Construction Bond Providers in Texas: Best Sureties of 2020

When you need a construction bond for a project in Texas, an experienced and construction-focused surety can help you see a project through, from start to finish. On this page, you’ll find some of the top construction bond providers in the Lone Star State. The sureties on this list understand the construction industry and the local landscape, and can be a valuable partner in completing a project in the state. They can help minimize financial risk by preventing contractor default, or recovering quickly afterwards, and resolving any payment problems that may arise.

Types of surety bonds in construction

On a construction project, surety bonds come in a variety of forms. The three most common types of bonds are bid bonds, payment bonds, and performance bonds. Some construction contracts may require supply bonds, maintenance bonds, completion bonds, or a variety of others.

Many public works projects require the general contractor to hold a payment and performance bonds, while some require bid bonds. Property owners on private projects may require bonds as part of the construction contract as well.

Most of the sureties listed below can provide any type of construction bond, regardless of the type you’re looking for.

The Top Construction Bond Sureties in Texas

These sureties on this list were selected because they meet a significant number of the below criteria:

• Strong focus on construction industry
• Are licensed in, and have a physical office and/or staff in Texas
• Provide a variety of construction bonds
• Provide bonds for companies of varying sizes
• Members of the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) and/or the Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA)

Alliant Insurance Services, Inc.

Office Locations: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth & Houston

Construction bond types: Various

Supporting the construction industry with surety bonds since 1925, Alliant Insurance Services, Inc. has helped construction businesses grow while putting them in the right positions to reach their financial goals. Alliant can create a surety program that releases excess collateral for contractors with their national construction platform.

The company can help contractors by increasing bond capacity, flexibility with surety credit terms, improving financial performance, and more. Alliant’s firm also includes a claims department that looks for coverage extensions wherever possible during negotiations. Their president, Peter Arkley, was named one of the “Most Influential Insurance Brokers” in 2019.

Alliant Insurance Services is a member of the NASBP.

Baldwin Cox Allen

Office Address: 5930 Preston View Blvd, Ste. 200, Dallas, TX

Construction bond types

• Bid bonds
• Performance bonds
• Payment bonds
• Maintenance bonds
• Supply bonds
• Subdivision bonds

Aside from providing construction surety bonds, Baldwin Cox Allen services commercial insurance, commercial surety bonds, and personal insurance. The firm supports growing construction businesses, as they understand that bonds help contractors pursue all the work that is available to them.

Baldwin Cox Allen says they can service bid bonds within an hour for contractors, and can help expand a construction business’s bond limits. The firm will also overlook a contractor’s financial statement presentation when needed.

Over the years, Baldwin Cox Allen has forged working relationships with not only contractors, but also local banks, CPAs, financial advisors, and other business allies that can lead to more financial success for construction businesses.

The company, established in 1990, is a member of the NASBP.

Ballew Surety Agency, Inc.

Office Address: 3802 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX

Construction bond types

• Performance bonds
• Payment bonds
• Supply bonds
• Maintenance bonds

Ballew Surety Agency will first understand your unique construction business its requirements before handling your surety bonds. Beyond their construction focused bonds, Ballew Surety Agency also offers appeal bonds, fidelity bonds, labor & material payment bonds, license & permit bonds, and more.

The company’s president, David Ballew, has been working with contractors across Texas for more than 25 years. His son, Brad Ballew, is the company’s bond producer. Brad is also an active member of several construction agencies in the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA).

Ballew Surety Agency is also a member of the NASBP.

Catto & Catto LLP

Office Address: One Alamo Center, San Antino, TX

Construction bond types

• Bid bonds
• Performance bonds
• Payment bonds

Catto & Catto (C&C) offers a surety program that is tailored to the construction industry. Aside from their main construction bond services, they also offer miscellaneous insurance bonds such as notary bonds, fidelity bonds, guardianship bonds, and maintenance bonds.

Other business solutions offered by C&C include property and casualty insurance, risk management, employee benefits, and wellness. They can better service contractors through their memberships with national and international organizations:

• Assurex Global
• The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers
• The Independent Insurance Agents of Texas

Catto & Catto is another member of the NASBP.

HUB International Texas, Inc.

