Contractors Clearing, Earthwork, Soil Erosion Control & Other Land Disturbing Bond - City of Homewood, AL in Alabama

Brief Summary

Homewood sizes this bond by the acre, so the figure on your permit depends on what you are disturbing and where. Posting a surety bond lets you meet the city's security requirement with an annual premium instead of tying up a cash deposit or a bank letter of credit for the life of the project.

Anyone conducting land disturbing activity in Homewood needs a permit from the city, and the permit carries a security requirement under Section 5-122 of the city code. Clearing only is secured at $2,000 per acre. Earthwork, or clearing combined with earthwork, is secured at $5,000 per acre. The city accepts a surety bond, a letter of credit or a cash bond, and it decides which form it will take.

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How to Apply for a Contractors Clearing, Earthwork, Soil Erosion Control & Other Land Disturbing Bond:

• Measure the total acreage you will disturb and note whether the work is clearing only or includes earthwork.
• Check whether any of the site lies in a floodplain or floodway, which doubles the required amount.
• For a single-family home, gather proof of the Jefferson County Erosion Workshop or QCI certification if you want the reduced $3,000 figure.
• Apply for the Land Disturbing Permit through Homewood's Civic Access portal and pay the $400 or $1,000 application fee.
• Ask Homewood Engineering to confirm the security amount and whether it will accept a surety bond.
• Complete the bond application, pay the premium and deliver the executed bond to the city.

Detailed Information About the Alabama Contractors Clearing, Earthwork, Soil Erosion Control & Other Land Disturbing Bond:

How the amount is figured

Homewood regulates soil erosion and sedimentation in Chapter 5, Article IV of its code of ordinances. Section 5-111 makes it unlawful to conduct land disturbing activity without a permit from the official, who is the city's municipal engineer or another qualified credentialed professional on staff. Section 5-122 then requires security with the plan, figured per acre or fraction of an acre disturbed:

• Clearing only: $2,000 per acre
• Earthwork, or clearing and earthwork together: $5,000 per acre
• Earthwork for an individual single-family residence: may be reduced to $3,000 with proof of completing the Jefferson County Erosion Workshop or holding Qualified Credentialed Inspector (QCI) certification
• Clearing or earthwork in floodplain or floodway areas: double the standard per acre amounts

A two acre earthwork site, for example, starts at $10,000 before any floodplain doubling. Partial acres count as a full acre in the calculation.

What the bond guarantees

The security stands behind the erosion and sediment controls in your approved plan. If the controls are not installed or kept up, the city can draw on it to correct the problem. It stays in force for as long as the official reasonably requires, so plan for it to run until the site is stabilized and the city releases it.

Fees and exclusions

Section 5-92 sets a nonrefundable permit application fee of $400 for an individual single-family residence and $1,000 for all other land disturbing activity. Section 5-112 excludes several activities from the permit requirement, including agriculture, silviculture, routine home gardening and landscaping, minor utility service connections for single and two-family homes, and maintenance of existing underground utility lines. If your work is excluded from the permit, the security requirement does not attach to it.

The Land Disturbing Permit application is filed through the city's Civic Access portal. Confirm the final security amount and the bond form with Homewood Engineering before the bond is issued.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Alabama Contractors Clearing, Earthwork, Soil Erosion Control & Other Land Disturbing Bond:

• Obligee is the City of Homewood, Alabama.
• Amount set by Homewood Code Section 5-122 on a per acre basis.
• Surety bond, letter of credit or cash bond, at the city's choice.
• Bond stays in force until the official releases it.
• Principal credit review by the surety, which shapes the premium.

Alabama Contractors Clearing, Earthwork, Soil Erosion Control & Other Land Disturbing Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Alabama Contractors Clearing, Earthwork, Soil Erosion Control & Other Land Disturbing Bond: