Harlem residential GC bonds.
$450. Five minutes.
The City of Harlem requires residential general contractors to file a $15,000 license bond as a condition of licensure. Ours is $450 flat — 3% of the bond amount, the same for every contractor. The application is five minutes and there is no credit check on this bond.
Trusted by industry leaders
Three steps. One sitting.
Contractor license bonds are the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That's the application — no financials, no credit check section, no follow-up scavenger hunt.
Pay & e-sign
License bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase. At most, 1–2 business days.
File with the City of Harlem
Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with your City of Harlem residential GC license. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
The whole pricing page.
$15,000 bond × 3% = $450, one-time per term. Fixed amount, fixed price, multi-year if you want it.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
The City of Harlem licenses residential general contractors and conditions that license on a $15,000 surety bond. The bond is a compliance guarantee: it backs your obligation to follow the City's building code, permit, and contractor-licensing rules on the residential work you do.
It is a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the City of Harlem (the obligee), with property owners and the public as the protected parties. If you violate the City's contractor or building rules and someone is harmed, they can recover against the bond.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Contractors who pull permits and build to code treat the bond as a license formality, not a risk.
You need this bond if you're
Five minutes. The whole thing.
These are the actual issuing fields — no credit check section, because this bond doesn't have one.
Start the application →Common questions.
If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.
How much is the Harlem residential GC bond? +
Do I pay the $15,000? +
How fast will I have the bond? +
Is there a credit check? +
When does it renew? +
Other New York bonds.
Finish your City license today.
$450 flat, five-minute application, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.