Zillow is the leading real estate and rental marketplace, with 245 million monthly unique users in 2020 alone. Those looking to buy, rent, or sell a home are no strangers to the company’s website, but what about those of us who just want to see how far our money goes on local real estate, or […]

It’s important to have a firm understanding of your expenses before you make the decision to take on a construction project. We work with contractors on a daily basis to find the best solutions for their bonding and insurance needs, so see many financial scenarios with varying amounts of discretionary income available to take on […]

Many successful small contractors have found working on public projects to be a highly lucrative niche as a result of barriers to entry that prevent non-bonded contractors from bidding on these types of projects. While often profitable, successfully navigating bonded projects takes time and experience and can be more involved than non bonded projects in the private […]

  STATE NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY, INC. 1900 L DON DODSON DRIVE BEDFORD, TX 76021 Website:  http://www.sisinsure.com/ AM Best: “A VIII” Excellent Phone:  (760) 795-0004   Not all contractors have had an easy road to prosperity following the catastrophic affects of the last recession, but one positive turn of events has been the robust level of […]

Are you a Los Angeles based contractor that works on sewer or storm drains connecting to city infrastructure?  If so, be sure to complete the Los Angeles Bonded Sewer Contractor program prior to performing any work to avoid violating city law.  While some contractors may be unfamiliar with the program, we’ve provided a quick rundown […]

Many consumers dread the thought of having strangers in their home or business to perform a specific task such as cleaning or painting because you never know who you can or can’t trust.  What if something gets stolen?  Because of this, many savvy consumers will check to see if the business they are hiring is […]

Prospective California contractors looking to become licensed for the first time, or existing contractors looking to add a new classification are often overwhelmed by a complicated process that can include lengthy applications and processing times, state administered examinations and background checks just to name a few. To help simplify the process, this guide will consolidate […]

California contractors often confuse contractors bonding with liability insurance as they are both highly common in the California construction industry with more than 95% of contractors utilizing bonding according to some estimates, while liability insurance is perhaps the most common form of insurance purchased.  Many contractors understandably think they are quite similar when in fact, […]

How To Find & Bid on Construction Jobs in California The following free California construction bid opportunities resource has been put together by Surety First, Inc. to help contractors find and bid on construction projects in their local CA area/region. Our list provides bid opportunities available in all major California cities including San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, […]

On October 8th, 2015, California governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 467 into law that increases the license bond requirement from $12,500 to $15,000 for California contractors, among other new provisions. The law will take effect January 1st, 2016, though more information regarding implementation details will likely follow shortly.  While several bills signed into law […]