performance bond

Secret #91: Bonding Capacity – Enough is Enough

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Contractors know Surety Bonding Capacity is good to have and the more you have the better! But how do you determine the amount that is enough?

Primer on Capacity

  • Bonding capacity is normally described as an amount per project and an aggregate total. The amount per contract is referred to as the “single,” meaning the amount available to support a single contract. The aggregate is the incomplete portion of all the current and new contracts on any given day.
  •  Bonding companies look at the contractor’s capabilities when determining the single amount they will support. These include similar jobs successfully completed, available resources such as supervision, labor, and equipment as well as financial liquidity.
  •  To evaluate the aggregate, underwriters look at historical production levels, financial strength and other relevant factors.
  •  They also consider the capacity amount the contractor is requesting. For successful management of the relationship, it is beneficial to provide what the client desires if possible.

So how does the contractor determine the capacity levels to request?

First off, underwriters are unlikely to support new projects more than double the size of prior work. In addition, they generally expect the financial analysis of the last company fiscal year-end financial statement to show adequate levels of strength for such projects. (Read Secrets of Bonding # 4 for a complete explanation regarding working capital calculations.)

The aggregate capacity is generally double the “single” amount although there may be cases where a limited program consists of a single and aggregate for the same amount. This would mean the underwriters only want to support one project at a time with no overlap.

As far as the ability to bid on multiple projects while performing other work, the solution is to have an aggregate amount that is a multiple of the single, for example $1 million single / $2 million aggregate (referred to as “one over two”).

To decide if the aggregate is enough, first determine if it consists of bonded work only or all projects. This enoughvaries by underwriter. It is reasonable and likely they will say “the aggregate includes all work, bonded and unbonded.” This approach takes all the contractor’s obligations into consideration, everything that may tax financial and human resources and therefore affect the bonded work.

The more liberal treatment is to define the aggregate as only including bonded work. This provides unlimited potential to add unbonded work with no scrutiny by the surety.

Capacity Management Tips

One factor that affects the adequacy of the aggregate is the company’s bidding strategy. Stacking up multiple bids in rapid succession consumes the aggregate more quickly.

The prompt recognition / reporting of progress on bonded jobs and their conclusion has the opposite effect. It helps make more capacity available.

Knowing when current bonded projects will complete can be helpful. Underwriters may support bids knowing that the start of the new project will be after the completion of a current bonded job. This is a slightly creative way of stretching the capacity with a view toward the future. Some underwriters will exercise this flexibility.

Conclusion

In our experience we find that capacity is the most important element of a bonding program.

Contractors are always concerned about the competitiveness of their bond rate. But if you don’t have enough capacity to add the new project, the rate doesn’t really matter.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Bid and Performance Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

Secrets of Bonding #90: Manage Your Credit Report

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Love it or hate it, you do have a credit report and potential creditors can view it.

Credit scores have always been important in the evaluation of contractors applying for bid and performance bonds. Today they are even more important because a number of bonding programs we offer use the personal credit score as a primary basis for the bond approval.

Let’s dig into this critical underwriting element, learn about the inner workings and how to manage them.

Here are the main components used in evaluating the credit status (listed in order of importance):Credit cards

  1. Payment history
  2. Amounts owed
  3. Types of credit in use
  4. Length of credit history

Dig Deeper

Each credit bureau has reporting relationships with vendors and lenders. They gather payment info from them each month. It is likely that every credit bureau receives information from the issuers of your major retail credit cards (such as department stores and gas cards.) They may not, however, know all of your creditors. Therefore it is possible that credit bureaus may show different data and credit scores.

Regarding amounts owed, the dollar amount may not necessarily lower your score. It is more detrimental if you are using a high percentage of your available credit. This is viewed as a possible indication of financial stress.

The type of credit you use is not a major factor in determining your score. However, you should refrain from opening new credit cards unnecessarily. It may also lower your score if you do not have any credit cards. Managing credit card debt responsibly helps raise your score.

Applications for new credit can lower your score, especially if you do not have a long credit history. It does not lower your score if you order your own report directly from the credit bureau.

Manage Your Credit Report

Step one is to order a free copy of your credit report and check it for erroneous information. Mistyped social security numbers and name spelling errors can result in other people’s bad information appearing in your report. This happens more often than you might think.

