What a maintenance bond is
A maintenance bond, also called a warranty bond, guarantees your finished work is free of defects in materials and workmanship for a set period, often one or two years. Sometimes it's built into the performance bond; sometimes the owner wants it separately.
In Wisconsin
Wisconsin law requires payment bonds on public improvement contracts (Wis. Stat. § 779.14), and state building bids call for performance and payment bonds, but no statewide maintenance or warranty bond requirement was found. When used, the project owner sets it in the contract or local development agreement.
You need this bond if you're
- A contractor finishing public works with a warranty period
- A site contractor handing improvements over to a city or county
- Paving, concrete, roofing and landscaping contractors
- A developer whose subdivision bond is being released
What the surety looks at
Your business, credit and the finished project. Often handled together with the performance bond.