City of Columbus contractor bonds.
$125 flat.
Also known as the Columbus, Ohio Contractor License Bond.
The City of Columbus requires a $25,000 surety bond before it issues a contractor license, under Columbus Building Code 4114.515. Ours is $125 flat — the same price for every contractor. The bond issues the moment you pay — no credit check.
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How much does a City of Columbus contractor bond cost?
$125 at the $25,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps. One sitting.
License bonds are the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That is the application. No credit check.
Pay & e-sign
Small fixed-amount license bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase.
File with Building & Zoning
Your executed Contractor License/Registration Bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with your Columbus contractor license application. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
The City of Columbus licenses contractors through its Department of Building & Zoning Services, and Columbus Building Code 4114.515 requires a $25,000 surety bond before the city issues a contractor license. The city's form is the Contractor License/Registration Bond.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier standing behind you, and the City of Columbus (the obligee). The bond protects the city against losses or damage to people or property resulting from your construction work.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim on damage or code violations, you repay the surety. Contractors who work to code treat the bond as a license formality, and we track renewals so your license never lapses over a missed date. A separate $10,000 bond applies to stormwater control practice construction.
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 $25,000 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 Building & Zoning. Your executed Contractor License/Registration Bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with your Columbus contractor license application. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $125 at the $25,000 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 Ohio bonds.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
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$125 flat, no credit check, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.