Surety Bond Cost Calculator
You pay a premium, not the bond amount. The premium is the bond amount (the penal sum) multiplied by a rate the surety sets through underwriting, and most bonds carry a minimum premium. Enter the bond amount and the rate you were quoted, or pick a Texas bond we write to see what it actually costs.
What a surety bond costs at common bond amounts
Premium = bond amount × rate. The rate comes from underwriting, so this table shows what each rate works out to rather than guessing yours.
| Bond amount | at 0.5% | at 1% | at 2% | at 3% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $50 | $100 | $200 | $300 |
| $25,000 | $125 | $250 | $500 | $750 |
| $50,000 | $250 | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| $100,000 | $500 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| $250,000 | $1,250 | $2,500 | $5,000 | $7,500 |
| $500,000 | $2,500 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 |
What we actually charge in Texas
- Texas notary bond: $50 for the full 4-year term of the $10,000 bond, plus the Secretary of State's $21 filing fee.
- GDN dealer bond: TxDMV has required a $50,000 bond for independent dealers since September 1, 2021, on a 2-year term. From $250 for the term, which is RLI's minimum premium and what both dealer bonds we wrote in 2026 cost.
- Vehicle title bond: 1.5× the vehicle's value, 3-year term, $100 minimum premium. A $9,075 title bond we wrote in August 2026 cost $136.
- Contractor license bond: $100 minimum premium; above that, the rate is set by underwriting.
Bid, performance and payment bonds
These are priced per contractor from financial statements and job history, so there is no published rate. The bid documents set the bond amounts: a bid bond is often a percentage of your bid, and performance and payment bonds are usually the full contract price. If your bond is guaranteed through the SBA's Surety Bond Guarantee Program, the SBA charges 0.6% of the contract price on performance and payment bonds and nothing on bid bonds.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does a surety bond cost?
- The premium is the bond amount multiplied by a rate the surety sets through underwriting, subject to a minimum premium. At 1%, a $50,000 bond costs $500 and a $100,000 bond costs $1,000. Some bonds are fixed-price: a Texas notary bond is $50 for its 4-year term, plus the state's $21 filing fee.
- How much does a $100,000 surety bond cost?
- $100,000 × your rate: $500 at 0.5%, $1,000 at 1%, $2,000 at 2%, $3,000 at 3%. The rate depends on the bond type and on underwriting, so get it from a quote rather than a rule of thumb.
- How much does a $500,000 surety bond cost?
- $2,500 at 0.5%, $5,000 at 1%, $10,000 at 2% and $15,000 at 3%. If it is a contract bond, the rate is underwritten on your financial statements and job history.
- Do I pay the full bond amount?
- No. You pay the premium. The bond amount is the most the surety would pay on a valid claim, and you would owe the surety anything it pays out.
- How much does a bid bond cost?
- The bid documents set the bond amount, often as a percentage of your bid; the premium is quoted by the surety. If the bond is guaranteed through the SBA's Surety Bond Guarantee Program, the SBA charges no fee on bid bonds and 0.6% of the contract price on performance and payment bonds.