Cedar Rapids Sidewalk Contractor Bond
What it is & who requires it
Anyone engaging in the construction or repair of permanent sidewalks in Cedar Rapids streets, alleys or on public property. The mismatch between the two periods in this section is the thing to notice: the contractor must keep the walk in good and perfect repair for four years, but no bond is good for longer than three, so the tail on the work outlasts the paper and continuity of coverage is the contractor’s problem rather than the city’s. One condition is unusually blunt and worth reading before signing: the code makes the Public Works Department’s decision that a sidewalk needs repair final. Liability runs to the city and to the property holder both, for damage, loss and expense caused by failure to build according to the plans and specifications. If the council orders a non-conforming walk taken up and replaced, the builder is liable on the bond for failing to do it within the time specified.
Obligee: City of Cedar Rapids (Public Works Department). Citation: Cedar Rapids Municipal Code ch. 9 (Streets, Alleys and Sidewalks) — sidewalk contractor bond; ch. 41 § 41.04 (Bonds and insurance — corporate surety required, approved by the City Attorney); ch. 41 § 41.12 (grounds for revocation include expiration or cancellation of any required bond).
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: The bond itself may not run longer than three years, while the repair obligation it secures runs four years from completion of each walk.
Renewal: At least every three years by the code’s own limit, and in practice with the sidewalk permit cycle.
Filing
Executed before the sidewalk permit issues. The section states a flat principal sum and offers no deposit or letter of credit alternative, and the city’s general licensing provision at section 41.04 supplies the instrument: all bonds required for a license must be executed by a corporate surety authorized to do business in Iowa, subject to the approval of the City Attorney. That same chapter makes expiration or cancellation of a required bond a ground for revoking the license, so a lapse is not a paperwork problem. Note that Cedar Rapids has a second, separate contractor bond in its right-of-way chapter at the same figure, and that neither of them is a general contractor license bond — the city’s building code takes no bond at all.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-09-03).
Related Iowa bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Cedar Rapids Sidewalk Contractor Bond?
- It’s required by City of Cedar Rapids (Public Works Department) (Cedar Rapids Municipal Code ch. 9 (Streets, Alleys and Sidewalks) — sidewalk contractor bond; ch. 41 § 41.04 (Bonds and insurance — corporate surety required, approved by the City Attorney); ch. 41 § 41.12 (grounds for revocation include expiration or cancellation of any required bond)). Anyone engaging in the construction or repair of permanent sidewalks in Cedar Rapids streets, alleys or on public property. The mismatch between the two periods in this section is the thing to notice: the contractor must keep the walk in good and perfect repair for four years, but no bond is good for longer than three, so the tail on the work outlasts the paper and continuity of coverage is the contractor’s problem rather than the city’s. One condition is unusually blunt and worth reading before signing: the code makes the Public Works Department’s decision that a sidewalk needs repair final. Liability runs to the city and to the property holder both, for damage, loss and expense caused by failure to build according to the plans and specifications. If the council orders a non-conforming walk taken up and replaced, the builder is liable on the bond for failing to do it within the time specified.
- How much is the Cedar Rapids Sidewalk Contractor Bond?
- The bond amount is $10,000.
- How do I get the Cedar Rapids Sidewalk Contractor 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?
- The bond itself may not run longer than three years, while the repair obligation it secures runs four years from completion of each walk. Renewal: At least every three years by the code’s own limit, and in practice with the sidewalk 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 2026-09-03); the source link is on this page.
