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Houston public works maintenance bonds.
From $125.
The 1-year maintenance bond the City of Houston requires on an informal public works contract — it guarantees your work against defects for one year after the city accepts it. The bond amount tracks your contract; priced at 1.463% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee, $125 minimum, confirmed via a quick soft pull that never affects your score.
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Three steps. One sitting.
Your City of Houston contract is waiting on this maintenance bond. Here's the whole thing:
Apply online
Your business details, the bond amount, the COH job number if you have one, a description of the work, and a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.
Approved
Most are approved as soon as you apply. One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score. If it needs a second look, one to two business days at most.
E-sign & file with the City of Houston
The original bond is mailed to the address you provide, signed by the principal, ready to file with the city's Public Works department. E-signed copy by email.
What it is and who needs it.
What the maintenance bond actually covers
The City of Houston requires a 1-year maintenance bond on its informal public works contracts — the smaller contracts the city awards without the full formal bidding process. The bond guarantees your work against defects in materials and workmanship for one year after the city accepts the completed project.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the City of Houston (the obligee). If a defect shows up in that one-year window and you don't repair it, the city can recover against the bond to make the work right.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays the city to correct a defect, you repay the surety. Contractors who build the work to spec rarely see a claim; the bond simply backs the one-year warranty the city requires.
You need this bond if you are
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 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.
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
E-sign & file with the City of Houston. The original bond is mailed to the address you provide, signed by the principal, ready to file with the city's Public Works department. E-signed copy by email.
What sets the price
The premium is 1.463% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee, $125 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, then mailed.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time soft credit pull and the mailing address for the original bond. Submit once and your bond is issued when you pay.
Start the application →Common questions.
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Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Houston maintenance bond, ready to file.
Priced from $125, soft pull only. Enter your contract amount and have the bond in 1–2 business days.