Tennessee Public Works Contractor Bond (Little Miller Act)
What it is & who requires it
Contractors awarded a Tennessee public-works contract exceeding $100,000 by any city, county, or state authority. The bond protects payment for the labor and materials of the contractor and all subcontractors.
Obligee: Tennessee cities, counties, and state authorities (public-works owners). Citation: TCA 12-4-201.
Bond amount
Tennessee’s Little Miller Act requires a bond of no less than 25% of the contract price on public-works contracts exceeding $100,000, protecting payment for labor and materials of the contractor and all subcontractors; in practice obligees frequently require bonds at the full contract value — the statute sets only the 25% floor. Securities or cash may substitute at the same percentage.
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: Per public-works contract (furnished at award)
Renewal: Not applicable (single-project statutory bond)
Filing
Furnished at award on a Tennessee public-works contract to the public owner (a city, county, or state authority) under the state’s Little Miller Act. It is a single-project bond with no renewal, and the surety must be Treasury-listed and licensed in Tennessee; securities or cash may substitute. Required under TCA 12-4-201.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-06-05).
Related Tennessee bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Tennessee Public Works Contractor Bond (Little Miller Act)?
- It’s required by Tennessee cities, counties, and state authorities (public-works owners) (TCA 12-4-201). Contractors awarded a Tennessee public-works contract exceeding $100,000 by any city, county, or state authority. The bond protects payment for the labor and materials of the contractor and all subcontractors.
- How much is the Tennessee Public Works Contractor Bond (Little Miller Act)?
- Tennessee’s Little Miller Act requires a bond of no less than 25% of the contract price on public-works contracts exceeding $100,000, protecting payment for labor and materials of the contractor and all subcontractors; in practice obligees frequently require bonds at the full contract value — the statute sets only the 25% floor. Securities or cash may substitute at the same percentage.
- How do I get the Tennessee Public Works Contractor Bond (Little Miller Act)?
- 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?
- Per public-works contract (furnished at award) Renewal: Not applicable (single-project statutory bond)
- 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 2026-06-05); the source link is on this page.
