Tempe, AZ
Tempe, AZ contractor bond quotes
Local construction data, public works bond rules, and what sureties ask Tempe contractors for. A quote is not a binder.
With about 189,834 people, Tempe sits in a county whose construction sector numbered 9,692 establishments in 2023. Contractors competing for Tempe schools, streets, utilities, and commercial buildings regularly need surety bonds to win and sign contracts.
Contractors in Maricopa County by the numbers
| Measure (2023) | Maricopa County | Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Construction establishments (all) | 9,692 | 15,551 |
| Construction employees | 155,355 | 208,755 |
| Annual payroll per construction employee | $76,844 | $72,769 |
| Commercial and institutional building contractors | 533 | 763 |
| Heavy and civil engineering contractors | 442 | 707 |
| Construction firms with fewer than 5 employees | 58% | 59% |
Census Bureau County Business Patterns, 2023 release.
Maricopa County has 442 heavy and civil engineering contractors, the firms that build roads, bridges, water lines, and utility systems. Nearly all of that work is public, and nearly all of it is bonded.
Maricopa County's 533 commercial and institutional builders compete for offices, schools, and public facilities. Private owners and lenders on larger projects increasingly ask for performance and payment bonds too.
Renovation, growth, and bonding in Tempe
Tempe's median housing year of 1984 points to infrastructure entering its replacement cycle, from water mains to roofs on public buildings, all common sources of bonded contracts.
About 42% of the city's housing units are in buildings of five or more units, versus 16% statewide. That level of multifamily construction brings private bonded work for contractors with the capacity to handle it.
86,182.0 housing units stand in Tempe today; detached and attached single-family homes account for 48%. Every new block of homes eventually means more water, sewer, and road capacity, which public owners procure under bonded contracts.
Source: Census ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates; Vintage 2024 population estimates.
Arizona bond law for Tempe public projects
If you are bidding a public job in Tempe, check the solicitation against A.R.S. § 34-222 (performance and payment bonds). That law sets when performance and payment bonds are required; projects funded and owned by the federal government fall under the Miller Act.
Nearby construction markets
Also in Maricopa County, Phoenix has housing with a median build year of 1985. Tempe's county ranks 8th of 25 profiled Arizona cities for number of construction firms.
Preparing a Tempe bond request
- Owners' personal financial statements
- Legal entity details and owners
- Largest jobs completed in the last five years
- Owner name, project location, and bid date
- List of open jobs with costs and billings
- The bond form and bid documents
Questions from Tempe contractors
When are bonds required on Tempe public work?
Most public construction contracts in Tempe above the statutory threshold require performance and payment bonds; the bid documents state the requirement.
How big is the construction industry near Tempe?
The Census Bureau counted 9,692 construction establishments in Maricopa County in 2023.
Can a small Tempe contractor get bonded?
Yes, usually starting with smaller bonds. See how to get bonded.
More Arizona cities
Bond quotes in Arizona · Bond types
Last updated October 15, 2026 · How we research