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Iowa Public Improvement Bonds

Iowa Code chapter 26 requires bid security for covered competitive public-improvement bids, set at 5% to 10% before the bid notice is published. Chapter 573 separately requires a faithful-performance bond when a covered public improvement contract is at least $25,000; the bond may also be required below that amount. 1,2

What Is Surety Bonds?

A surety bond guarantees that your business meets a specific obligation to a customer, contracting party or government agency. If a contract, license or permit requires one, get its exact form and amount; a bond is not insurance for your own losses. Read the national Surety bonds guide.

Iowa Requirements

RequirementDetails
Competitive bid securityThe governmental entity fixes bid security before publishing notice and sets it at 5%–10% of estimated total project cost or the amount of each bid; permitted forms include specified checks or a corporate-surety bidder’s bond. 1
Chapter 573 performance bondA contract at or above $25,000 for a public improvement must include a faithful-performance bond; the entity may require one below $25,000. 2
Public-improvement definitionChapter 573 ties the public-improvement definition to costs paid from taxes or other funds controlled by the public corporation. Chapter 26 separately defines covered work under governmental control and notes several exclusions. 2,1

What to Watch for in Iowa

  • Check highway and utility treatment

    Chapter 26 excludes highway, bridge, and culvert projects from its public-improvement bidding definition; Chapter 573 has separate highway provisions. City-utility work also has specific exclusions and should be classified before applying the 5%–10% rule. 1,2

  • Public funding and control matter

    Chapter 26 expressly includes jointly operated public/private work when the governmental entity controls the work and pays or commits public funds. Do not treat every privately owned job with some public purpose as covered without checking the definitions. 1

  • Retainage is separate from surety security

    The 2026 code text shows chapter 573 retainage capped at 3% and retained for 30 days after completion/acceptance, with continued retention if claims are filed. This is a payment administration rule, not a replacement for required bonds. 2

Who Regulates Insurance in Iowa

Iowa Insurance Division

The Iowa Insurance Division licenses insurance producers and maintains separate lists for licensed insurers and surplus-lines insurer categories. Its filing page routes most rate, rule and form filings through SERFF and identifies filings requiring prior approval; eligible surplus-lines insurers are not required to file or seek approval of their rates or forms. 3,9,8,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 0.925% of surplus-lines premiums when Iowa is the insured's home state, for 2026 When Iowa is the insured's home state, the 2026 premium tax is 0.925%, and the surplus-lines producer shall collect and pay it to the state in addition to gross premium. Placement generally requires an eligible surplus-lines insurer and a diligent search showing the full amount or type is unavailable from an admitted insurer; an exempt commercial purchaser may bypass that search only after the producer discloses that admitted insurance may be available and may offer greater protection and oversight, then the purchaser subsequently requests surplus-lines placement in writing. 6,7

Providers With Documented State Licenses

These providers publish a national listing for Surety bonds; the state records document licenses for the entities and roles shown below. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in Iowa. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • TechInsuranceSpecialty Program Group LLCInsurance producer · checked 2026-09-28TechInsurance’s current licensing page names Specialty Program Group LLC / SPG Insurance Solutions and lists state license numbers, but labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses” rather than identifying a license for the named agency. RI is omitted because this disclosure does not establish agency authority there; this is a search limitation, not an assertion that the company is unlicensed. The remaining state entries are company-reported and are not an insurance product availability map. 15

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Iowa

  1. Which solicitation, statute, and project category does the obligee say governs this contract?
  2. What bond form, penal sum, obligee name, effective date, and filing deadline must the surety meet?
  3. What indemnity, collateral, or personal guarantee would the surety require from the principal, and how could a claim affect the business?

Surety Bonds in Iowa: FAQ

Does a public buyer always require bid security? 1

When chapter 26’s competitive-bidding provisions apply, the notice must tell bidders that each bid shall include security. The entity determines the amount within the statutory 5%–10% range and the listed acceptable forms. 1

Does the statute set a bond percentage? 2

The reviewed current §573.2 sets the contract threshold and faithful-performance condition but does not state a fixed percentage in that section. Use the solicitation’s stated penal sum and required surety. 2

Surety Bonds in Other States

Other Coverage in Iowa

Sources

  1. Iowa Code chapter 26, Public Construction Bidding. Iowa Legislature; 2026 Code, §§26.2, 26.7–26.8; effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Iowa Code chapter 573, Labor and Material on Public Improvements. Iowa Legislature; 2026 Code, §§573.1–573.3 and §§573.12–573.14; 2025 amendment to §573.13 shown in current text. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Iowa Insurance Division. Iowa Insurance Division; Homepage; official insurance regulator. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Insurance License Lookup. Iowa Insurance Division; State-designated producer/company search. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. File an Insurance Complaint. Iowa Insurance Division; Eligibility and process: regulated entities/individuals; insurance policy generally must be issued in Iowa, or group policy to Iowa-based employer; out-of-state-issued/purchased policy is not eligible; online form is preferred. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. 2026 Iowa Code, Chapter 432. Iowa Legislature; 2026 Iowa Code ch.432 §432.1(3)-(4): premium tax allocated to insured's Iowa home state; 2026 applicable rate 0.925%; §§1(5)-(6) payment schedule. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. 2026 Iowa Code, Chapter 515I. Iowa Legislature; 2026 Iowa Code ch.515I §§515I.3(1)(c), .3(2)(a), .4(3), .9: eligible-insurer and diligence conditions; producer shall collect and pay tax in addition to gross premium; eligible surplus-lines insurer rate/form filing exemption; ECP admitted-market disclosure re possible greater protection/oversight and subsequent written request. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Insurers Rate Filing and Policy Form Filings. Iowa Insurance Division; Current DOI filing page: lines 11–34 directs most rate/rule/form filings through SERFF and lists specific rates requiring filing and approval before use; 2026 Iowa Code §515I.4(3) separately exempts eligible surplus-lines insurers from rate/form filing or approval. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Insurers. Iowa Insurance Division; Current insurer categories separately list licensed insurers, Iowa-domiciled companies, alien surplus-lines insurers and American surplus-lines companies; lines 16–24. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  11. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  12. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  13. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  14. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  15. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  16. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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