Arvada Municipal General Contractor License Bond
What it is & who requires it
Contractors licensed by Arvada to perform work on general public improvements — the city’s right-of-way credential, administered by the Engineering Division rather than the Building Division. It is a blanket bond by design: the form’s own recital says the principal deposits it in lieu of separate bonds for each general public improvement, so one filing covers all your Arvada public improvement work for the license year. Note that Arvada runs a second, separate contractor license for building work under its building chapter, and that one carries no bond at all — an application, a fee, a possible examination, a compliance check on your open inspections and a qualified supervisor. If you build in Arvada but never touch the public improvements, that is the license you need, and it does not require this bond.
Obligee: City of Arvada (Engineering Division). Citation: Arvada Code of Ordinances § 78-185 (Licensing bond — municipal general contractor’s license bond, principal amount $20,000.00); § 78-184 (Municipal general contractor’s license; required); § 78-181 (Scope); § 78-187 (Permit); Ord. No. 4749 § 1, 1-25-2021; and the City of Arvada Engineering Division Municipal General Contractor’s License bond form, the city-prepared form § 78-185 requires.
Bond amount
The required bond amount is $20,000.
How to get it
This bond is individually underwritten, so it is not issued instantly. Request a quote and a licensed producer follows up to walk you through it.
Request a bond quote
Tell us about the bond and the project. A licensed producer follows up — these bonds are individually underwritten, so they are not issued instantly.
Term & renewal
Term: One year, unless renewed by a continuation certificate signed and sealed by the surety. A two year warranty period then runs from the date the last public improvement was completed and accepted by the city.
Renewal: Renewed annually with the license, either by a new bond or by a continuation certificate.
Filing
Filed with the City of Arvada Engineering Division on the City’s own bond form, with the surety’s power of attorney attached, and applied for through the city’s online permit system. Insurance and workers’ compensation certificates naming the City of Arvada as an additional insured go in the same packet. Three provisions on the form are worth reading before you sign. The obligation covers compliance with the city’s requirements and code provisions, replacement of any defect in the work whether from defective materials or defective workmanship, and indemnity against suits or claims brought against the city because of the work performed under your license. It can be cancelled on thirty days’ written notice from the surety, which relieves the surety only as to public improvements performed after the notice period expires. And no right of action accrues on it to anyone other than the City of Arvada. One more distinction is worth carrying into your first Arvada job: this license bond is not the security the city takes on the work itself. Before the first right-of-way permit issues, the city separately requires a cash escrow or a letter of credit sized at the total cost of the public improvements, reduced once the city grants initial warranty acceptance and replenished if the city ever draws on it. That is a per-permit project security, and no permit issues at all unless the applicant holds this license or retains a contractor who does — so the two run together rather than one standing in for the other. Authority: Arvada Code of Ordinances §§ 78-184, 78-185 and 78-298, and the City of Arvada Municipal General Contractor’s License bond form.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-08-30).
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Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Arvada Municipal General Contractor License Bond?
- It’s required by City of Arvada (Engineering Division) (Arvada Code of Ordinances § 78-185 (Licensing bond — municipal general contractor’s license bond, principal amount $20,000.00); § 78-184 (Municipal general contractor’s license; required); § 78-181 (Scope); § 78-187 (Permit); Ord. No. 4749 § 1, 1-25-2021; and the City of Arvada Engineering Division Municipal General Contractor’s License bond form, the city-prepared form § 78-185 requires). Contractors licensed by Arvada to perform work on general public improvements — the city’s right-of-way credential, administered by the Engineering Division rather than the Building Division. It is a blanket bond by design: the form’s own recital says the principal deposits it in lieu of separate bonds for each general public improvement, so one filing covers all your Arvada public improvement work for the license year. Note that Arvada runs a second, separate contractor license for building work under its building chapter, and that one carries no bond at all — an application, a fee, a possible examination, a compliance check on your open inspections and a qualified supervisor. If you build in Arvada but never touch the public improvements, that is the license you need, and it does not require this bond.
- How much is the Arvada Municipal General Contractor License Bond?
- The bond amount is $20,000.
- How do I get the Arvada Municipal General Contractor License Bond?
- This bond is individually underwritten, so it is not issued instantly. Request a quote and a licensed producer follows up to walk you through it.
- What is the term?
- One year, unless renewed by a continuation certificate signed and sealed by the surety. A two year warranty period then runs from the date the last public improvement was completed and accepted by the city. Renewal: Renewed annually with the license, either by a new bond or by a continuation certificate.
- Is this bond insurance for me?
- No. It protects the obligee and the public — not you. If a valid claim is paid, you repay the surety.
- How is this requirement verified?
- We verify it against the obligee’s primary source (last checked 2026-08-30); the source link is on this page.