Office Locations: Fort Worth, Dallas, Coppell, Lewisville, San Antonio, Mesquite, Tyler, Spring, Longview, Stafford, & El Paso

Construction bond types:

• Bid bonds
• Performance bonds
• Payment bonds

With 11 locations scattered across Texas, Hub International Texas offers a construction insurance program that includes surety bonds. The company has plenty of experience working with GCs, subs, construction service firms, and project owners. Hub will work with contractors from before their bid through the project’s completion.

They’ll also help contractors identify the correct construction insurance and risk management solutions to:

• Manage premium rates
• Limit workers’ compensation claim costs
• Protect contractors against liability claims
• Create employee benefits programs

Hub International Texas has a surety program that can support big or small construction businesses. Hub has relationships with top fidelity and surety companies across America to better serve contractors. Once you’ve set up an account with Hub International Texas, you’ll be entitled to a 24-hour turnaround on surety bond requests.

K & S Insurance Agency

Office Address: 2255 Ridge Rd #333, Rockwall, TX

Construction bond types

• Bid bonds
• Performance bonds
• Payment bonds

K & S Insurance Agency is a member of the NASBP and works alongside notable carriers such as Liberty Mutual, Lincoln Financial Group, Travelers Insurance, and much more. The firm offers a full-range of surety services for contractors on any project size. K & S will also evaluate your business’s financial and operational capabilities to improve underwriting results.

In addition, K & S Insurance agency can conduct a pre-qualification of subs and contract reviews. Aside from just providing construction bonds, K & S benefits contractors by reviewing their financial performance, fostering relationships between the contractor and surety, and frequent meetings with a surety advisor in order to evaluate the contractor’s program.

Lockton Companies, LLC

Office Address: 3657 Briarpark Drive, Houston, TX

Construction bond types: Various

Lockton Companies has been a construction and surety brokerage for over 50 years. Today, the company represents over 2,000 clients across all industries they service, including Fortune 500 companies. Lockton’s surety program offers contractors with:

• Technology that covers surety communication and negotiations
• Surety benchmarking capabilities
• Invoicing and reporting plans tailored to individual contractors
• Supplier risk management technologies

The company has worked with GCs, subs, and designers over the entire scope of a construction project with their construction risk management expertise. Through Lockton’s background in construction contracts, they can also help reduce claims costs through loss prevention, arrange surety bond facilities, and offer a claims cost control team that will track and reduce losses.

McGriff, Seibels & Williams Inc.

Office Locations: Dallas, Houston, & San Antonio

Construction bond types: Various

Through McGriff, Seibels & Williams’ construction risk program, the company has posted $500M in construction premiums. With approximately 95 professionals on their team dedicated to the construction industry, contractors working with McGriff, Seibels & Williams can rely on the firm for risk management, safety management, and bond claims.

The firm’s nationally-focused construction surety program is designed for each contractor they work with, no matter the size of their business. Their bonding program supports many industries beyond construction, such as transportation, energy, financial, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, real estate, and waste companies.

McGriff, Seibels & Williams is not only an active member of the NASBP, but also belongs to:

• Associated General Contractors of America
• Associated Building Contractors
• American Subcontractors Association
• Pipeline Contractors Association
• National Association of Demolition Contractors
• Construction Financial Management Association
• National Association of Surety Bond Producers

Mullis Newby Hurst

Office Locations: Addison & Lubbock

Construction bond types

• Bid bonds
• Performance bonds
• Payment bonds

Mullins Newby Hurst offers a quick turnaround for contractors seeking bid bonds. They’ll monitor industry trends for their clients and can help contractors address their changing needs. Mullis Newby Hurst will help contractors build a team of professionals around them, such as with construction CPAs, lawyers, and bankers.

The firm also helps contractors with year-end financial planning and will review contractor bid specifications for the right coverage. They’ll also coordinate with insurance companies over loss control, claims and audit services, and will review individual claims with adjusters on problem cases. Mullins Newby Hurst is another member of the NASBP.

Technical Assurance, LLC

Office Address: 26623 Oak Ridge Drive, The Woodlands, TX

Construction bond types

• Bid bonds
• Performance bonds
• Payment bonds
• Maintenance bonds

Technical Assurance, LLC offers an emerging contractors program that specifically supports new contractors that are struggling to obtain a bid, performance, and payment bond. The company has over 80 years of combined surety expertise, and is an active member of the NASBP. Technical Assurance also has many surety partnerships with trusted insurance agencies.

Aside from Technical Assurance’s main construction contract bonds, they also offer what they call “express bonds,” for contractors who don’t need bonds very often.