California payment bond claims
On public jobs over $25,000, there's a pot of surety money with your name on it — if you preserve the claim and serve the right parties.
California requires the direct contractor on a public works contract over $25,000 to post a payment bond(Cal. Civ. Code § 9550) — a surety’s guarantee that subs and suppliers get paid even if the GC defaults, disappears, or goes broke. A payment bond claim (§ 9560) is how you collect on that guarantee.
Why the bond matters
A stop payment notice only freezes money the public entity still holds. If the entity has already paid the GC — or the GC is insolvent — the bond is what saves you: the surety’s obligation doesn’t depend on where the project funds went. It’s the public-works answer to “the GC took the money and ran.”
Preserving your claim
- Serve the public-works preliminary notice (§ 9300) within 20 days of first furnishing. Claimants without a direct contract with the GC generally need it to enforce against the bond.
- Serve the claim on the surety and the principal— the bonding company and the direct contractor. The public entity is not served; this remedy targets the bond, not the entity’s funds.
- Act while the trail is fresh.Bond claims have their own enforcement timelines tied to the job’s completion; if the surety stalls, a lawsuit on the bond needs a California construction attorney.
Pair it with a stop notice
The two remedies compound: the stop notice freezes unpaid contract funds at the entity, while the bond claim puts the surety on the hook. A GC facing both frozen receivables and a surety demanding an explanation has every incentive to resolve your invoice quickly.
Filing with Notice Harbor
Notice Harbor prepares your payment bond claim from the job and bond details, serves the surety and the direct contractor by Certified Mail, and gives you tracking plus court-ready proof of service. $199 per filing, or $0 with Unlimited.
Frequently asked questions
Related guides
Make the surety pay attention
Notice Harbor prepares and serves your payment bond claim on the surety and GC — $199 flat, or $0 with Unlimited.
Get StartedThis page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney–client relationship. California lien and notice deadlines are strict and fact-specific — “completion” alone can be triggered by actual completion, the owner’s occupancy or use, or a 60-day cessation of labor. Notice Harbor is not a law firm. Confirm any deadline that matters to your claim with a licensed California construction attorney.