Grading Permit Bond - City of Hemet, CA in California

Brief Summary

If your Hemet grading job moves more than 5,000 cubic yards, the city engineer will not issue the permit until security is posted. A surety bond covers that requirement for an annual premium, so the cash that would otherwise sit with the Engineering Department stays available for the job.

Hemet requires security before it issues a grading permit for work involving more than 5,000 cubic yards, and the city engineer can require it on smaller jobs where unusual conditions or special hazards exist. Under the city's Grading and Erosion Control Standards, the bond must cover 100% of the cost of the cut or fill volume, whichever is greater, plus 100% of the cost of erosion control facilities and drainage improvements. The bond is payable to the City of Hemet and stays in place until the city engineer accepts the finished work.

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How to Apply for a Grading Permit Bond:

• Check whether your grading exceeds 5,000 cubic yards, or whether the city engineer has asked for security on a smaller job.
• Get the engineer's cost estimate for the greater of cut or fill, plus erosion control and drainage improvements.
• Use the City of Hemet Grading Permit Surety Bond form from Appendix B of the Grading Standards.
• Complete the bond application and owner credit review.
• Have the signatures of the principal and attorney in fact notarized with acknowledgements attached.
• Post the bond with the Engineering Department before the grading permit is issued.

Detailed Information About the California Grading Permit Bond:

When the bond is required

Hemet Municipal Code Chapter 67 requires a city permit for grading, with exceptions in Section 67-5 for small cuts and fills under 50 cubic yards, utility trenching under a franchise or encroachment permit, agricultural grading, and work by public agencies. Section 67-8 says a permit will not issue until the permittee posts security in the amount set by the Grading Standards.

Section 4.1(c) of the Grading and Erosion Control Standards, adopted by City Council Resolution 4537 in 2013, sets the trigger. Security is required for grading involving more than 5,000 cubic yards. Below that, the city engineer may still require a bond where unusual conditions or special hazards exist.

How the amount is figured

There is no flat figure. The bond must cover 100% of the cost of the cut or fill volume, whichever is greater, plus 100% of the cost of the erosion control facilities and drainage improvements being built. Your engineer's cost estimate on the approved plans drives the number.

What the bond promises

The city's Grading Permit Surety Bond form commits the principal to follow the grading code and the permit conditions, finish the work within the permit time limit and any extensions, and repay the city for work the city engineer finds necessary for public safety if the principal fails. The surety waives notice of permit changes and extensions, and reasonable attorney's fees are payable if the city sues on the bond. The surety must be authorized to do business in California.

Other options

Section 67-8 also accepts a cash deposit or a letter of credit in place of a surety bond. The bond may include incidental off-site grading on contiguous property if the owner's written consent is filed with the city engineer.

How long it lasts

The security starts when the permit is issued and stays in place until the work is complete to the city engineer's satisfaction. Where erosion control planting is installed, Section 67-22 holds the security until the plantings are established and approved by the city engineer. Permits are valid for 180 days and expire if work does not start within 90 days, so keep the bond in force through any extension.

Eligibility and Requirements for a California Grading Permit Bond:

• Surety authorized to transact surety business in California.
• City of Hemet named as obligee.
• Bond amount equal to 100% of the greater of cut or fill cost plus 100% of erosion control and drainage costs.
• Grading permit number and property description written into the bond.
• Bond kept in force until the city engineer accepts the completed work.

California Grading Permit Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the California Grading Permit Bond: