For contractors
The Keating Agency · Your Nationwide Surety Bond Partner
Surety Bonds Done Right — Responsive, Accurate, Nationwide
Whether you need a bid bond by end of day or a full performance program, we confirm requirements, prepare the submission, and get it issued cleanly — with a specialist who actually answers the phone.
Credit-Based Express
Qualify on credit — bonds up to $3M
No full financial package. Contractors up to $3M, developers up to $1.5M–$2M — on good credit. See if you qualify.
Check my eligibility →2-minute application · quick credit-based review · no obligation.
Start Your Bond Request
One form, every bond type — or chat with us and we'll confirm requirements right away.
All bond types — contract, subdivision & commercial
Request a Bond→One form for every bond request — we'll confirm requirements and route it right away.
or chat with us now
Chat with usOur team typically responds within minutes→✓ We'll review your submission, confirm any missing details, and follow up with a quote or next steps — typically within 1 business hour during business hours.
Available Mon–Fri — or leave a message and we'll follow up same day.
What we'll need (if underwriting is required)
- Bond form / obligee language (or link to specs)
- Latest financials (CPA or interim, depending on size)
- WIP schedule and backlog (if applicable)
- Bank letter / line of credit terms (sometimes)
A-rated
Bonds on A-rated carrier paper
50 states
Licensed surety, nationwide
Est. 2012
Surety specialists, not a call center
Same-day
Turnaround on most bid bonds
1 hr
Typical response in business hours
Who we are
Built around contract surety
The Keating Agency is a nationwide surety bond agency built around contract surety — bid, performance & payment, and subdivision bonds — backed by A-rated carriers, in all 50 states and D.C.
We set your underwriting up once and keep your program ready, so each bond issues fast — with a specialist who actually answers the phone.
The process
How it works
Submit a short request, we lock down the requirements, and underwriting only comes in when it has to.
1
Tell us what you need
Send the bond form or specs, the amount, and the basics. Not sure? Chat or call — we'll figure it out with you.
2
We lock down the requirements
We confirm the exact obligee language, penal sum, and what (if any) underwriting is required — no surprises later.
3
Issue and deliver
We issue on A-rated paper and deliver the executed bond — often the same day for bid bonds and credit-based programs.
The three parties to a surety bond
You — the Principal
Contractor or developer who must perform the obligation
backed by
The Surety
A-rated carrier that guarantees you'll perform
protects
The Obligee
Project owner or agency requiring the bond
What we handle
Bond Types
Contract surety is our core — bid, performance & payment, subdivision, bonding letters, and credit-based Express bonds up to $3M — alongside the full range of commercial surety. Pick a type for the fastest path to issuance.
Bid Bonds
Same-day bid bonds that guarantee your proposal and your ability to bond the job if you win.
Learn more →Performance & Payment Bonds
The two bonds that back the job — performance guarantees the work, payment guarantees your subs and suppliers.
Learn more →Subdivision Bonds
Improvement, completion, and maintenance bonds developers post to a municipality for public infrastructure.
Learn more →Bonding Letters
A surety's letter confirming your bonding capacity — single-job and aggregate — for prequalification and bids.
Learn more →Express Bonds (Credit-Based)
Credit-based surety bonds with minimal paperwork and fast issuance — no full financial package. Up to $3,000,000 for contractors and $1.5M–$2M for developers.
Learn more →Deposit Bonds
Free up buyers' escrowed deposits for your project. The escrow agent releases purchaser deposits to the developer, and the bond guarantees the escrow agreement.
Learn more →License & Permit Bonds
Bonds required to hold a license or pull a permit — contractor, motor vehicle dealer, and many more.
Learn more →Commercial Surety Bonds
The broad category — license, permit, deposit, fidelity, and miscellaneous obligations of all kinds.
Learn more →Fidelity & ERISA Bonds
Employee-dishonesty and ERISA plan bonds that protect against theft and satisfy federal plan requirements.
Learn more →Contractor License Bond
The bond your state or city requires to get and keep your contractor's license — usually credit-based and same-day.
Learn more →Auto Dealer Bond
The motor vehicle dealer bond your state DMV requires to license a dealership. Fast, credit-based issuance.
Learn more →Freight Broker Bond (BMC-84)
The $75,000 BMC-84 bond the FMCSA requires for freight brokers and forwarders. Issued and filed fast.
Learn more →Mortgage Broker Bond
The license bond your state requires — filed through the NMLS — to hold a mortgage broker or lender license.
Learn more →Sales Tax Bond
The bond some states require from a business to guarantee it collects and remits sales and use tax.
