2023 California Code
Civil Code - CIV
DIVISION 4 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
PART 6 - WORKS OF IMPROVEMENT
TITLE 3 - PUBLIC WORK OF IMPROVEMENT
CHAPTER 5 - Payment Bond
Section 9554.

9554. (a) A payment bond shall be in an amount not less than 100 percent of the total amount payable pursuant to the public works contract. The bond shall be in the form of a bond and not a deposit in lieu of a bond. The bond shall be executed by an admitted surety insurer.

(b) The payment bond shall provide that if the direct contractor or a subcontractor fails to pay any of the following, the surety will pay the obligation and, if an action is brought to enforce the liability on the bond, a reasonable attorney’s fee, to be fixed by the court:

(1) A person authorized under Section 9100 to assert a claim against a payment bond.

(2) Amounts due under the Unemployment Insurance Code with respect to work or labor performed pursuant to the public works contract.

(3) Amounts required to be deducted, withheld, and paid over to the Employment Development Department from the wages of employees of the contractor and subcontractors under Section 13020 of the Unemployment Insurance Code with respect to the work and labor.

(c) The payment bond shall be conditioned for the payment in full of the claims of all claimants and by its terms inure to the benefit of any person authorized under Section 9100 to assert a claim against a payment bond so as to give a right of action to that person or that person’s assigns in an action to enforce the liability on the bond.

(d) The direct contractor may require that a subcontractor give a bond to indemnify the direct contractor for any loss sustained by the direct contractor because of any default of the subcontractor under this section.

(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 697, Sec. 20. (SB 189) Effective January 1, 2011. Operative July 1, 2012, by Sec. 105 of Ch. 697 and by Section 8052.)