If you do find inaccuracies, write to the credit bureau, provide an explanation and evidence (such as proof that a disputed account was settled) and demand a correction.

Other tips:

  • Set up payment reminders
  • Reduce the amount of debt you owe
  • Pay your bills on time
  • Talk to creditors if you are having difficulty making payments

Conclusion

Your credit score matters for bonding and other purposes. It is worth taking the time to manage, and maximize it.

Disclaimer: We are not credit counselors and are not providing financial advice! We are Surety Bond Specialists.  If you need a credit counselor, contact one.  If you need a bond, call us!

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Bid and Performance Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

Secret #81: The Path to Profitable Contracts

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Profits.  Is there anything more important for the success of a company?

path_to_riches This critical factor determines if bills can be paid, if growth is achieved – it is the very essence of survivability.

Ask any business owner and they’ll tell you they make every effort to protect their profit margin.  They are careful about choosing the right contracts, vendors, and employees.  When construction companies pursue competitively bid projects (municipal, state and federal), they meticulously calculate the cost estimate to assure a healthy profit upon completion.

For many firms, competitively bid work is their bread and butter. The plain truth is that such jobs are difficult to win.  All the proposers want the revenues but only the lowest bidder wins. The others get nothing for their effort. In this lean and mean environment, contractors must calculate the minimum profit that is sustainable for their firm.  With so much at stake, good management practices require a diligent effort to protect the company’s financial interests.

Everything we’ve said so far probably seems obvious.  No one would dispute the importance of protecting the life blood of a company’s future. However, over the course of our years bonding contractors, the reality may be slightly different…

Fallacy #1: “If I bid it right, the job will be successful.”  This seems like a good strategy.  But what’s wrong with it?

The problem is that a project estimate is just that, an estimate. The contractor may be confident that all labor and material costs are correct. The company may have successfully completed similar projects. But unpredictable factors such as weather, variances in productivity and outside factors like a subcontractor’s performance can all contribute to the financial success or failure of the job.

Fallacy #2: “If the architect approves my monthly pay requisitions, the job must be on track.”

This fails to consider that the architect is the owner’s representative. The architect wants a completed project even if there is no profit left for the contractor!  It is not the architect’s (or project owner’s) job to protect the contractor from taking a beating.

Fallacy #3: “When I get to the end of the project that’s when I find out about the profits.”

The problem here is the lack of oversight during the life of the job, when the outcome may still be managed.

Bonding companies intend to support well-managed, financially successful construction firms. One very important element is the analysis and management of incomplete contracts.  This process must be performed during the life of the projects.

To be successful, this oversight process depends on three elements:

  1. The accumulation of project specific cost data (labor and material utilized).
  2. The data must be analyzed with sufficient frequency (such as monthly).
  3. The remaining “Costs-to-Complete” must be periodically re-estimated based on actual contract performance.  This means not relying on the accuracy of the original project estimate but instead reviewing the actual labor and material cost experience.  When this is compared to the original estimate, enlightened predictions can be made regarding the ultimate profitability.

By following these three steps, construction companies can effectively predict their revised profit estimate and manage open contracts during their life – while there is still time to affect the outcome.

We can say with certainty, all well-managed construction companies utilize such procedures.  Equally, all surety underwriters expect to see this management approach and can readily detect if it is not being utilized.

Contractors must use these procedures to protect profitability and assure their future success.

Want this expertise and creativity on your next Bid or Performance Bond? FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company that can help! We have specialized in Bid, Performance, Site and Subdivision Bonds since 1979.

Steve Golia is Marketing Manager for FIA Surety.  Call Steve now: 856-304-7348

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Secrets of Bonding #70: Labor, Contracts, and Labor Contracts

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On the subject of Bid and Performance / Payment Bonds, the process of obtaining one always includes a Bond Request Form.  This document is required by surety company decision makers (bond underwriters), who need to view a summary of the relevant details.

They also use this form to document the approval of the bond, and may make note of special conditions they are requiring, the bond rate and execution / shipping instructions.

The bond request form contains general info identifying the client and the beneficiary of the new bond (the obligee), plus specific details about the project.

For example, it will ask for the description and location of the work, the start and end date, and details about the performance. Subcontractors will be described. There will be a question about other projects the contractor is performing.  There will also be a question about labor on the project.

The labor question is usually part of a group like this:

Est. Materials:___%     Est. Labor___%     Est Overhead / Profit___%

(It’s worth noting that the sum of the three should equal 100%!)

