What does a bid bond do?

• A. It guarantees performance of the low bidder
• B. It insures against construction delays
• C. It covers general liability
• D. It pays the difference between the lowest bid and the next-lowest bid

Answer: (D)

A bid bond is a financial guarantee that the bidder will honor the bid and, if awarded, will enter into a contract and provide a performance bond. Its point is to protect the project owner from a bidder who backs out after bids are opened. If the lowest bidder refuses to proceed after being awarded, the owner must re-bid and may incur additional costs. The bid bond allows the owner to be compensated for those incremental costs by paying the difference between the lowest bid and the next-lowest bid, up to the bond amount. This mechanism discourages frivolous bidding and ensures seriousness in the bidding process. It does not insure against construction delays, it does not cover general liability, and it does not guarantee performance—the latter is secured by a separate performance bond after award.