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	Subject - Bonded or insured? Greg What is the difference between being bonded vs being insured. Aren't they basically the same? kbsparky Being "bonded" is a performance issue. Many licensing boards require bonding to ensure you complete jobs that you start. If you don't finish those jobs, they have the right to call the bond, and pay someone else with the proceeds to finish the job for you. Of course, you'll probably lose your license if that occurs. There are specialty bonds out there, as well, such as: Bid Bonds, Payment Bonds, etc. These are sometimes required when bidding on government contracts. Insurance is basically a liability thing. Suppose you are working in a building, and accidently shut down the power to another tenant. Their loss of productivity can cause them to seek damages from you, and you might file a claim with your insurance company. Or if you installed something improperly, which caused a fire. Those damages can be covered by your liability insurance. Some contracts call for minimum coverage amounts of liability insurance, and some even require to be listed as "additional insured" to allow the general contractor to initiate a claim on your insurance policy. Greg So where do I go to get a Bid Bond? wilkie Greg, I got a bond through Bonds Express online. I was in a time crunch and served a purpose. It was also very cheap comparatively. WARNING: Their customer service and support royally suck. They did not send the original to the state which caused a paperwork nightmare, in the process their receptionist would hang up on me, and I got the run around. I eventually spoke with the owner directly, who professionally solved my problem. The better your credit, the faster you will get processed. Does Bid Bond mean "Beat the Idiots Deal"??????just kidding