The answer to the labor question has certain implications for the underwriter. There is no “normal” scenario, but let’s use this for illustration:

Materials: 30%     Labor: 60%     Overhead/Profit: 10%

If 30-60-10 is a response within the range of normal, how would you interpret this?

Materials: 90%     Labor: 0%     Overhead/Profit: 10%

This looks like a material supply contract.  The client has a product they are selling.  They have no “on-site labor.”  They are not assembling or incurring any labor costs at the project location.  When evaluating the relative degree of risk associated with bonding this contract, is there more or less risk than normal?

You may run into the opposite situation:

Materials: 0%     Labor: 90%     Overhead/Profit: 10%

This is a “labor contract.” Maybe a general contractor needs carpenters on a project so they give out a labor only subcontract. Would underwriters consider this factor a plus?

The answer is that labor is considered more unpredictable than materials.  You know the exact cost of materials, but how much for installation? There are variable factors that can influence the ultimate cost of project labor (human productivity, worker morale, quality of supervision, design deficiencies, weather, other contractors, etc.)

Conclusion:

A material “supply contract” is easier to bond than a labor and material contract or a labor contract.

What about this?

Materials: 40%     Labor: 60%     Overhead/Profit: 0%

Sounds like the subject of a future “Secret!”

FIA Surety / First Indemnity of America Insurance Company
2740 Rt. 10 West, Suite 205
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
Office: 973-541-3417

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Secrets of Bonding #67: Get to Know FedBizOpps

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“FedBizOpps” or www.FBO.gov, is a federal website presented by the General Services administration. It is officially described as a “web-based portal which allows vendors to review Federal Business Opportunities.”

This site can be a great help to bonding agents and is a critical resource for contractors pursuing federal work.  Open another browser while you read this and and connect to the site.  We’ll go through the highlights.

The main purpose of this site is to connect contractors with upcoming federal projects.  Let’s try the Quick Search on the front page.  For Type select Presolicitation. For Keyword enter Janitorial, then press Search. A list of upcoming janitorial projects appears. They are all available for bidding!

Do another search using Place of Performance: Alaska. For Keyword, enter “snowmachines” then click Search.  This should take you to a page showing an Air force contract award for $35,500. Here you see the details of a company that successfully acquired a contract.

FedBizOpps provides all the federal contract activity centralized in one web site.  What a great resource!

How to get involved

Contractors are considered “vendors” to the government, so step one is to follow the Vendor / Citizen registration link near the bottom of the front page.

After you register and classify your business, you are ready to perform a contract search. Log in to the site if necessary, and do a Quick Search under My FBO. Use Presolicitation and Janitorial again.

My search resulted in a list of 25 contracts. If you click on the first one it immediately shows you the nature and location of the work, the response date and other key details.  If you wish to pursue this contract, additional information is provided.  When you click Add Me To Interested Vendors, your company info is immediately included under the third tab “Interested Vendor List.”  This entitles you to automatic updates that will arrive in your email.  You will be advised as this opportunity moves through various stages resulting in an award.

When listed as an Interested Vendor, you may find that suppliers and other companies will contact you.  They may offer to assist in your solicitation effort or be your supplier if you win.

As a prospective bidder, you will also see who you are bidding against.  Good stuff!

Saved Searches

Here is an excellent feature of the site. Under My FBO, follow Search and Create Saved Searches. You can use very specific parameters.  After you run the search, choose Save Search Agent. At the bottom follow Save and Schedule Search Agent.  You can instruct the site to run this search every day and email you the results!  You can also set up any number of additional searches you may desire.

There is always a button near the top for the User Guide, which is a very helpful “FedBizOpps for Dummies” type resource.

For Bond Agents, the site provides the names and contact info of federal contractors.  Other vendors and suppliers use the site for the same purpose.

If you have an interest in federal contracts, get to know FedBizOpps!  Make it work for you every day.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site and Subdivision Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one, Bid and Performance bonds, too.

Steve Golia: 856-304-7348
First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

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Secrets of Bonding #30: The Greatest Danger

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Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Payment Bonds. They each have a different purpose and include certain risks. So which one is the Greatest Danger for the surety and agent, and why?

Performance Bonds are an obvious choice.  We may think of Performance Bonds as the main reason a project is bonded – they protect against contractor default and assure completion of the work.

