TITLE 54

PROFESSIONS, VOCATIONS, AND BUSINESSES

CHAPTER 19

PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACTORS

54-1926.  Performance and payment bonds required of contractors for public buildings and public works of the state, political subdivisions and other public instrumentalities — Requirements for bonds — Governmental obligations. Before any contract equal to or greater than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the construction, alteration, or repair of any public building or public work or improvement of the state of Idaho, or of any county, city, town, municipal corporation, township, school district, public educational institution, or other political subdivision, public authority, or public instrumentality, or of any officer, board, commission, institution, or agency of the foregoing, is executed, the person to whom such contract was awarded shall furnish to the state of Idaho, or to such county, city, town, municipal corporation, township, school district, public educational institution, or other political subdivision, public authority, or public instrumentality, or to such officer, board, commission, institution, or agency thereof, bonds that shall become binding upon the execution of the contract, and the person to whom the contract was awarded is hereinafter designated as "contractor":

(1)  A performance bond in any amount to be fixed by the contracting body, but in no event less than eighty-five percent (85%) of the contract amount conditioned upon the faithful performance of the contract in accordance with the plans, specifications and conditions thereof. Said bond shall be solely for the protection of the public body executing the contract.

(2)  A payment bond in an amount to be fixed by the contracting body but in no event less than eighty-five percent (85%) of the contract amount, solely for the protection of persons supplying labor or materials, or renting, leasing, or otherwise supplying equipment to the contractor or his subcontractors in the prosecution of the work provided for in such contract.

(3)  Public bodies requiring a performance bond or payment bond in excess of fifty percent (50%) of the total contract amount shall not be authorized to withhold from the contractor or subcontractor any amount exceeding five percent (5%) of the total amount payable as retainage. Further, the public body shall release to the contractor any retainage for those portions of the project accepted by the contracting public body and the contractors as complete within thirty (30) days after such acceptance. Contractors, contracting with subcontractors pursuant to contract work with a public body, shall not be authorized to withhold from the subcontractor any amount exceeding five percent (5%) of the total amount payable to the subcontractor as retainage. The contractor shall remit the retainage to the subcontractor within thirty (30) days after completion of the subcontract.

Each bond shall be executed by a surety company or companies duly authorized to do business in this state, or the contractor may deposit any of the type of government obligations listed in subsection (2)(h) of section 54-1901, Idaho Code, in lieu of furnishing a surety company performance or payment bond or bonds. In the case of contracts of the state or a department, board, commission, institution, or agency thereof the aforesaid bonds shall be payable to the state, or particular state agency where authorized. In case of all other contracts subject to this chapter, the bonds shall be payable to the public body concerned.

Said bonds shall be filed in the office of the department, board, commission, institution, agency or other contracting body awarding the contract.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of the state of Idaho or other public body hereinabove mentioned to require a performance bond or other security in addition to these, or in cases other than the cases specified in this chapter.

It shall be illegal for the invitation for bids, or any person acting or purporting to act, on behalf of the contracting body to require that such bonds be furnished by a particular surety company, or through a particular agent or broker.

History:

[54-1926, added 1965, ch. 28, sec. 2, p. 43; am. 1979, ch. 124, sec. 1, p. 383; am. 1980, ch. 199, sec. 1, p. 460; am. 1986, ch. 67, sec. 2, p. 191; am. 1992, ch. 141, sec. 1, p. 434; am. 1999, ch. 166, sec. 1, p. 453; am. 2005, ch. 213, sec. 31, p. 664.; am. 2017, ch. 197, sec. 3, p. 483.]