New white paper, ‘The Contractor’s Guide to Winning More Jobs,’ shares strategies to help contractors stay bid-ready and grow bonding capacity

NNA Surety Bonds has released a new white paper, The Contractor’s Guide to Winning More Jobs, offering practical strategies to help contractors submit more bids, qualify for larger projects and avoid the bonding delays that can cost them work. The guide draws on findings from the NNA Surety 2026 Contractor Bond Buyer Survey, which found that 47% of contractors have missed a bid deadline because of a slow bond turnaround.

When Bonding Becomes the Bottleneck

Winning work takes more than a competitive price. According to the survey, contractors named accurate cost estimating as their single greatest bidding challenge, but bonding is a close companion: securing required bonds and financing ranked among the most common obstacles, and 30% of respondents reported difficulty qualifying for the bonding support they need. More than three-quarters bid on at least three projects every month, so a single missed deadline can ripple through backlog planning and leave crews and equipment underused.

Key survey findings include:

• 47% of contractors have missed a bid deadline because of slow bond turnaround
• 77% bid on three or more projects each month
• 30% report difficulty qualifying for the bonding support they need
• 70% have lost bids due to competitor qualifications and pricing

Getting Bid-Ready Before the Opportunity Appears

The guide reveals that growing contractors often treat bonding as a business-planning tool, not a last-minute requirement. One of the most effective moves is establishing a contract bond line of credit. Much like securing financing before it is needed, a bond line clarifies a contractor’s available bonding support and, with pre-approval, can allow bid, performance and payment bonds to be issued within minutes. The guide also explains how a bond line can strengthen a bid, help ensure on-time project starts and help contractors plan how many bonded projects they can manage at once.

Building Capacity for Bigger Projects

For contractors looking to move into larger public works or commercial work, the paper outlines the factors that influence bonding capacity, including financial strength and working capital, credit history, project experience, existing backlog, and management experience. It also explains when bid, payment, performance and maintenance bonds are typically required and includes a Contractor Growth & Bid Readiness Checklist covering business, bond and bid preparation, and even subcontractor bonds, along with a four-step plan: partner with a trusted surety provider, keep financial information current, understand bonding capacity and build a bonding program that supports growth.

The Contractor’s Guide to Winning More Jobs is available for free download at NNASuretyBonds.com/ContractorsGuide

About NNA Surety Bonds

NNA Surety Bonds provides surety bonds and business insurance solutions to individuals and businesses nationwide. We offer license and permit bonds, contract bonds, court bonds, and fidelity bonds along with business insurance for contractors, title and escrow agencies, mortgage companies, tax preparation and immigration services, health care professionals, car dealers, and other businesses. To learn more, visit NNASuretyBonds.com.

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Contractors named accurate cost estimating as their single greatest bidding challenge, but bonding is a close companion.