Fort Collins Right-of-Way Contractor License Bond
What it is & who requires it
Contractors who perform or contract to perform work of any kind in the Fort Collins public right-of-way, and anyone working on a utility that is or will be owned or maintained by the City or that will connect to and become part of a City utility — whether that work is in the right-of-way or in an easement. Work here means constructing, installing, altering or repairing any sidewalk, curb, gutter, driveway, curb cut, street, alley or other improvement in or under a public right-of-way. Four categories also need a license endorsement on top of the license — asphalt, utility, non-structural concrete and structural concrete — and the City Engineer decides whether you are qualified for each. The endorsements carry no separate bond; the bond attaches to the license application. Four groups are exempt: City crews, anyone contracting with the City to do the work, utility companies using their own crews (but not their contractors), and individual residential property owners working in the right-of-way abutting their own home.
Obligee: City of Fort Collins (City Engineer). Citation: Fort Collins Municipal Code § 15-363 (Bond required); § 15-361 (License required); § 15-365 (Licenses and endorsements); § 15-367 (Guarantee of work); § 24-35 (License required); Ord. No. 180, 1998 § 1, 10-20-98; Ord. No. 001, 2025 § 1, 1-21-25.
Bond amount
The required bond amount is $100,000.
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: Continuous, with a minimum cancellation notice of sixty days. If the bond is cancelled the license and any related permitting are immediately revoked — but the bond must remain effective through the warranty period on all previously completed work.
Renewal: Continuous rather than annually re-executed; the license itself renews and the bond rides with it.
Filing
Filed with the City Engineer with your license application. Fort Collins is stricter about the instrument than any other Colorado obligee in this directory: the bond must be a license and permit bond executed by a reliable surety company with a rating of A- or better, and the certificate must be an original or an electronically sealed file — not a copy. There is no cash, letter of credit or escrow alternative anywhere in the article, which is why the figure is published here. A higher figure applies if you are applying to bore for utilities in the right-of-way; that is a separate record. One narrow carve-out exists: the amount may differ where a Supplemental Site License under the City’s public property article sets it otherwise. Commercial general liability insurance at published limits, with the City as an additional insured, is filed alongside, and you must buy the current edition of the applicable City standards and specifications before the license issues. Read the guarantee with the bond: you guarantee the work for two years or for the period in the applicable standards, whichever is longer, covering defects in materials or workmanship and settling of trenches, fills or excavations — and if you fail to repair, the City may do the work and recover the cost by action against your bond. Authority: Fort Collins Municipal Code § 15-363.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-08-30).
Related Colorado bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Fort Collins Right-of-Way Contractor License Bond?
- It’s required by City of Fort Collins (City Engineer) (Fort Collins Municipal Code § 15-363 (Bond required); § 15-361 (License required); § 15-365 (Licenses and endorsements); § 15-367 (Guarantee of work); § 24-35 (License required); Ord. No. 180, 1998 § 1, 10-20-98; Ord. No. 001, 2025 § 1, 1-21-25). Contractors who perform or contract to perform work of any kind in the Fort Collins public right-of-way, and anyone working on a utility that is or will be owned or maintained by the City or that will connect to and become part of a City utility — whether that work is in the right-of-way or in an easement. Work here means constructing, installing, altering or repairing any sidewalk, curb, gutter, driveway, curb cut, street, alley or other improvement in or under a public right-of-way. Four categories also need a license endorsement on top of the license — asphalt, utility, non-structural concrete and structural concrete — and the City Engineer decides whether you are qualified for each. The endorsements carry no separate bond; the bond attaches to the license application. Four groups are exempt: City crews, anyone contracting with the City to do the work, utility companies using their own crews (but not their contractors), and individual residential property owners working in the right-of-way abutting their own home.
- How much is the Fort Collins Right-of-Way Contractor License Bond?
- The bond amount is $100,000.
- How do I get the Fort Collins Right-of-Way 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?
- Continuous, with a minimum cancellation notice of sixty days. If the bond is cancelled the license and any related permitting are immediately revoked — but the bond must remain effective through the warranty period on all previously completed work. Renewal: Continuous rather than annually re-executed; the license itself renews and the bond rides with it.
- 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.
