Cedar Rapids Right-of-Way Bond
What it is & who requires it
Anyone installing, erecting, hanging, laying, burying, drawing, emplacing, constructing, reconstructing or operating a facility in a Cedar Rapids street, alley or public place, which in practice means excavation and utility contractors as well as facility owners. The chapter is a modern right-of-way management ordinance adopted in 2021, so it is newer than most of the code around it and newer than the listings that describe this city. What the bond secures is broad and runs to third parties: it holds the city harmless from injury or damages which may be suffered by any person by reason of the activity, and obliges the applicant to repair all damage to streets, alleys, public places, private property or appurtenances, and to comply with every city ordinance and regulation governing the permitted work. Note this is not the same instrument as the city’s sidewalk contractor bond, which sits in a different chapter at the same figure, and a contractor doing both may be asked for both.
Obligee: City of Cedar Rapids (Public Works Department). Citation: Cedar Rapids Municipal Code § 9A.04 (Right-of-way; bond), ch. 9A (Right-of-Way Use), adopted by Ordinance No. 034-21, passed 13 July 2021; ch. 41 § 41.04 (Bonds and insurance).
Bond amount
The required bond amount is $10,000.
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: Filed before any permit issues under the right-of-way chapter and held against the permitted activity and the repairs it requires.
Renewal: Held on file against right-of-way work rather than bought per cut.
Filing
Filed with the city before the permit issues. The section says an approved bond without naming a surety, and no cash, deposit or letter of credit appears anywhere in the chapter, so the unnamed-instrument rule holds and the figure renders. Worth knowing where the number comes from: the identical sentence, down to the figure and the indemnity wording, appears in Clinton’s right-of-way chapter, so this is a circulating Iowa model provision rather than a Cedar Rapids valuation. Where a franchise, lease or license in the right-of-way predates the chapter, its terms are honored until it expires, so a long-standing franchise holder may be outside this requirement.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-09-03).
Related Iowa bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Cedar Rapids Right-of-Way Bond?
- It’s required by City of Cedar Rapids (Public Works Department) (Cedar Rapids Municipal Code § 9A.04 (Right-of-way; bond), ch. 9A (Right-of-Way Use), adopted by Ordinance No. 034-21, passed 13 July 2021; ch. 41 § 41.04 (Bonds and insurance)). Anyone installing, erecting, hanging, laying, burying, drawing, emplacing, constructing, reconstructing or operating a facility in a Cedar Rapids street, alley or public place, which in practice means excavation and utility contractors as well as facility owners. The chapter is a modern right-of-way management ordinance adopted in 2021, so it is newer than most of the code around it and newer than the listings that describe this city. What the bond secures is broad and runs to third parties: it holds the city harmless from injury or damages which may be suffered by any person by reason of the activity, and obliges the applicant to repair all damage to streets, alleys, public places, private property or appurtenances, and to comply with every city ordinance and regulation governing the permitted work. Note this is not the same instrument as the city’s sidewalk contractor bond, which sits in a different chapter at the same figure, and a contractor doing both may be asked for both.
- How much is the Cedar Rapids Right-of-Way Bond?
- The bond amount is $10,000.
- How do I get the Cedar Rapids Right-of-Way 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?
- Filed before any permit issues under the right-of-way chapter and held against the permitted activity and the repairs it requires. Renewal: Held on file against right-of-way work rather than bought per cut.
- 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 2026-09-03); the source link is on this page.
