Grading Permit Bond - City of Chino Hills, CA in California

Brief Summary

Chino Hills will not issue a grading permit until the project has its entitlements and the City has the security it asks for. A surety bond lets you post that guarantee for an annual premium instead of tying up cash for the life of the grading work.

The City of Chino Hills requires a permit from the Building Official before almost any excavation or fill, and it can require a grading bond as a condition of that permit. The bond names the City as obligee and guarantees the grading is finished according to the approved plans, the erosion control plan and the conditions of approval. The City sets the bond amount for each project, so get the figure from the City before you order the bond.

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How to Apply for a Grading Permit Bond:

• Confirm the project has all entitlements and zoning approvals, since no grading permit issues before then.
• Submit the rough grading application with plans, geotechnical report, hydrology study and the Trust Deposit Account agreement.
• Ask the City for the required bond amount and bond form for your project.
• Obtain the bond naming the City of Chino Hills as obligee and deliver it before the permit is issued.
• Keep the bond in force until the City accepts the completed grading.

Detailed Information About the California Grading Permit Bond:

When a grading permit is required

Chino Hills adopts the California Building Code with local amendments in Municipal Code Section 15.04.020. Under the City's version of Appendix J Section J103.1, no grading or excavation of any kind may be performed without a permit from the Building Official, and no grading permit is issued until the project has received all required entitlements and zoning approvals. The City defines grading broadly as any excavation or fill that changes the existing topography or drainage of a site.

The City added two local exemptions to the standard Appendix J list. Grading only to build flatwork, meaning a surface up to 6 inches thick that does not support a structure, is exempt unless it could increase cross lot drainage or threaten nearby structures. Filling an old pool or pond with non-certified fill is also exempt when the pool coping stays visible and the bottom can no longer hold water.

What the bond guarantees

The bond runs to the City of Chino Hills. It backs your promise to complete the grading as shown on the approved plans, keep erosion and drainage controls in place, and leave the site stable. If the work is abandoned or left unsafe, the City can claim against the bond to pay for finishing or securing it. The amount is set by the City for your project, so confirm the figure, the required bond form and where to deliver it with the City before the bond is issued.

Other money the City will ask for

The bond is not the only deposit. The rough grading application requires a signed Trust Deposit Account agreement and an initial deposit under the current fee schedule to cover plan review. On conditionally approved projects moving more than 5,000 cubic yards next to slopes of 15 percent or more, or next to land set aside as natural open space, Chapter 16.52 also requires a separate deposit to pay an independent Quality Control Engineer. Neither of these replaces the grading bond.

Seasonal rules that catch contractors

The City's rough grading conditions require temporary drainage and erosion control devices installed no later than October 15 and kept working until April 15. Grading must stop when winds exceed 25 miles per hour.

Eligibility and Requirements for a California Grading Permit Bond:

• Bond amount set by the City of Chino Hills for the specific project.
• Principal name on the bond matching the permit applicant.
• Surety admitted to write bonds in California.
• Erosion control in place from October 15 to April 15.
• Separate Quality Control Engineer deposit on large conditionally approved hillside projects under Chapter 16.52.

California Grading Permit Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the California Grading Permit Bond: