Des Moines House Mover Bond
What it is & who requires it
House and building movers licensed by the City of Des Moines. This is the largest municipal building mover bond found anywhere in Iowa, and it is worth knowing how far the neighboring figures fall — the same trade is bonded in at least eight Iowa cities at sums running from a quarter of this down to a small fraction of it, so a number carried in from another city will be badly wrong in either direction. The bond answers to the city and to any person injured both, for all damages for injuries to persons or property, including damage to any street, curb, sidewalk or other public property, caused by the negligence, fault or mismanagement of the applicant or anyone in the applicant’s employ, or due to any other cause. Before the bond question arises the city engineer examines qualifications and experience, the kind of equipment you intend to use and whether you own it, so the license is not a formality.
Obligee: City of Des Moines (City Engineer). Citation: Des Moines Municipal Code § 102-999 (House mover’s bond); § 102-998 (application — qualifications and equipment); ch. 102 (Streets, Sidewalks, Skywalks and Other Public Places); C62 § 54-162; O.7176; C91 § 23-138.
Bond amount
The required bond amount is $25,000.
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 with the license application and held against all work done under the license.
Renewal: With the house mover’s license.
Filing
Filed with the application. The ordinance names an approved corporate surety and states a flat penal sum, and a scan of the surrounding sections finds no cash, deposit, letter of credit or in lieu language anywhere near it, so the figure renders cleanly. The condition is workmanlike performance in accordance with all sections of the code and all city ordinances relating to house moving. Note that Des Moines runs its street excavation security through an entirely separate and much more complicated scheme in the same chapter, so a mover who also opens the street is looking at two unrelated filings.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-09-03).
Related Iowa bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Des Moines House Mover Bond?
- It’s required by City of Des Moines (City Engineer) (Des Moines Municipal Code § 102-999 (House mover’s bond); § 102-998 (application — qualifications and equipment); ch. 102 (Streets, Sidewalks, Skywalks and Other Public Places); C62 § 54-162; O.7176; C91 § 23-138). House and building movers licensed by the City of Des Moines. This is the largest municipal building mover bond found anywhere in Iowa, and it is worth knowing how far the neighboring figures fall — the same trade is bonded in at least eight Iowa cities at sums running from a quarter of this down to a small fraction of it, so a number carried in from another city will be badly wrong in either direction. The bond answers to the city and to any person injured both, for all damages for injuries to persons or property, including damage to any street, curb, sidewalk or other public property, caused by the negligence, fault or mismanagement of the applicant or anyone in the applicant’s employ, or due to any other cause. Before the bond question arises the city engineer examines qualifications and experience, the kind of equipment you intend to use and whether you own it, so the license is not a formality.
- How much is the Des Moines House Mover Bond?
- The bond amount is $25,000.
- How do I get the Des Moines House Mover 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 with the license application and held against all work done under the license. Renewal: With the house mover’s license.
- 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.
