NYC home improvement contractor bonds.
$100 flat.
Every home improvement contractor in the five boroughs needs a license, and the license needs this bond: a fixed $20,000 bond, $100 flat — the price you see is the checkout price. Issued when you pay.
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How much does an NYC home improvement contractor bond cost?
$100 at the $20,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps. Back to work.
Your license application is waiting on this bond. Here's the entire process — no broker phone tag:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That is the application. No credit check.
Pay & e-sign
Simple fixed-amount license bonds like this are among the fastest we issue — often cleared right after purchase.
File with DCWP
Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your Home Improvement Contractor license application or renewal. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
The HIC bond is a homeowner-protection guarantee. If a licensed contractor takes a deposit and disappears, does substandard work and walks, or otherwise violates consumer-protection law, the harmed homeowner can recover against the bond.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier standing behind you, and the city / your customers (the protected parties). You pay the premium; the surety puts its name under yours.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Contractors who finish what they start treat this bond as a license formality, not a risk.
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 DCWP. Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your Home Improvement Contractor license application or renewal. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
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. Submit and get back to the job.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other New York bonds.
The same bond in nearby states.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Your license is one document away.
$100 flat, no credit check, bond issued when you pay. Free until issued.