Finish Master

To register as a specialty contractor in Washington, a business must file a $15,000 surety bond with the Department of Labor & Industries; general contractors file $30,000.

The bond is a limited fund a homeowner (or subcontractor or supplier) can make a claim against, through the courts, if a registered contractor fails to meet its obligations on a job. Contractors must also keep general liability insurance on file — at least $50,000 in property damage and $200,000 in public liability coverage, or a $250,000 combined single limit — which covers damage the contractor causes, not workmanship disputes. The rows above are the bond and insurance filings L&I publishes for this registration; whether a specific filing applies to a specific project depends on its dates and terms.

A handyman specialty contractor is registered with WA L&I for small repair and maintenance jobs. Washington still requires handyman contractors to register, with the same baseline consumer protections that apply to other specialty trades. As a condition of registration, contractors in this category file a $15,000 surety bond and proof of general liability insurance with WA L&I.