Seattle, WA
Seattle, WA contractor bond quotes
Bid, performance, and payment bonds for contractors working in Seattle, with county industry data. A quote is not a binder.
With about 755,000 people, Seattle sits in a county whose construction sector numbered 6,775 establishments in 2023. Contractors competing for Seattle schools, streets, utilities, and commercial buildings regularly need surety bonds to win and sign contracts.
The construction market around Seattle
| Measure (2023) | King County | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Construction establishments (all) | 6,775 | 27,190 |
| Construction employees | 75,035 | 229,133 |
| Annual payroll per construction employee | $93,722 | $83,136 |
| Commercial and institutional building contractors | 223 | 782 |
| Heavy and civil engineering contractors | 211 | 909 |
| Construction firms with fewer than 5 employees | 66% | 68% |
Data: County Business Patterns 2023 (NAICS 23, 236220, 237).
King County has 211 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.
King County's 223 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.
Seattle's building stock and bonded work
With a median housing year of 1976, Seattle has a mix of mature neighborhoods and later growth. Expect both rehabilitation of older infrastructure and new subdivision work, which can bring subdivision or site improvement bonds.
About 51% of the city's housing units are in buildings of five or more units, versus 22% statewide. That level of multifamily construction brings private bonded work for contractors with the capacity to handle it.
The Census Bureau's 2020–2024 survey puts Seattle's housing stock at 393,918.0 units, 43% of them single-family homes, with 56% of occupied homes rented. Those numbers shape the mix of bonded street, utility, and facility contracts the city puts out.
Housing data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 (tables B25024, B25035). Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 city population estimates.
Statutory bonds on Seattle public work
Bonds on Seattle public contracts are required by RCW 39.08 (contractor's bond); federal contracts use the Miller Act. Subcontractors and suppliers should note the payment bond claim deadlines in whichever law applies.
Small firms dominate local construction, with 66% employing fewer than five people. If you are among them, a clean balance sheet and CPA-prepared statements are the fastest route to larger bonds.
How Seattle compares
Bellevue shares King County with Seattle; its median housing year is 1982. By county construction establishments, Seattle ranks 1st among the 30 Washington cities profiled here.
Preparing a Seattle bond request
- Owners' personal financial statements
- Contract amount, schedule, and owner
- CPA-prepared statements for the last fiscal year
- Largest jobs completed in the last five years
- Work-in-progress schedule
- The bond form and bid documents
Questions from Seattle contractors
When are bonds required on Seattle public work?
Most public construction contracts in Seattle above the statutory threshold require performance and payment bonds; the bid documents state the requirement.
How many contractors work in King County?
The Census Bureau counted 6,775 construction establishments in King County in 2023.
Can a new contractor in Seattle get a performance bond?
Yes, usually starting with smaller bonds. See how to get bonded.
More Washington cities
Bond quotes in Washington · Bond types
Last updated October 15, 2026 · How we research