Iowa Street Excavation and Right-of-Way Bond (General Use)
What it is & who requires it
Contractors cutting, boring or excavating in an Iowa street, alley or right-of-way. Three patterns recur across the state and each one changes the number. First, several cities license excavation as its own trade with its own licensing year, so the bond runs for the year rather than the job — and in at least one of them the year is a fixed calendar period, meaning a license bought in December expires weeks later. Second, a good number of Iowa cities do not state a price at all: they set a minimum and then take the greater of that and the city engineer’s estimate of the total cost of the permitted work, so the estimate is the quote. Third, the maintenance tail is longer here than in most states — two years is common and one of the largest cities holds the surety for forty-eight months after restoration. Watch also for franchise exemptions: a utility with a city franchise agreement is often outside the requirement, though its contractor may not be.
Obligee: Iowa cities issuing street excavation, pavement cut and right-of-way permits. Citation: Ottumwa Code of Ordinances § 32-141; Cedar Rapids Municipal Code § 9A.04; Clinton Code of Ordinances § 97.107; Waterloo Municipal Code §§ 7-1-4, 7-2-5 and 7-3-4; Davenport Municipal Code § 12.32.050; Bettendorf City Code § 7-3-4; Oskaloosa Municipal Code § 12.32.050; Spencer Code of Ordinances § 95.033; Cedar Falls Code of Ordinances §§ 19-136, 19-178 and 19-217; Burlington Code of Ordinances § 136.04; Des Moines Municipal Code § 102-717.
Bond amount
Set by the obligee — the exact amount is confirmed automatically when you start your bond in our portal, or call 317-942-0549.
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: Usually held with the permit, and often with a maintenance tail — two years in several Iowa cities, four in two of the largest.
Renewal: Per permit in some cities; an annual or standing filing in others, and a few license excavation as a trade with its own licensing year.
Filing
Filed with the city clerk or the engineering department depending on the city. The same figure recurs in two Iowa codes word-for-word, which marks a circulating model provision rather than a local valuation, so a number that looks authoritative may simply be the drafting convention. Ask three questions when you apply: is the stated amount a sum or a minimum, will the engineer be estimating the work, and does the city accept a cash deposit or letter of credit instead of a bond.
Source
This bond requirement is corroborated by multiple public sources; Iowa cities issuing street excavation, pavement cut and right-of-way permits sets the exact amount, which we confirm when you start your bond.
Related Iowa bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Iowa Street Excavation and Right-of-Way Bond (General Use)?
- It’s required by Iowa cities issuing street excavation, pavement cut and right-of-way permits (Ottumwa Code of Ordinances § 32-141; Cedar Rapids Municipal Code § 9A.04; Clinton Code of Ordinances § 97.107; Waterloo Municipal Code §§ 7-1-4, 7-2-5 and 7-3-4; Davenport Municipal Code § 12.32.050; Bettendorf City Code § 7-3-4; Oskaloosa Municipal Code § 12.32.050; Spencer Code of Ordinances § 95.033; Cedar Falls Code of Ordinances §§ 19-136, 19-178 and 19-217; Burlington Code of Ordinances § 136.04; Des Moines Municipal Code § 102-717). Contractors cutting, boring or excavating in an Iowa street, alley or right-of-way. Three patterns recur across the state and each one changes the number. First, several cities license excavation as its own trade with its own licensing year, so the bond runs for the year rather than the job — and in at least one of them the year is a fixed calendar period, meaning a license bought in December expires weeks later. Second, a good number of Iowa cities do not state a price at all: they set a minimum and then take the greater of that and the city engineer’s estimate of the total cost of the permitted work, so the estimate is the quote. Third, the maintenance tail is longer here than in most states — two years is common and one of the largest cities holds the surety for forty-eight months after restoration. Watch also for franchise exemptions: a utility with a city franchise agreement is often outside the requirement, though its contractor may not be.
- How much is the Iowa Street Excavation and Right-of-Way Bond (General Use)?
- Set by the obligee — the exact amount is confirmed automatically when you start your bond in our portal, or call 317-942-0549.
- How do I get the Iowa Street Excavation and Right-of-Way Bond (General Use)?
- 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?
- Usually held with the permit, and often with a maintenance tail — two years in several Iowa cities, four in two of the largest. Renewal: Per permit in some cities; an annual or standing filing in others, and a few license excavation as a trade with its own licensing year.
- 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?
- This bond requirement is corroborated by multiple public sources. The obligee sets the exact amount, which we confirm automatically when you start your bond in the portal or with a producer.
