license. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever DLCP insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
The District requires anyone performing home improvement work — repairs, alterations, or improvements to residential property — to be a licensed home improvement contractor through DLCP, and to post a $25,000 surety bond under the home improvement regulations at 16 DCMR § 800 et seq.
The bond is a consumer-protection guarantee for homeowners. Under 16 DCMR § 802, the bond can be used to pay a homeowner who has obtained a judgment against the licensed contractor for a violation of the licensing laws that caused a monetary loss. It is a three-party arrangement — you, the surety, and the District for the benefit of your customers.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a homeowner's claim, you repay the surety. We run a single soft credit pull to set up the bond; it never affects your score, and the price is $438 flat either way — credit affects whether we approve the bond, never what it costs.
You need this bond if you're
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The carrier issues this bond for a single two-year term; the term cannot be changed at checkout.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
E-sign & file with DLCP. Pay online and receive the executed $25,000 bond ready to file with your home improvement contractor license. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever DLCP insists.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $438 for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. Submit once and your bond is issued when you pay.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other District of Columbia bonds.
The same bond in nearby states.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
DLCP is waiting on one document.
$438 flat for the $25,000 bond, short application; the bond is issued when you pay. Free until issued.