Gallagher vs 
Marsh: How Do They Compare for Surety Bonds?
Gallagher brokers commercial surety for industries such as finance, health care, and utilities; Marsh McLennan Agency's dedicated surety team places contract and commercial bonds nationwide.
Gallagher brokers license, court, public official and customs bonds in commercial surety and treats construction contract surety as separate. MMA’s surety practice covers contract, commercial and international bonds, cites 150-plus specialists and $353 million of premium, and adds indemnity and JV prequalification services. 1,3
What Are the Key Differences Between Gallagher and Marsh Surety Bonds?
Commercial-Only Page Versus Three MMA Lines
Gallagher and MMA both broker surety. Gallagher’s commercial surety list is license and permit, court, public official and customs, with contract surety called out as a separate product. 1 3 Choose Gallagher if you need a commercial license, court, public official, or customs bond on that practice page; choose Marsh MMA if you need contract or international surety with a 50-state specialist bench.
Practice Statistics Versus Industry Roster
MMA reports 150-plus surety professionals in 50 states, $353 million premium, nearly 10,000 clients, and markets it says write 95% of U.S. contract bonds. Gallagher names client sectors (healthcare, financial services, utilities, public/private companies, small IT) without those volume statistics. 1 2 3
What Should You Confirm in Gallagher and Marsh Surety Bonds Quotes?
- If you need contract surety, MMA lists it on this practice; ask which Gallagher team writes it. 3 1
- If you need court, public official or customs bonds, Gallagher lists them; confirm MMA commercial surety includes those headings. 1 3
- Compare LOC-replacement and indemnity-negotiation scopes. 1 3
- Get surety names and whether international placement is required. 1 3
Gallagher vs Marsh Surety Bonds Compared
Gallagher vs Marsh: Surety Bonds: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Gallagher Commercial Surety Bonds | Marsh McLennan Agency Surety Bonds |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage Features | Gallagher says it places license and permit bonds, court bonds, public official bonds and customs bonds under its commercial surety practice, distinct from contract (construction) surety bonds, which it treats as a separate related product. 1Company-reported. Group-level commercial surety practice page; a service-menu description, not a specific bond's terms. | MMA offers Contract Surety for construction and similar projects, Commercial Surety issuing license and permit bonds nationwide (in lieu of or alongside letters of credit and other banking obligations), and International Surety for global operations facing varied regulatory requirements. 3Company-reported. MMA surety insurance page, Surety Coverage section. |
| Role in This Line | Gallagher places commercial surety bonds as a three-party arrangement between the client (principal), the party requiring the bond (obligee) and a surety company; Gallagher brokers the bond rather than acting as the surety itself. 1Company-reported. Group-level commercial surety practice page. | Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA), Marsh's middle-market subsidiary, arranges surety bonds through a dedicated surety practice rather than underwriting them itself. 3Company-reported. MMA surety insurance page. |
| Risk Services | Gallagher says its surety team can help replace letters of credit with bonds, work with a client's existing surety program, and facilitate collateral release, citing a case where it placed commercial surety bonds in place of letters of credit to support $60 million in power-purchase obligations for an energy-company client. 1Company-reported. Group-level commercial surety practice page case study; a single company-reported example, not independently verified. | MMA lists competitive indemnity package negotiation, industry benchmarking, joint-venture and teaming-agreement prequalification support, continuity and ownership-transfer consulting, and competitive program design review as services tied to its surety practice. 3Company-reported. MMA surety insurance page, Benefits of Surety and Surety Coverage sections. |
