Washington does not use one statewide contractor face for every trade. Construction businesses that register under chapter 18.27 RCW file a Continuous Contractor Surety Bond with Labor & Industries: RCW 18.27.040 establishes $30,000 for general contractors and $15,000 for specialty contractors on the same registration form family. Plumbing contract work instead requires a Licensed Plumbing Contractor path under chapter 18.106 RCW with its own $6,000 continuous plumbing bond—holding only an 18.27 registration does not authorize plumbing contracting. Electrical and telecommunications contractors license under chapter 19.28 RCW and post a separate $4,000 electrical/telecommunications bond (or assignment of savings) with Electrical Licensing. A business that both registers as a general or specialty contractor and holds plumbing or electrical licenses may need more than one L&I bond on file. Bid, performance, and payment bonds for individual jobs stay outside this Resource Center.
Washington · Surety Bond Resource Center
Washington surety bonds
Washington construction bonding runs through the Department of Labor & Industries on separate statutes. Contractor registration under RCW 18.27 uses one continuous registration bond with general and specialty faces. Plumbing contracting under RCW 18.106 and electrical/telecommunications contracting under RCW 19.28 each require their own license bonds. Use this page to open the guide that matches your L&I notice.
Washington at a glance
- Contractor registration (RCW 18.27)
- $30K / $15K
- Plumbing contractor (RCW 18.106)
- $6,000
- Electrical / telecommunications (RCW 19.28)
- $4,000
- Primary agency
- L&I
General $30,000; specialty $15,000 on Continuous Contractor Surety Bond F625-003-000.
Separate Continuous Plumbing Contractor Surety Bond—not the registration specialty face.
Electrical Licensing form F500-019-000 or assignment of savings.
Registration, plumbing, and electrical programs all sit in Labor & Industries with different forms and statutes.
How it works in this state
How Washington bonding is organized
Washington bond directory
Find your bond requirement
These guides cover license and permit bonds with verified educational content. Your agency notice or application checklist is always the final authority.
- Contractor Registration BondLicense & permitWashington Department of Labor & Industries — Contractor Registration$30,000 general / $15,000 specialtyFile Continuous Contractor Surety Bond (F625-003-000), or assign savingsKeep continuous; raise to current face before renewal if still on legacy amount
- Plumbing Contractor BondLicense & permitWashington Department of Labor & Industries — Plumber Certification$6,000File Continuous Plumbing Contractor Surety Bond, or assign savingsKeep continuous with the plumbing contractor license
- Electrical / Telecom Contractor BondLicense & permitWashington Department of Labor & Industries — Electrical Licensing & Certification$4,000File Electrical/Telecommunications Contractor’s Bond F500-019-000, or assign savingsKeep continuous while the electrical contractor license stays active
Who sets the requirement?
Washington licensing agencies
Each agency below sets its own bond requirement. Open the related guide for amounts and filing steps.
L&I — Contractor Registration
Registers general and specialty construction contractors and receives Continuous Contractor Surety Bonds under RCW 18.27.
Open related guide →L&I — Plumber Certification / Plumbing Contractors
Licenses plumbing contractors and receives Continuous Plumbing Contractor Surety Bonds under RCW 18.106.
Open related guide →L&I — Electrical Licensing & Certification
Licenses electrical and telecommunications contractors and receives the $4,000 electrical/telecommunications bond under RCW 19.28.
Open related guide →Before you apply
Confirm these details from the agency notice
Bring these five items when you request a bond. For the full checklist, see how to read a bond requirement.
- 1
Who requires it
Confirm whether L&I is asking for contractor registration, plumbing contractor licensing, or electrical/telecommunications licensing—the bond forms differ.
- 2
Bond title or form
Continuous Contractor Surety Bond (F625-003-000), Continuous Plumbing Contractor Surety Bond, or Electrical/Telecommunications Contractor’s Bond (F500-019-000).
- 3
Required amount
Use current statutory amounts ($30,000 / $15,000 registration; $6,000 plumbing; $4,000 electrical). Older registration materials may still cite the pre–July 2024 $12,000 / $6,000 figures.
- 4
License / business identifiers
Exact business name on the bond must match the name L&I has on file; originals are required (not photocopies).
- 5
Term / continuation
These L&I bonds stay in force while registered or licensed; cancellation or surety withdrawal typically suspends the registration or license until a replacement is filed and approved.
Learn more about surety bonds
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a specialty contractor registration bond the same as a plumbing contractor bond?
No. Specialty registration under RCW 18.27 uses the Continuous Contractor Surety Bond at $15,000. Plumbing contracting requires a separate Licensed Plumbing Contractor bond of $6,000 under RCW 18.106.410.
Do electrical contractors also need contractor registration?
Electrical/telecommunications licensing under RCW 19.28 has its own $4,000 bond. Construction work that also falls under chapter 18.27 still needs contractor registration and that program’s bond when registration applies—confirm both program notices with L&I.
Why do some sources still show $12,000 or $6,000 for registration?
Those were the general and specialty faces before the July 1, 2024 increase. Current law and L&I materials use $30,000 and $15,000.
Start your Washington bond application
Washington will be preselected in the application. Choose the bond type on the next step—we verify the current agency form before anything is issued.
Last verified 2026-08-10. Official sources are retained with this guide and checked before publication.
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