Do roofing contractors need a bond in Illinois?

Yes. A continuous $10,000 bond for a limited license or $25,000 for an unlimited license under 225 ILCS 335/3, plus separate public-liability and property-damage insurance whose amount the Department sets.

Does Chicago require a general-contractor license bond?

No. Chicago licenses general contractors in classes A through E by project value, with annual fees and insurance, not a surety bond.

Are Illinois public-works bonds different?

Yes. Under 30 ILCS 550/1 a single performance-and-payment bond is required on public works over $150,000 (over $500,000 for IDOT and the Tollway); that $150,000 threshold sunsets to $50,000 on January 1, 2029. These are underwritten.

Who is Wexford Bonds?

Wexford Bonds is the surety bond brand of Wexford Insurance, LLC, licensed in 48 states. We write Illinois roofing, plumbing, contractor, right-of-way, and public-works bonds.

Illinois Surety Bonds

Contractor License & Permit Bonds in Illinois

Find the exact license, permit, right-of-way, or public-works bond your Illinois obligee requires — by city, county, and the state. License and permit bonds issue online.

Get Your Bond Online Call 317-942-0549

How contractor bonding works in Illinois

Illinois bonds two trades at the state level — unusual for the Midwest

Unlike Indiana and Ohio, which require no state contractor bond, Illinois requires a state surety bond for two trades. Plumbing contractors register with the Illinois Department of Public Health and post a $20,000 indemnification bond (225 ILCS 320/13.1). Roofing contractors are licensed by IDFPR and post a continuous bond of $10,000 for a limited license or $25,000 for an unlimited license (225 ILCS 335/3). If you roof or do plumbing work in Illinois, your bond is set by the state — not the city.

Chicago licenses general contractors by insurance, not a bond

The City of Chicago licenses general contractors in classes A through E, tiered by project value (Class A unlimited; Class E capped at $500,000). The credential is a fee plus insurance — not a surety bond. So the largest obligee in the state does not generate a contractor-license bond; specific Chicago permit and public-way bonds are tracked separately.

No statewide general-contractor license

Outside the two state-bonded trades, Illinois issues no statewide general-contractor license. General contractor and right-of-way bonds are municipal or county — set by each obligee — so the bond you need depends on where you work.

Public works are bonded by statute, on a moving threshold

The Public Construction Bond Act (30 ILCS 550/1) requires a single bond covering both performance and payment on public-work contracts over $150,000 for state and local public works, and over $500,000 for IDOT and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. The $150,000 level comes from Public Act 103-570 and sunsets back to over $50,000 on January 1, 2029. The penal sum is fixed by the contracting public body, so it is project-specific.

Illinois bonds we write

Contractor License & Permit Bonds

Statewide

IDOT Individual Highway Permit Bond — Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) · Varies
IDOT Individual Utility Permit Bond — Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) · Varies
Illinois Plumbing Contractor Indemnification Bond — Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) · $20,000
Illinois Roofing Contractor License Bond — Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) · Varies
Illinois Tollway Permit Bond — Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (Illinois Tollway / ISTHA) · Varies

County

Cook County Demolition Contractor Bond — County of Cook, Illinois (Department of Building and Zoning) · Varies
Cook County Highway Permit Bond — County of Cook (Department of Transportation and Highways) · $20,000
Cook County Private Sewage Disposal System Bond — County of Cook, Illinois (Department of Building and Zoning) · $10,000
Cook County Restoration Performance Bond — County of Cook, Illinois (Department of Building and Zoning) · $10,000
Cook County Sign (Billboard) Bond — County of Cook, Illinois (Department of Building and Zoning) · $25,000
Cook County Utility Permit Bond (Multiple Permits) — County of Cook (Department of Transportation and Highways) · $50,000
Cook County Wireless Telecommunications Facilities Bond — County of Cook, Illinois (Department of Building and Zoning) · $20,000
DuPage County Highway Permit Bond — DuPage County (Division of Transportation) · Varies
Kane County Individual Highway Permit Bond — County of Kane (Division of Transportation) · Varies
Lake County (Illinois) Highway Access and Use Performance Guarantee — Lake County, Illinois (Lake County Division of Transportation) · Portal
Rock Island County Contractor Compliance Bond — Rock Island County, Illinois (Office of Zoning and Building Safety) · $10,000
Will County Contractor Registration Bond — County of Will, Illinois (Land Use Department, Building Division) · $10,000
Will County Highway Performance Bond — County of Will (Division of Transportation) · Varies

City

Aurora Contractor Registration / Public-Works Bond — City of Aurora, Illinois (Kane/DuPage/Kendall/Will Counties; Development Services) · Portal
Belleville Contractor Bond — City of Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois · Portal
Berwyn Contractor License Bond — City of Berwyn, Cook County, Illinois (Collector’s Office) · Portal
Bloomington (McLean County, Illinois) Sign Contractor Continuing Bond — City of Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois · Portal
Bolingbrook Contractor License Bond — Village of Bolingbrook, Will County, Illinois · $20,000
Champaign Excavation / Contractor Bond — City of Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois (Building Safety Division) · Varies
Chicago Drainlayer Bond — City of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois (Commissioner of Water Management) · Portal
Chicago Plumbing Contractor Bond — City of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois (Board of Examiners of Plumbers) · Portal
Chicago Sign Erector Bond — City of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois (Department of Buildings) · Portal
Cicero Contractor License Bond — Town of Cicero · $10,000
Cicero High-Tier Contractor Bond (Excavating / Wrecking / Tank Installer) — Town of Cicero, Cook County, Illinois (Business License Department) · $20,000
Cicero Scaffolding Bond — Town of Cicero, Cook County, Illinois · Varies
Crystal Lake (Illinois) Paving / Contractor Bond — City of Crystal Lake, McHenry County, Illinois · Portal
Danville (Illinois) Right-of-Way Bond — City of Danville, Vermilion County, Illinois · Portal
Decatur Public Right-of-Way Construction Security (Surety Bond Option) — City of Decatur · Varies
Decatur Street Construction and Excavation License Bond — City of Decatur · $5,000
Des Plaines Contractor / Right-of-Way Bond — City of Des Plaines, Cook County, Illinois · Portal
Elgin Mechanical Contractor License and Permit Bond — City of Elgin · $20,000
Elgin Sewer Contractor Permit Bond — City of Elgin · $20,000
Elk Grove Village Contractor License/Permit Bond — Village of Elk Grove Village, Cook County, Illinois · Portal
Elmhurst Contractor License Bond — City of Elmhurst, DuPage County, Illinois · $25,000
Galesburg Contractor Right-of-Way Bond — City of Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois (Public Works) · $5,000
Gurnee Right-of-Way / Water-Sewer Permit Bond — Village of Gurnee, Lake County, Illinois (Engineering Department) · $10,000
Hoffman Estates Contractor License & Permit Bond — Village of Hoffman Estates, Cook County, Illinois · $10,000
Joliet Street Obstruction Bond — City of Joliet, Will County, Illinois · Portal
Maywood Contractor License and Permit Bond — Village of Maywood, Cook County, Illinois · Portal
Moline Contractor License/Permit Bond — City of Moline, Rock Island County, Illinois · Portal
Naperville Contractor Registration Bond — City of Naperville, DuPage County, Illinois · $10,000
Naperville Right-of-Way Excavation Bond — City of Naperville · $50,000
Naperville Right-of-Way Permit Bond (Non-Excavation) — City of Naperville · $5,000
Palatine General Contractor Registration Bond — Village of Palatine, Cook County, Illinois · $25,000
Palatine Trade Contractor Registration Bond — Village of Palatine, Cook County, Illinois · $10,000
Peoria Dumpster / Portable Storage Contractor License Bond — City of Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois · $10,000
Peoria Parking Lot Paving Contractor License Bond — City of Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois · $5,000
Peoria Sewer Connector License Bond — City of Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois · $10,000
Peoria Sidewalk and Drive Approach License Bond — City of Peoria · $10,000
Plainfield Demolition Bond — Village of Plainfield, Will County, Illinois · $20,000
Plainfield Street and Sidewalk Improvement Bond — Village of Plainfield, Will County, Illinois · $10,000
Plainfield Water Connection Bond — Village of Plainfield, Will County, Illinois · $3,000
Quincy Street Opening Bond — City of Quincy, Adams County, Illinois · Portal
Rock Island (City) Excavator’s Bond — City of Rock Island, Rock Island County, Illinois (Public Works Engineering) · Portal
Rockford Right-of-Way / License and Permit Bond — City of Rockford · $50,000
Romeoville Contractor License Bond — Village of Romeoville, Will County, Illinois · Portal
Skokie Contractor License Bond — Village of Skokie, Cook County, Illinois (Community Development Department) · Portal
Springfield (Sangamon County, Illinois) Housemovers and Signs Bond — City of Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois · $5,000
Springfield (Sangamon County, Illinois) Mechanical Contractor Registration Bond — City of Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois · $5,000
Waukegan Demolition Contractor License and Permit Bond — City of Waukegan · $15,000
Waukegan Electrician License and Permit Bond — City of Waukegan · $10,000
Waukegan Excavator License and Permit Bond — City of Waukegan · $15,000
Waukegan Sign Erector License and Permit Bond — City of Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois (Building & Code Department) · $10,000
Waukegan Wireless Provider License and Bond — City of Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois (Building & Code Department) · $15,000
Wheaton Contractor Registration Bond — City of Wheaton, DuPage County, Illinois · $10,000
Woodridge Contractor Trade Bond — Village of Woodridge, DuPage County, Illinois · $10,000