While this is certainly significant, it is not the Greatest Danger. Performance claims are usually preceded by events that give the surety a chance to respond.  A “Cure Notice” may be sent by the obligee alerting the contractor and surety that a deficiency exists and if left uncorrected, a bond claim may result.  Another event preceding claim is the declaration of default by the obligee.  (The contractor is thrown off the project.) This would be a major event and all interested parties would receive notification.

If the surety cannot help remediate the performance problem and a claim results, the unpaid portion of the contract amount is a financial resource that always helps the surety in addition to potential recovery via the General Indemnity Agreement.

The Payment Bond is actually the most common source of bond claims. There may be disputes about the performance of subcontract work or materials supplied.  Unjustified claims will be declined and for valid claims, the contract funds and Indemnity Agreement are resources for the surety.  Even though they have claim frequency, Payment Bonds are not the Greatest Danger.

So that leaves the lowly Bid Bond.  Some think of them as just incidental, like ordering a Builders Risk policy.  Their dollar amounts are smaller than Performance Bonds.  They are issued for free or for a small service charge.  Once produced, they are quickly forgotten like they were hardly valuable in the first place.  Nothing glamorous here.  But what are the dangers with Bid Bonds?

The first unique thing is that you get once chance to issue them correctly. On competitively bid work, such as government projects, the bid bond accompanies contractor’s proposal.  The bids are stamped for date and time when submitted, and if your proposal is late, it is rejected!  The bids are opened and examined by the contract administrators.  The bid bond and accompanying proposal can be rejected for technical errors such as the wrong project number, missing signatures, or any other details.  On the other hand, mistakes on Performance Bonds can normally be corrected without penalty.  The contractor already has the project, so there is no harm in allowing the bond to be adjusted. With bid bonds in a competitive situation, there is no chance to make a correction – the other bidders will not allow it! A bid protest or lawsuit would likely result.

In addition to accuracy and timely delivery, bid bond documents can result in a rejection if mishandled.  For example, the failure to use a mandatory bid bond form or the absence of a Surety Consent could result in proposal rejection.

Proposal Rejection – let’s talk about that.  The surety or agent makes one of the errors we described, the bid bond is deemed insufficient, and the contractor’s proposal is rejected. On public work the bid results are normally published, so the client will know if their rejected proposal would have been the winning number, and they would have acquired the contract.

In addition to the embarrassment of making an error, the loss of revenues, and maybe losing a customer, here’s the worst part: There have been cases where the contractor sued the surety for lost profits – the profits they expected to acquire from the project.  This is a constant threat on Bid Bonds, and the indemnity agreement doesn’t help if the error was solely on the part of the surety or agent.  A lawsuit like this could be for millions of dollars.

 

Bid Bonds are the winners!  They are the Greatest Risk for sureties and the agents who execute them.  We have one chance to get them right.  They must be perfect every time.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Bid and Performance Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it! Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

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Secrets of Bonding #18: Private Owners

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This is a study in motivation.  “What’s in it for me?”  When it comes to Performance Bonds for Private Owners, you need to understand the odds and pick your spots carefully in order to maximize your effectivity.

Understand the Basics

A Private Owner is an entity that is not funded by public money.  If it was, we’d call it a Public Body.  Examples of Public Bodies include the federal government, your state, city or school district.

A Private Owner could be a company that is renovating their office building.  Another example would be any subcontract regardless of whether the overall project is public or private (Note: ALL subcontracts are Private Contracts).

There are some distinct differences between public and private work:

  • Legal Basis: Public bodies must comply with a variety of regulatory requirements and statutes.  Private contracts are made based on business decisions. They are governed by the Uniform Commercial Code and state common laws.
  • Funding: On Public work the source is known and presumed to be dependable.  On Private each situation is different.  It is possible that the Owner signing a contract may not have adequate funding in place to pay for the work.
  • Specifications and Bond Forms: With Public contracts this tends to be consistent and predictable.  Insurance and contractual requirements are standardized.  A 100% Performance and Payment Bond (P&P) typically is required.  The approach to the bond forms is known in advance.  For example, the federal government has their own mandatory bond forms.  With Private, the owner can make any requirements they want, including the use of mandatory, unique, bond forms or no bond at all.  (Review Secrets #7 for more insights on this subject)

Now we’ll talk about motivation.

