Who this applies to
Oregon ties a bond to every license the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) issues, but it does not set one figure for everyone. The amount follows the endorsement, or endorsements, that the license holds [1], and across the whole schedule it runs from $15,000 [1] to $80,000 [1]. For the general, specialty and limited contractor endorsements, the figures are:
- Residential General Contractor: $25,000 [1]
- Residential Specialty Contractor: $20,000 [1]
- Residential Limited Contractor: $15,000 [1]
- Commercial General Contractor Level 1: $80,000 [1]
- Commercial Specialty Contractor Level 1: $55,000 [1]
- Commercial General Contractor Level 2: $25,000 [1]
- Commercial Specialty Contractor Level 2: $25,000 [1]
The rule lists more endorsements than these. Residential and commercial developers and construction flagging contractors have lines of their own, and so does a group of residential service endorsements (locksmith services, home inspector services, home services, home energy performance scores and residential restoration), each of which is set at $15,000 [1].
What the rule says
The schedule is an administrative rule, OAR 812-003-0171 [1], adopted under the board's authority in ORS 701.068, 701.088 and 701.235 [1]. It reads like a price list: one line per endorsement, one dollar amount per line. A surety bond is one way to meet it, and a letter of credit or a cash deposit is accepted in lieu of the bond. The obligee is the State of Oregon and the CCB, and the board prescribes the bond forms, publishing a residential version and a commercial one.
How to comply
- Work out every endorsement on the license, or on the application, and find its line in the rule. The list above gives the general, specialty and limited figures; developer, flagging and service endorsements are priced in the rule as well.
- Use the CCB's prescribed bond form, residential or commercial, or post a letter of credit or cash deposit, which the rule accepts instead.
- Get the current bond forms from the board at oregon.gov/ccb, then compare the amount for your endorsement with the rule text in the Sources list. Confirm it with the CCB before relying on this summary.
What changed recently
January 1, 2024 [1] is the start date of the schedule now in force. The board brought it in through amendment CCB 1-2023 [1], filed on November 30, 2023 [1].
Related
- Contractor license bond cost calculator: enter the amount for an endorsement and a credit tier to get an annual premium range.
- All states' bond requirements: each state's figure with the law that sets it.