When a contractor submits a bid for any project, the project owner typically demands that the contractor arrange a surety bond to ensure the contractor will fulfill their responsibilities. A surety bond is a three-party agreement that financially guarantees a contractor will carry out the contract conditions they are bidding on.

It’s crucial to pick the appropriate bond for the task when obtaining the surety bonds required for submitting a bid for a building contract. 

When working on a contractual assignment, contractors frequently need to get two forms of surety bonds: a payment bond for construction and a performance bond for construction. Although these two are frequently bought together, they serve two distinct but equally important purposes.

Before learning their difference, the readers should look at the meaning of the two bonds.

What is a Payment Bond for Construction?

It is a surety that ensures a contractor pays its suppliers and subcontractors. A contractor purchases it to safeguard the owner of the property by ensuring payment to all suppliers and subcontractors working under them on the project.

If the contractor doesn’t pay its suppliers or subcontractors, this surety shields the project owner from financial responsibility.

Subcontractors and suppliers can submit a claim with the guarantor who issued the contractor’s bond when they cannot get compensation from the latter. If the claim is legitimate, the surety looks into it and pays the plaintiff. The bonded contractor must fully repay the surety.

What is a Performance Bond for Construction?

It is offered to a party as a security against the other party’s failure to meet the contract’s commitments. Performance bonds offer protection against project failure, artistry errors, contractor code infringement, and contractor bankruptcy. 

A bank or an insurance provider will typically offer this to ensure that a contractor completes the assigned jobs. Real estate development and construction frequently use this surety. 

To ensure that the value of the project will not be lost in an unforeseen unfavorable incident, an owner or investor may demand the developer to obtain performance bonds.

The Difference:

Even though the distinction between a payment and a performance bond for construction is apparent, both are frequently confused.

• A payment bond is a surety that is most frequently used on public projects to guarantee payment to particular parties in the event of violating the terms of the construction contract.
  
  The prime contractor on a building project frequently purchases payment bonds to shield the property against liabilities. However, since this ensures they receive payment for the supplies and labor they provide, subcontractors and suppliers ultimately stand to gain just as much from them.

• A performance bond is given to one of the contracting parties as assurance that the other party will fulfill the duties laid out in the agreement. 

The prime contractor typically obtains it for the advantage of the project manager or controlling entity to ensure that the prime contractor will fulfill the performance of the project contract.

Conclusion

Make sure to secure a copy of the payment bond when protecting your receivables, and it’s sometimes easier to do so at the beginning of a project. 

Before filing a claim, you can request a copy, but people are sometimes less willing to comply and produce copies of bonds after payment issues. In some circumstances, the choice about your credit may depend on whether or not a project is bonded.