Landscape Buffer Bond - City of Hoover, AL in Alabama

Brief Summary

In Hoover the landscape bond is sized to your contract, not a flat fee. Expect to bond 110 percent of the landscaping and irrigation contract value and to keep the bond on file for a year after the certificate of occupancy.

The City of Hoover requires a landscape bond for all new commercial projects and may require one for an addition to an existing structure. The amount equals 110 percent of the value of the landscaping and irrigation contracts. The bond must come from a surety licensed in Alabama, should carry no expiration date, and stays on file for one year after the certificate of occupancy. The City of Hoover is the obligee, and the bond is given under the city's Tree Conservation, Buffers and Landscaping Ordinance.

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How to Apply for a Landscape Buffer Bond:

• Get the total value of your landscaping and irrigation contracts.
• Multiply by 110 percent to set the bond amount.
• Ask the Hoover Engineering Department which bond form and agreement it wants for your project.
• Provide the project address, permit details and contractor information.
• Pay the premium and receive the executed bond with no expiration date.
• File the bond with the City of Hoover before the landscaping permit work proceeds.

Detailed Information About the Alabama Landscape Buffer Bond:

How Hoover sets the amount

There is no single figure. The city's Development Bonds page sets the bond at 110 percent of the value of the landscaping and irrigation contract or contracts. A $40,000 landscape and irrigation package means a $44,000 bond. If the contract value changes, the bond should follow it.

Who needs it

The requirement applies to all new commercial projects. It may also be required when you add on to an existing structure, so ask before assuming an addition is exempt. Hoover lists this requirement on its Development Bonds page under the Tree Conservation Bond heading, and the city's Landscape Buffer Bond form carries the same conditions. Ask the Engineering Department which form it wants for your project.

What the bond guarantees

The principal applies to the Building Inspections Department for a permit to perform landscaping activity on a described site. The bond guarantees that the work is completed according to the permitted plans and specifications, and that incomplete or nonconforming work is corrected to meet Article XIII of the Hoover Municipal Code, Tree Conservation, Buffers and Landscaping. The City of Hoover, 100 Municipal Lane, is the obligee. The form also allows anyone injured in person or property by a breach to bring suit on the bond.

The rules people miss

The bond should not include an expiration date. It must stay on file for one year after Building Inspections issues the certificate of occupancy. After that year, and on the surety's request, the city reinspects the landscape. If it is substantially in compliance with viable plants, the bond can be released. A surety may cancel with 30 days written notice to the City Clerk and Building Inspections, and the contractor must then post a replacement bond if one is still required.

Questions go to the Hoover Engineering Department at (205) 444-7529.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Alabama Landscape Buffer Bond:

• Bond amount of 110 percent of the landscape and irrigation contract value.
• City of Hoover named as obligee.
• Surety licensed to do business in Alabama.
• No expiration date on the bond.
• Bond held for one year after the certificate of occupancy, then released after a passing reinspection.
• Contractor credit review and financials, which grow in weight as the contract value rises.

Alabama Landscape Buffer Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Alabama Landscape Buffer Bond: