Minneapolis Trades Contractor License Bond
What it is & who requires it
Mechanical and plumbing trade contractors licensed by Minneapolis, and the important thing about this bond is that it is ONE instrument covering SEVEN separate license classes: gas fitter, heating and ventilating and air conditioning, refrigeration, duct cleaner, oil burner, steam and hot water, and plumbing and gas fitting. The ordinance does the consolidating itself — the bond section says with each application for a contractor license described in this chapter — so a company holding three of the classes does not buy three bonds, and the city offers a combined trades application for exactly that reason. Then read the state law beside it before you buy, because Minnesota has largely taken this field. The state mechanical bond stands in lieu of all other bonds any political subdivision requires for gas, heating, ventilation, cooling, air conditioning, fuel burning and refrigeration work, which covers five of the seven classes. And the plumbing statute forbids a Minnesota city to require a plumbing bond at all, except the bond to the state, which covers a sixth. The licenses themselves survive that — the state department says in terms that mechanical contractors must still comply with local licensing requirements — but the city bond is a different question, and a contractor asked for one should ask the division of inspections which classes it is presently enforcing the bond against. The one class the state provisions do not obviously reach is duct cleaning.
Obligee: City of Minneapolis (Division of Inspections, Community Planning and Economic Development). Citation: Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 278.260 (Bond for contractor license — with each application for a contractor license described in this chapter, the applicant shall furnish a surety bond to the city in the sum of ten thousand dollars conditioned on the faithful and lawful performance of all work entered upon by the contractor in the City of Minneapolis, for the benefit of persons injured or suffering financial loss by reason of failure of such performance; written by a corporate surety licensed to do business in the State of Minnesota; 98-Or-021, § 1, 3-6-98); § 278.100 (Gas fitter contractor license required); § 278.110 (Heating, ventilating and air conditioning contractor license required); § 278.120 (Refrigeration contractor license required); § 278.130 (Duct cleaner contractor license required); § 278.131 (Oil burner contractor license required); § 278.132 (Steam and hot water contractor license required); § 278.133 (Plumbing/gas fitting contractor license required); § 278.140 (Certificate of competency required); § 278.190 (Employment of master installer); § 278.250 (When licenses expire); § 278.270 (Insurance required); Title 13, ch. 278, Article I; 2002-Or-067, §§ 3–8, 7-26-02; 2003-Or-076, § 1, 6-20-03; Minn. Stat. § 326B.197 (state mechanical bond in lieu of all other bonds to any political subdivision for work covered by that section); Minn. Stat. § 326B.44 (no political subdivision may require a plumbing bond except the state bond under § 326B.46).
Bond amount
The required bond amount is $10,000.
How to get it
This bond is individually underwritten, so it is not issued instantly. Request a quote and a licensed producer follows up to walk you through it.
Request a bond quote
Tell us about the bond and the project. A licensed producer follows up — these bonds are individually underwritten, so they are not issued instantly.
Term & renewal
Term: Held with the contractor license and conditioned on the faithful and lawful performance of all work entered upon by the contractor in the City of Minneapolis, for the benefit of persons injured or suffering financial loss by reason of failure of performance.
Renewal: Annual — every license issued under the chapter expires on the first of December, so the seven classes renew together on one date.
Filing
Furnished to the city with each application for a license described in the chapter, written by a corporate surety licensed to do business in Minnesota. The figure renders because the ordinance states a flat sum and offers no cash or deposit alternative. The section carries a transition clause from the 1998 rewrite: contractors holding valid licenses as of 30 June 1998 who had complied with a lower bond amount were to post the difference at their next regular renewal, so an old account may still be carrying a legacy sum. Insurance is required separately at one hundred thousand dollars per occurrence and three hundred thousand aggregate for bodily injury, and one hundred thousand for property damage, or a single limit of three hundred thousand per occurrence and aggregate, with the certificate on file with the division of inspections and thirty days’ notice of cancellation. Note the certificate of competency layer underneath the license: master and journeyman installers are certified separately, the city runs its own plumber and gas fitter certificate examination, and a licensed contractor must employ a certified master installer who supervises the work. And note the state-law displacement recorded above — it is the reason to confirm the requirement with the city before binding, rather than a reason not to quote.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-09-07).
Related Minnesota bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Minneapolis Trades Contractor License Bond?
- It’s required by City of Minneapolis (Division of Inspections, Community Planning and Economic Development) (Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 278.260 (Bond for contractor license — with each application for a contractor license described in this chapter, the applicant shall furnish a surety bond to the city in the sum of ten thousand dollars conditioned on the faithful and lawful performance of all work entered upon by the contractor in the City of Minneapolis, for the benefit of persons injured or suffering financial loss by reason of failure of such performance; written by a corporate surety licensed to do business in the State of Minnesota; 98-Or-021, § 1, 3-6-98); § 278.100 (Gas fitter contractor license required); § 278.110 (Heating, ventilating and air conditioning contractor license required); § 278.120 (Refrigeration contractor license required); § 278.130 (Duct cleaner contractor license required); § 278.131 (Oil burner contractor license required); § 278.132 (Steam and hot water contractor license required); § 278.133 (Plumbing/gas fitting contractor license required); § 278.140 (Certificate of competency required); § 278.190 (Employment of master installer); § 278.250 (When licenses expire); § 278.270 (Insurance required); Title 13, ch. 278, Article I; 2002-Or-067, §§ 3–8, 7-26-02; 2003-Or-076, § 1, 6-20-03; Minn. Stat. § 326B.197 (state mechanical bond in lieu of all other bonds to any political subdivision for work covered by that section); Minn. Stat. § 326B.44 (no political subdivision may require a plumbing bond except the state bond under § 326B.46)). Mechanical and plumbing trade contractors licensed by Minneapolis, and the important thing about this bond is that it is ONE instrument covering SEVEN separate license classes: gas fitter, heating and ventilating and air conditioning, refrigeration, duct cleaner, oil burner, steam and hot water, and plumbing and gas fitting. The ordinance does the consolidating itself — the bond section says with each application for a contractor license described in this chapter — so a company holding three of the classes does not buy three bonds, and the city offers a combined trades application for exactly that reason. Then read the state law beside it before you buy, because Minnesota has largely taken this field. The state mechanical bond stands in lieu of all other bonds any political subdivision requires for gas, heating, ventilation, cooling, air conditioning, fuel burning and refrigeration work, which covers five of the seven classes. And the plumbing statute forbids a Minnesota city to require a plumbing bond at all, except the bond to the state, which covers a sixth. The licenses themselves survive that — the state department says in terms that mechanical contractors must still comply with local licensing requirements — but the city bond is a different question, and a contractor asked for one should ask the division of inspections which classes it is presently enforcing the bond against. The one class the state provisions do not obviously reach is duct cleaning.
- How much is the Minneapolis Trades Contractor License Bond?
- The bond amount is $10,000.
- How do I get the Minneapolis Trades Contractor License Bond?
- This bond is individually underwritten, so it is not issued instantly. Request a quote and a licensed producer follows up to walk you through it.
- What is the term?
- Held with the contractor license and conditioned on the faithful and lawful performance of all work entered upon by the contractor in the City of Minneapolis, for the benefit of persons injured or suffering financial loss by reason of failure of performance. Renewal: Annual — every license issued under the chapter expires on the first of December, so the seven classes renew together on one date.
- Is this bond insurance for me?
- No. It protects the obligee and the public — not you. If a valid claim is paid, you repay the surety.
- How is this requirement verified?
- We verify it against the obligee’s primary source (last checked 2026-09-07); the source link is on this page.
