People say "bonded and insured" like it's one thing. It's two, and they do opposite jobs. Mixing them up costs contractors work, and sometimes money.
A bond is a three-party agreement: you (the principal), the customer or agency requiring it (the obligee), and the surety that backs it. It guarantees you'll do what you promised. If you don't, the surety pays the obligee — then comes after you to be repaid. A bond protects your customer, not you.
General liability pays for injury or property damage you cause someone else — you put a ladder through a client's window, a passerby trips over your materials. That's protection for you: the carrier pays the claim and generally doesn't chase you for it. See our contractor insurance page for what we cover.
Often, yes. Many Arkansas jobs, licenses, and contracts require a bond (license or permit bonds, bid bonds, performance bonds) and proof of GL. They're not interchangeable — a bond won't satisfy an insurance requirement, and insurance won't satisfy a bond requirement.
A bond is closer to credit than to coverage. A paid bond claim is a debt you owe the surety. Contractors who treat a bond like insurance — "the bond will cover it" — get a nasty surprise. Do the work; the bond is a promise, not a safety net for you.
One caution: read the exact wording of what the job or agency requires. "Bonded" and "insured" show up together but mean different documents — bring us the requirement and we'll match it.
Tell us the exact job or license requirement and we'll sort out what you actually need — and quote it.
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