OH IBEW Local 38 wage & welfare bonds.
2% of the bond amount.

A contractor who signs a collective bargaining agreement with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 38 — the Cleveland-area local for electrical workers since 1895 — can be required to post a wage and welfare bond securing the wages and welfare-fund contributions the agreement obligates the contractor to pay. Premiums cost 2% of the bond amount, $100 minimum, after a quick soft credit check that never affects your score.

✓

Required of a signatory electrical contractor under the Local 38 collective bargaining agreement — a private union requirement, not a state law

✓

Secures wages and welfare fund contributions owed to Local 38 members and its health & welfare and pension trust funds

✓

2% of the bond amount, $100 minimum — your exact price appears at the application

2% rate$100 minimumSoft pull onlynever a hard inquiryFastinstant underwriting for most

Trusted by industry leaders

How it works

Apply to filed in one sitting.

No long underwriting queue for a standard wage & welfare bond — enter your amount, consent to a soft pull, and file with Local 38. Here is the whole thing:

TODAY · ONLINE

Apply online

Your company details, the bond amount Local 38 or the fund administrator required, and the effective date — plus a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.

USUALLY MINUTES

Approved

Most wage & welfare bonds this size clear quickly; the soft pull never affects your score. Larger amounts may get a brief underwriter review.

SAME DAY

File with Local 38

Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with the union or its trust fund office so your CBA obligations are on record.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the wage & welfare bond actually guarantees

IBEW Local 38 has represented electrical workers in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio since 1895. A contractor who signs the collective bargaining agreement with Local 38 commits to pay covered wages and to make contributions to the union's health & welfare and pension trust funds on behalf of the electricians it employs.

The wage & welfare bond is the local's financial backstop for that promise. Unlike insurance, which protects the contractor, this bond protects union members and the trust funds — if a signatory contractor fails to remit wages or welfare-fund contributions the CBA requires, the union or trust fund can make a claim against the bond up to its penal amount, and the contractor repays the surety for anything paid out.

This is not a government-mandated bond — no Ohio statute requires it. It is a private condition of doing signatory electrical work under the Local 38 agreement, imposed by the union and its trust fund administrator, who also set the required amount for your company. Confirm the figure your agreement calls for; we price whatever amount you enter.

IBEW Local 38 collective bargaining agreement — not an Ohio statuteThis bond is required by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 38 as a condition of the collective bargaining agreement a contractor signs to perform signatory electrical work in the Cleveland area — it is a private union/trust-fund requirement, not a state or municipal law. The bond amount is set by Local 38 or its trust fund administrator based on the contractor's anticipated payroll exposure under the agreement. Confirm your required amount with Local 38 or the fund office before applying.

You need this bond if you are

✓

A contractor signing the Local 38 CBA for the first time as a new signatory employer

✓

Renewing your signatory status with an expiring or non-renewing bond on file

✓

A general contractor whose Local 38 subcontract requires proof of a current bond

✓

Reinstating after a lapse the union flagged in your trust fund contributions

One application, then a quick review.

These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. The pull never affects your score, and your price — from a $100 minimum — is set at application.

Start the application →

FAQ

Common questions.

How much is the Local 38 wage & welfare bond?Premiums cost 2% of the bond amount, with a $100 minimum. The bond amount itself is set by Local 38 or its trust fund administrator, not by state law — enter the figure your agreement calls for and your exact price appears at the application.

What amount should I enter?The amount Local 38 or its trust fund administrator specified for your company — there is no single statewide figure for wage & welfare bonds, and the required amount can vary with your anticipated payroll under the CBA. If you are unsure, ask the union or the fund office before applying.

What does the bond actually guarantee?It guarantees that a signatory contractor pays the wages and welfare fund contributions — health & welfare and pension funds — that the collective bargaining agreement requires. It protects union members and the trust funds, not the contractor; if a valid claim is paid, the contractor repays the surety.

Is there a credit check?The application includes a credit consent, but it authorizes a soft credit pull only — a soft inquiry that never affects your score. No hard inquiry ever runs on this bond.

Do I pay the full bond amount?No. You pay the 2% premium, with a $100 minimum. The bond amount is the surety's maximum liability if the union or a trust fund makes a valid claim — not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.

Related bonds

Other Ohio bonds.

Signatory status, bonded today.

2% of the bond amount, $100 minimum, soft pull only. Enter your required amount and file with Local 38 the same day.

Start application

Your premiumfrom $100

Apply now →