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Contractor bonds

California Contractor License Bonds — Simple, Fast, and Online

Get the surety bonds your California plumbing business needs through Plumbers Pro, a specialty insurance service of Pembroke Insurance Solutions. The contractor's bond, the qualifying individual bond and the LLC employee/worker bond, placed with California-licensed sureties and filed with CSLB.

Start a bond request Bond questions answered

Online quoting and checkout through our surety partner is being activated. Until then every request is handled personally by a licensed producer, usually the same business day.

Which bond do I need?
  • Every active license
    $25,000 Contractor's Bond — required before CSLB issues, renews or reactivates a license.
  • Licensed through an RME, or an RMO owning under 10%
    $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual, in addition to the contractor's bond.
  • Licensed as an LLC
    $100,000 LLC Employee/Worker Bond, in addition to the contractor's bond.

Source: CSLB bond requirements, reviewed October 23, 2026.

Bond products

Three bonds cover almost every California plumbing license

$25,000Contractor's License Bond

Required for every active C-36 license

Protects consumers and employees harmed by a license-law violation. Must be on file before CSLB issues, renews or reactivates the license.

Details and request → $25,000Bond of Qualifying Individual

When an RME, or an RMO with under 10% ownership, qualifies the license

Filed in addition to the contractor's bond. An RMO who owns 10 percent or more of the voting stock files an exemption instead.

Details and request → $100,000LLC Employee/Worker Bond

Required for every LLC licensee

For the benefit of workers if the LLC fails to pay wages or benefits. Required at issuance, renewal, reactivation and reinstatement, with the contractor's bond.

Details and request →

Also available through Pembroke: disciplinary bonds (required to reinstate a revoked license), and bid, performance and payment bonds for contract work. Use the "another contractor bond" option in the request form.

How it works

From request to filed bond

Tell us which bond

Pick the bond, enter your business name and CSLB license number (or "applying now"), and your contact details.

Quick application

A licensed producer sends the surety's short application. Most license bonds are quoted the same business day; some need a short underwriting review.

Pay the surety

The premium is quoted before you commit. Payment is made securely with the surety or its payment processor; card details are never entered on this website.

Filed with CSLB

The surety files the bond with CSLB, electronically for most carriers. You receive confirmation and a copy of the bond. CSLB must receive a bond within 90 days of its effective date.

Bond amount is not the price. The $25,000 or $100,000 figure is the penal sum: the most the surety will pay on claims. Your premium is a fraction of that, set by the surety from your credit, license history and the bond type, and quoted before you buy. We don't publish premium figures here because they vary by applicant.
Bond request

Request your contractor bond

Online quoting and purchase through our surety partner is being activated. Until then, a licensed Pembroke producer handles each request personally, usually the same business day. No payment is collected on this page.

Would you also like a quote on insurance? (optional)
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Common questions

Before you buy

What happens if my bond is cancelled?

CSLB cancels a license bond 30 days after it receives the surety's notice. If no replacement or reinstatement is on file by then, the license is suspended, and work performed while suspended is unlicensed work. A replacement bond must reach CSLB within 90 days of its effective date to keep licensing time continuous.

Full answer →

Is a bond the same as insurance?

No. Insurance pays covered losses on your behalf. A bond is a guarantee to CSLB and the public: if the surety pays a claim because of your violation, it will seek reimbursement from you. Bonds do not replace general liability or workers' compensation.

Full answer →

Does an LLC need both bonds?

Yes. An LLC licensee files the $25,000 contractor's bond and the $100,000 employee/worker bond, and must also carry general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 (more above five personnel of record).

LLC bond details →

Can I pay CSLB cash instead of a bond?

CSLB accepts a cashier's check in the bond amount in lieu of a surety bond. Most contractors choose a bond because the premium is a fraction of the amount, and the deposit stays tied up with the state.

More bond questions →
While you're here

The rest of the program, from the same agency

A bond keeps the license active. These keep the business insured. One application covers all of them.

General liabilityRequired by contract on almost every job; required by law for LLCs. Workers' compensationMandatory with one employee; required for all C-36 licensees from January 1, 2028. Commercial autoService vans and trucks, hired and non-owned coverage. UmbrellaHigher limits when a GC or owner asks for them. Tools & equipmentWhat rides in the van, insured wherever it is.

Surety bonds are underwritten and issued by surety companies licensed by the California Department of Insurance, placed through Pembroke Insurance Solutions, a licensed insurance agency. Plumbers Pro is a service of Pembroke and is not a surety company. The bond amount (penal sum) is the surety's maximum liability under the bond, not the premium you pay; the premium is set by the surety based on underwriting and is quoted before you buy. Approval is not guaranteed. Bond requirements are set by the Contractors State License Board and can change; verify current requirements at cslb.ca.gov.