Billings Excavation Bond
What it is & who requires it
Anyone digging, excavating, tunnelling or opening up a street, public place or alley in Billings — whether to connect to the city waterworks or a sewer, to lay, alter or repair gas pipe, underground electric wiring or underground hot water pipes and heating appliances, or for any other purpose. Billings requires the permit, the fees and the bond before the work starts. The bond ensures you comply with the ordinances, codes and other governing regulations, and holds the city harmless and reimburses it for any additional cost of restoring the excavation if you do not perform. Note its limits: it covers the digging and opening up only. The actual connection and installation of water or sewer pipe requires a separate utility bond under the city’s plumbing code.
Obligee: City of Billings (City Clerk; City Administrator). Citation: Billings Municipal Code § 22-302 (bond amount and conditions); § 22-301 (permit, fees and bond required); Ch. 22 Art. 22-300 Excavations.
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: Held for the excavation work it covers; the City does not accept continuation certificates to renew it, so a fresh bond is filed rather than the existing one extended.
Renewal: A new bond rather than a renewal — the code states that continuation certificates to renew the surety bond will not be accepted.
Filing
Filed with the Billings City Clerk before you excavate, along with your permit application and fees. The code states the sum and requires the bond to be executed by a surety company authorized to do business in Montana, naming no cash deposit or letter of credit in its place, which is why the figure is published here. Two practical points the ordinance is explicit about: the bond number assigned by the surety must appear on the face of the bond, and the City will not accept continuation certificates to renew it. Its scope is the excavation itself — connecting and installing water or sewer pipe is covered by a separate utility bond under the plumbing code, so a contractor doing both carries both. Insurance is required alongside it. Authority: Billings Municipal Code § 22-302.
Source
Verified against the obligee source (last checked 2026-08-27).
Related Montana bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Billings Excavation Bond?
- It’s required by City of Billings (City Clerk; City Administrator) (Billings Municipal Code § 22-302 (bond amount and conditions); § 22-301 (permit, fees and bond required); Ch. 22 Art. 22-300 Excavations). Anyone digging, excavating, tunnelling or opening up a street, public place or alley in Billings — whether to connect to the city waterworks or a sewer, to lay, alter or repair gas pipe, underground electric wiring or underground hot water pipes and heating appliances, or for any other purpose. Billings requires the permit, the fees and the bond before the work starts. The bond ensures you comply with the ordinances, codes and other governing regulations, and holds the city harmless and reimburses it for any additional cost of restoring the excavation if you do not perform. Note its limits: it covers the digging and opening up only. The actual connection and installation of water or sewer pipe requires a separate utility bond under the city’s plumbing code.
- How much is the Billings Excavation Bond?
- The bond amount is $10,000.
- How do I get the Billings 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?
- Held for the excavation work it covers; the City does not accept continuation certificates to renew it, so a fresh bond is filed rather than the existing one extended. Renewal: A new bond rather than a renewal — the code states that continuation certificates to renew the surety bond will not be accepted.
- 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 2026-08-27); the source link is on this page.
