Okay , so don't give him a bond. If you excluded it , that means it would be extra $$ so if you price it high enough maybe he won't go for it. Otherwise, you will be bound to him even if he can't pay you, unless you have what is called a "Dual Obligee Rider". If he presses for the bond, ask your Agent about the rider. I would get the mechanics lien in place. Not a big deal. The personal guarantee is fine but it will cost you attorneys' fees to ever execute.

Ok, if the project cost is more than what the property is worth, you are not in great shape. Have you given him the performance bond already? If you haven't , do not! Step #2 is to ask him for his proof of fire/property insurance and find out what he's getting. ask him to "assign" it to you. Let me know about your bond.

Great advice Grace Took the words out of my mouth. You definitely need to find out who the insurance company is. Did you get any upfront money? If not ask for it. Even if its a couple thousand. Then copy the check, so you have the account numbers. These may prove helpful in the future.

Hi Clansing! It may take you awhile to collect your $$ but you should be okay. Your best bet is to file a mechanic's lien on the property(ASAP). You don't say what State you are in but this can be a $10 filing at the County Clerk's office. If your bill is small in comparison to the value of the property, they will be anxious to settle with you at some point. One thing I learned to do on fire jobs is ask for an insurance cert, see who the insurer was and ask the Owner and insurer to assign a portion of the fire insurance proceeds to us. This is late now but if there was a documented fire there , the local fire department knows who the insurer is and you may want to contact them and tell them you have a valid lien against the property, related to the fire. How long has it been since you did this work and what state are you in?