New Mexico Contractor License Bond

Several states and municipalities require contractors working in plumbing, heating, and construction to obtain a license to do business. One requirement of the licensing process is securing a contractor license bond.

A New Mexico contractor license bond is necessary for contractors working in the state, as it safeguards customers, employees, and the municipality from fraud, non-payment, and projects that do not meet building codes.

A New Mexico contractor license bond is a contract between three parties.

The Obligee

The obligee is the state or local licensing authority that requires the bond to be posted. In this case, the obligee is the New Mexico Construction Industries and Manufactured Housing Division

The Principal

The principal is the contractor who is required to obtain the bond to operate legally in the state.

The Surety

The surety company provides the bond to the contractor and pays any claims filed by customers. The contractor then repays the claim to the surety over time.

Under current state laws, contractors working in New Mexico in specific areas of expertise are required to get a valid license. One of the licensing requirements is securing a New Mexico contractor license bond before performing any work on projects.

The obligee for the surety bond for contractors is the New Mexico Construction Industries and Manufactured Housing Division under the state’s Regulation and Licensing Department. The contact information for this division is as follows:

New Mexico Construction Industries and Manufactured Housing Division

Toney Anaya Building

2550 Cerrillos Road

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

Phone: 505-476-4500

Contractors working in New Mexico must have a contract license if they work in certain fields. A New Mexico contractor license bond is also required for those who complete projects in the following categories:

• Air conditioning or heating
• Building structural work
• Electrical work
• Mechanical work
• Plumbing projects
• Excavating
• Speciality contractors

You can easily start the process of obtaining a New Mexico contractor license bond by submitting a brief online application. Here, you must provide details about your contractor license, your business, and your finances. After reviewing the application, the surety company provides a quote for your bond premium.

A New Mexico contractor license bond of $10,000 is required for licensing in the state, but contractors are not responsible for paying the full bond amount. The surety company providing the bond charges a small percentage of the bond total, which is typically between 1 and 10 percent of the bond.

The percentage you pay, known as the bond premium, is determined based on your personal credit history.

Contractors who have had issues like bankruptcy, court judgments, or tax liens in the past are a greater risk to the surety company. A higher bond premium is charged to help offset that risk. This is because bond claims are initially paid by the surety company, but you as the contractor are responsible for repayment for any legitimate claims.

Contractor licenses in New Mexico are issued continuously, without a set expiration date. However, the renewal term for an accompanying New Mexico contractor license bond is either one or three years.

Before the expiration date of the bond and license, renewal information is sent from the surety company along with instructions on how to complete the process.