Missoula Excavation Permit Bond
What it is & who requires it
Every applicant for a Missoula excavation permit — the code requires the bond of all applicants without exception, and the city will not issue a permit until the excavator holds a city business license. It is conditioned on proper backfill of the excavation, proper installation of any utility service or main line, and restoration of the surface to the standards of the excavation chapter. Note that it is a different instrument from Missoula’s bonded right-of-way contractor license bond, which covers building and repairing sidewalks, curb, gutter and paving rather than digging; a contractor who does both work types files both.
Obligee: City of Missoula (Public Works and Mobility Director). Citation: Missoula Municipal Code § 12.24.120 (Surety Bond Requirements); § 5.08.140(C) (Bonded Excavation Contractor); § 12.24.110 (Business License and Liability Insurance Requirement); Ord. 3780, 2026.
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: Two years of exposure after the work — settlement of backfill or failure of the excavator’s surface patch within two years of completion and acceptance is treated by the code as conclusive evidence of defective work, and the cost of putting it right is assessed against the bond.
Renewal: Filed with each permit application; the code requires it of all applicants for permits without exception.
Filing
Filed with your Missoula excavation permit application, alongside proof of the city business license and liability insurance the excavation chapter requires. The code does not publish a single sum: it sizes the bond to the contract amount and then sets a minimum below which it may not fall, so the amount is quoted to the job rather than looked up. What the bond answers for is spelled out unusually clearly — if backfill settles or the surface patch deteriorates or fails within two years of completion and acceptance, the code deems that conclusive evidence of defective work, and after three days’ notice the city may re-excavate, backfill or repair and assess the cost against the bond, which must itself recite the city’s right to do so. Authority: Missoula Municipal Code § 12.24.120.
Source
This bond requirement is corroborated by multiple public sources; City of Missoula (Public Works and Mobility Director) sets the exact amount, which we confirm when you start your bond.
Related Montana bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Missoula Excavation Permit Bond?
- It’s required by City of Missoula (Public Works and Mobility Director) (Missoula Municipal Code § 12.24.120 (Surety Bond Requirements); § 5.08.140(C) (Bonded Excavation Contractor); § 12.24.110 (Business License and Liability Insurance Requirement); Ord. 3780, 2026). Every applicant for a Missoula excavation permit — the code requires the bond of all applicants without exception, and the city will not issue a permit until the excavator holds a city business license. It is conditioned on proper backfill of the excavation, proper installation of any utility service or main line, and restoration of the surface to the standards of the excavation chapter. Note that it is a different instrument from Missoula’s bonded right-of-way contractor license bond, which covers building and repairing sidewalks, curb, gutter and paving rather than digging; a contractor who does both work types files both.
- How much is the Missoula Excavation Permit Bond?
- 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 Missoula Excavation Permit 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?
- Two years of exposure after the work — settlement of backfill or failure of the excavator’s surface patch within two years of completion and acceptance is treated by the code as conclusive evidence of defective work, and the cost of putting it right is assessed against the bond. Renewal: Filed with each permit application; the code requires it of all applicants for permits without exception.
- 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.