  • The Insurance / Bond Agent: Wants to serve the client and earn a commission.
  • The Surety: Wants to earn the bond fee or premium.
  • Contractor: Wants to acquire the contract and maximize their profits.
  • Owner: Wants the work performed correctly by a capable contractor for the lowest reasonable price.

Picking your spots on Private Contracts

Our point of view is obviously that of the Surety.  We have been an active writer of Subcontract Bonds and other Private Contracts for many years and here’s what we’ve learned.  Private owners know that the first service the surety provides is pre-qualifying the contractor for the work.  The surety wants to avoid a loss so there is an extensive review of all the contractors’ capabilities.  If there are weaknesses or a likelihood of failure, the surety will refuse to support the project.  So a P&P bond is like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for a contractor.  The Private Owner knows that a bonded contractor has been thoroughly checked out.

Now bear in mind that the bond cost is included in the contract.  The Private Owner that requires a bond, pays the bond cost in the contract amount.  Since the bond may be optional on a private contract, some owners use the surety to screen the contractor, but then they do not actually pay to bond the project.

The losers in such cases are the surety and the agent as well as the Private Owner.  The surety and agent performed services and incurred expenses – but then don’t get paid. If there is any kind of problem on the project, failing to obtain a P&P bond could cost the Owner dearly. Bonds are an effective and economical way to prevent significant problems down the road.

Bottom line: When private contract specifications do not indicate a MANDATORY P&P bond requirement, agents should be cautioned that the bond could be waived. It is true that there is no substitute for actually having a bond in place  (guarantees good workmanship and materials, on time completion, no cost overruns, no liens against the property).  But for some private owners, the chance to save a few dollars is irresistible – even if it means engaging the surety’s services under false pretenses.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Bid and Performance Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

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Secrets of Bonding #17: Dual Obligees & Additional Insureds

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Contractors are often required to name an architect, building owner or lender as an additional insured on their insurance.  The insurer will do so, and assume the additional risk for a minimal or no charge.  While there are some potential consequences for the contractor, most favor this extension of coverage without hesitation.  Why shouldn’t they? After all, the point of the insurance is to transfer risk away from the insured.

With a Performance Bond, there is a similar situation with the Dual Obligee rider.  This rider modifies the bond to include a party that was not named on the contract.  An example of such a party is a lender to a borrower who owns property. The borrower has hired a contractor to work on the property.  The Performance Bond that guarantees the contract has the property owner as the natural Obligee (the “owner” on the contract).  The lender has an interest in the project and may therefore ask to be named as a Dual Obligee.  Sureties will normally do this (and for no additional charge), but it is not without consequences for the contractor.

The Dual Obligee rider enables the lender to make a performance bond claim directly against the Surety – and thus creates additional risk for a potential loss on the bond. So why should the contractor care?  (See Secret #1)  Bonds are not insurance.

A surety relationship is more like banking than insurance.  Like a lender not expecting a loan to result in a loss, a surety does not expect any bond claims or losses.  Similar to a bank’s promissory note, a surety requires a General Indemnity Agreement (GIA) which is a hold harmless intended to prevent any financial loss to the surety if a claim occurs.  Read this as “no risk transfer.”

So let’s go back to the Dual Obligee rider.  All contractors are required to provide a GIA for their surety.  So if the bond is extended to include the lender, and the risk for a bond claim or loss in increased, who assumes this risk?  The answer, of course, is the surety plus the contractor.  The nature of a Performance Bond is that the contractor, the “Principal,” always shares in the bond risk – both in their company and personally.

Summary: Adding additional insureds may seem like a freebie, but contractors should be cautious when adding Dual Obligees to a bond.  Each obligee is another master they must please on their contract.  Each one is a risk and a financial threat.  Some entities must be added when requested such as a lender, the city or other entitled parties.  Other times there is a feeding frenzy: “Let’s add everybody.” 

If the surety fails to object or at least ask for justification as to why such parties must be added, the contractor should… because unlike insurance, on a bond the contractor assumes risk.

FIA Surety is a NJ based bonding company (carrier) that has specialized in Site, Subdivision, Bid and Performance Bonds since 1979 – we’re good at it!  Call us with your next one.

Steve Golia, Marketing Mgr.: 856-304-7348

First Indemnity of America Ins. Co.

(Don’t miss our next exciting article.  Click the “Follow” button at the top right.)