City of Dover Street Opening Bond
What it is & who requires it
A contractor opening or excavating any street, sidewalk, public alley or public place in the City of Dover must, before a permit issues, execute a surety bond to the City (sureties approved by the City Manager) conditioned to indemnify the City against all loss, cost, damage or liability from the work. The bond amount is set per opening up to a codified maximum of $5,000. Dover imposes no separate general-contractor license bond — contractors otherwise need only a state Division of Revenue business license.
Obligee: City of Dover (City Manager). Citation: Code of the City of Dover, Chapter 98 (Streets, Sidewalks and Certain Other Public Places), Article VI (Excavations), § 98-253 (Bond); amount set in Appendix F—Fees and Fines.
Bond amount
Codified as a maximum of $5,000 per opening (City of Dover Code Appendix F—Fees and Fines, for § 98-253); the bond is sized per opening up to that cap.
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: Bond covering openings/excavations made under the permit; sureties approved by the City Manager; conditioned to indemnify and keep the City harmless from loss, cost, damage or liability arising from the work.
Renewal: Posted for the permit year (openings in streets/sidewalks/alleys/public places); a contractor doing recurring work maintains the bond per the City’s permit cycle.
Filing
Executed to the City of Dover before a permit issues for opening or excavating any street, sidewalk, public alley or public place, with sureties approved by the City Manager, and conditioned to indemnify and keep the City harmless from loss, cost, damage or liability arising from the work. It is posted for the permit year and sized per opening up to a codified maximum. Required under the Code of the City of Dover, Chapter 98, §98-253, with the amount set in Appendix F—Fees and Fines.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-06-23).
Related Delaware bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the City of Dover Street Opening Bond?
- It’s required by City of Dover (City Manager) (Code of the City of Dover, Chapter 98 (Streets, Sidewalks and Certain Other Public Places), Article VI (Excavations), § 98-253 (Bond); amount set in Appendix F—Fees and Fines). A contractor opening or excavating any street, sidewalk, public alley or public place in the City of Dover must, before a permit issues, execute a surety bond to the City (sureties approved by the City Manager) conditioned to indemnify the City against all loss, cost, damage or liability from the work. The bond amount is set per opening up to a codified maximum of $5,000. Dover imposes no separate general-contractor license bond — contractors otherwise need only a state Division of Revenue business license.
- How much is the City of Dover Street Opening Bond?
- Codified as a maximum of $5,000 per opening (City of Dover Code Appendix F—Fees and Fines, for § 98-253); the bond is sized per opening up to that cap.
- How do I get the City of Dover Street Opening 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?
- Bond covering openings/excavations made under the permit; sureties approved by the City Manager; conditioned to indemnify and keep the City harmless from loss, cost, damage or liability arising from the work. Renewal: Posted for the permit year (openings in streets/sidewalks/alleys/public places); a contractor doing recurring work maintains the bond per the City’s permit cycle.
- 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 2026-06-23); the source link is on this page.