Learn more →Liquor License Bond
The alcohol bond many states and cities require to issue a liquor license — guaranteeing tax payment and compliance.
Learn more →Money Transmitter Bond
The surety bond state regulators require — often via the NMLS — to hold a money transmitter or MSB license.
Learn more →Customs Bond
The federal CBP bond importers need to clear goods through U.S. Customs — continuous or single-entry.
Learn more →More Commercial Bonds
Used car dealer, janitorial, collection agency, public official, and more — the full commercial & license bond directory.
Browse the directory →Free tool
What will your bond cost?
Get an instant estimate on our real sliding-scale rates. Pick a bond, enter the amount, and we'll send the detailed breakdown and an exact quote.
$
Estimated first-term premium
$3,750 – $15,000
≈ 0.75%–3% of the bond amount
Estimated first-term premium on a $500,000 contract — roughly 0.75%–3% of the contract amount. Stronger credit, financials, and bonding history land near the low end. Final rate is set at underwriting.
Get the detailed breakdown + an exact quote
We'll send a line-by-line estimate for your performance & payment bonds and confirm your exact rate. Or call 610-489-6168.
Free guides
Get bonded with confidence
No-fluff guides for contractors and developers — what underwriters look for, the documents to have ready, and how to get more capacity.
For developers
The Developer's Subdivision Bond Checklist
Get the guide →For contractors
How Underwriters Read Your WIP Schedule
Get the guide →Downloads
Forms & Resources
Download the core forms we use to move requests quickly and accurately — including our credit-based Express application for contractors and developers.
Contractor Questionnaire
The standard intake we use to confirm requirements and route your submission quickly.
DownloadContract Bond Request Form
For bid, performance, and payment bonds on construction and contract work.
DownloadWIP Schedule
Work-in-progress schedule template — what underwriters look for on contract programs.
DownloadPersonal Financial Statement
Owner PFS used to support contract surety credit on larger programs.
DownloadSubdivision Bond Application
For developers posting improvement, maintenance, and completion bonds to a municipality.
DownloadCommercial Bond Request Form
For license & permit, deposit, fidelity, and other commercial surety bonds.
DownloadExpress · Credit-Based
Express Application — Credit-Based Bonds
Credit-based path for contract bonds up to $3M and subdivision up to $1.5M–$2M. Fast issuance, minimal paperwork.
Download50
States covered
Nationwide surety, one point of contact
9+
Bond categories
Contract, subdivision & commercial surety
A-rated
Carrier paper
Bonds backed by A-rated sureties
1 hr
Response time
Typical reply during business hours
Insights
From the desk
Practical notes on surety bond requirements, common mistakes, and what underwriters actually look for.
Contract surety
Why bid bonds get rejected — and how to avoid it
A bid bond is rarely declined on its own merits — it's declined because the underwriting behind the final bond isn't there yet. Here's how to get ahead of it.
Read →Underwriting
What underwriters actually look for in a WIP schedule
Your work-in-progress schedule is the single most important document in contract surety. Here's what a surety reads in it — and what raises flags.
Read →Express program
The Express program: surety bonds on credit alone, up to $3M
For credit-qualified contractors (up to $3,000,000) and developers (up to $1.5M–$2M), you may not need a full financial package at all. Here's how credit-based Express bonding works, who qualifies, and how to apply in two minutes.
Read →Contract surety
How much do performance and payment bonds cost?
Performance and payment bonds typically cost 0.75%–3% of the contract amount as a first-term premium — the rate slides down as the contract gets larger and your credit and financials get stronger.
Read →Underwriting
Why surety bond applications get declined — and how to fix yours
Most surety declines trace to four fixable issues: weak working capital, missing or unreviewed financials, poor job-cost reporting, and personal credit. Here's how to fix each one.
Read →Subdivision
Subdivision bond vs. letter of credit: which should a developer use?
A subdivision bond frees up the bank credit line that a letter of credit ties up — for most developers, that cash-flow difference is the deciding factor.
Read →Get your bond — fast.
Send the form and the amount and we'll confirm requirements and get it issued. Same-day on most bid bonds; credit-based Express up to $3M for contractors and $1.5M–$2M for developers.
Start Your Bond Request
One form, every bond type — or chat with us and we'll confirm requirements right away.
All bond types — contract, subdivision & commercial
Request a Bond→One form for every bond request — we'll confirm requirements and route it right away.
or chat with us now
Chat with usOur team typically responds within minutes→✓ We'll review your submission, confirm any missing details, and follow up with a quote or next steps — typically within 1 business hour during business hours.
Available Mon–Fri — or leave a message and we'll follow up same day.