Township

Palatine Township Road District Permit Bond — Palatine Township Road District, Cook County, Illinois (Highway Commissioner) · $10,000

Special District

MWRD Sewer-System Surety (Watershed Management Ordinance) — Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Illinois · Varies

Performance & Payment Bonds

Statewide

Illinois Public Construction Performance and Payment Bond — The contracting public body (State of Illinois official/board/commission/agent, or a political subdivision) · Varies

Underwritten bonds in Illinois

Bid, performance, and payment bonds are individually underwritten — request a quote rather than the instant portal:

Illinois surety bond FAQ

Does Illinois require a state contractor license bond?: For two trades, yes: plumbing contractors post a $20,000 bond (IDPH) and roofing contractors post $10,000 for a limited license or $25,000 for an unlimited license (IDFPR). Illinois has no statewide general-contractor license, so most other contractor bonds are municipal.
Do roofing contractors need a bond in Illinois?: Yes. A continuous $10,000 bond for a limited license or $25,000 for an unlimited license under 225 ILCS 335/3, plus separate public-liability and property-damage insurance whose amount the Department sets.
Do plumbing contractors need a bond in Illinois?: Yes. Plumbing contractors register with the Illinois Department of Public Health and post a $20,000 indemnification bond — or a $20,000 letter of credit — naming the Department (225 ILCS 320/13.1).
Does Chicago require a general-contractor license bond?: No. Chicago licenses general contractors in classes A through E by project value, with annual fees and insurance, not a surety bond.
Are Illinois public-works bonds different?: Yes. Under 30 ILCS 550/1 a single performance-and-payment bond is required on public works over $150,000 (over $500,000 for IDOT and the Tollway); that $150,000 threshold sunsets to $50,000 on January 1, 2029. These are underwritten.
Who is Wexford Bonds?: Wexford Bonds is the surety bond brand of Wexford Insurance, LLC, licensed in 48 states. We write Illinois roofing, plumbing, contractor, right-of-way, and public-works bonds.

Nate Jones, CPCU · Founder, Wexford Bonds

Nate Jones is a CPCU-designated surety bond producer and the founder of Wexford Insurance, LLC and Wexford Bonds. He places bonds through a panel of 10 sureties across 48 U.S. states. Call 317-942-0549 or email info@wexfordbonds.com.

Last updated June 7, 2026 · Reviewed by Nate Jones, CPCU · Contact a producer

Get bonded in Illinois

Find your bond above, or get a license, permit, or bid bond online right now.

Get Your Bond Online