Des Plaines contractor license bonds.
$100 flat.
The City of Des Plaines requires a $20,000 surety bond before it registers a contractor to do work on city property or in the public right-of-way. Ours is $100 flat — the price you see is the checkout price.
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How much does a Des Plaines contractor license bond cost?
$100 at the $20,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps. One sitting.
A Des Plaines contractor bond is one of the simpler filings in city licensing. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That is the application. No credit check.
Pay & e-sign
Registration bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase.
File with the city
Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with the Community and Economic Development Department alongside your contractor registration, which the city renews each December 31.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Des Plaines' Community and Economic Development Department, Building and Permits Division, administers contractor registration for work performed on city property or within the public right-of-way, and conditions that registration on a $20,000 surety bond. A contractor holding an Illinois state license for right-of-way work is exempt from this particular bonding requirement, but most other trades — general contractors, electricians, plumbers, roofers, and sewer contractors among them — must file.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the City of Des Plaines (the obligee), with the city and affected property owners as the protected parties. If your work damages city property or violates the terms of your registration, the city or a harmed party can make a claim against the bond.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Des Plaines contractor registrations expire every December 31 regardless of when you first filed, so we track the renewal date and notify you ahead of it to keep the $20,000 bond continuous.
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 $20,000 bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose; a longer term is the same price per year, chosen 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
File with the city. Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with the Community and Economic Development Department alongside your contractor registration, which the city renews each December 31.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $100 at the $20,000 amount for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
No credit check.
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual issuing fields. No credit check.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Illinois bonds.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Finish your Des Plaines registration today.
$100 flat, no credit check, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.