Ottumwa Street Excavation Bond
What it is & who requires it
Contractors excavating or digging in an Ottumwa street, avenue or alley. This is the largest municipal excavation figure found in Iowa and it sits in a city of about twenty-five thousand people, which is a good reminder that these sums do not track population. One exemption matters and it is the reason a utility may tell you the bond does not apply: a utility company holding a franchise agreement with the city is not required to carry the bond under the city’s policy and is not required to obtain a permit for each project in the right-of-way, though it must still follow the construction procedures. That exemption is the company’s, not its contractor’s, so a contractor working for a franchised utility should ask in writing which of the two of you the city expects to bond. Insurance is required separately in the same section and is submitted to the city engineer.
Obligee: City of Ottumwa (City Clerk; City Engineer). Citation: Ottumwa Code of Ordinances § 32-141 (Bond and insurance), ch. 32 (Streets and Sidewalks); Ord. No. 2964 § 1, 21 March 2006; Code 1970 § 32-87.
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 city clerk before the excavation permit issues, and callable by the city if the permittee fails to repair the excavation or pay the associated costs.
Renewal: Filed against street excavation work rather than bought per cut.
Filing
Filed with the city clerk. The section says a good and sufficient bond without naming a corporate surety, and the figure renders because nothing in the chapter offers a cash deposit, certificate of deposit or letter of credit in its place. The city can call the bond directly for failure to repair or to pay costs, which is a shorter route than most Iowa cities write for themselves. Note that Ottumwa takes no contractor, electrical or plumbing license bond at all — its building, electrical and plumbing code chapters contain the word bond zero times between them — so this permit bond is effectively the city’s only construction instrument.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-09-03).
Related Iowa bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Ottumwa Street Excavation Bond?
- It’s required by City of Ottumwa (City Clerk; City Engineer) (Ottumwa Code of Ordinances § 32-141 (Bond and insurance), ch. 32 (Streets and Sidewalks); Ord. No. 2964 § 1, 21 March 2006; Code 1970 § 32-87). Contractors excavating or digging in an Ottumwa street, avenue or alley. This is the largest municipal excavation figure found in Iowa and it sits in a city of about twenty-five thousand people, which is a good reminder that these sums do not track population. One exemption matters and it is the reason a utility may tell you the bond does not apply: a utility company holding a franchise agreement with the city is not required to carry the bond under the city’s policy and is not required to obtain a permit for each project in the right-of-way, though it must still follow the construction procedures. That exemption is the company’s, not its contractor’s, so a contractor working for a franchised utility should ask in writing which of the two of you the city expects to bond. Insurance is required separately in the same section and is submitted to the city engineer.
- How much is the Ottumwa Street Excavation Bond?
- The bond amount is $25,000.
- How do I get the Ottumwa Street Excavation 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 city clerk before the excavation permit issues, and callable by the city if the permittee fails to repair the excavation or pay the associated costs. Renewal: Filed against street excavation 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.
