Grading Permit Bond - City of Tustin, CA in California

Brief Summary

Tustin does not publish a single bond amount for grading. The Building Official sets the figure for your project when the permit is issued, so the fastest path is to have the plan check numbers in hand and get a surety bond quoted against that exact amount. A bond keeps your cash free for the job instead of tied up in a city deposit.

Under Tustin City Code Section 8918, the Building Official may require a bond or other security from a grading permit applicant, in a form and amount the Building Official decides is necessary. The bond backs the promise that work not finished to the approved plans will be corrected to remove hazards, and it can also cover water quality and construction hours enforcement costs and repair of City streets damaged while hauling import or export soil.

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How to Apply for a Grading Permit Bond:

• Submit the grading plans and checklist items through the City of Tustin Citizen Self Service portal.
• Include the Engineer's Cost Estimate, signed and stamped by the Engineer of Work.
• Pay the plan check fee set by City Council resolution when the application is accepted.
• Get the required bond amount and form from the Building Official after plan check.
• Have the surety issue the bond with the City of Tustin as obligee and deliver it before the permit is issued.
• Pay the grading permit fee before issuance.

Detailed Information About the California Grading Permit Bond:

The amount is set for your project

Tustin grading bonds are not a fixed figure. Section 8918 of the Tustin City Code lets the Building Official require bonds or other security in such forms and amounts deemed necessary, and points to the City Grading Manual for bonding procedures. Section 8910 also allows bonding to be attached as a permit condition. In practice the number comes out of plan check for your site, so get it from the City before you request the bond.

What the bond guarantees

The code lists the purposes plainly. The security assures that work not completed in line with the approved plans and specifications will be corrected to eliminate hazardous conditions. It can also recover the City's cost for water quality enforcement and construction hours enforcement. Under Section 8917, separate security can be required to guarantee maintenance and repair of City streets damaged while moving import and export material.

Who needs a grading permit in the first place

Section 8906 requires a permit before any grading, clearing, brushing or grubbing that prepares a site for grading. Common exemptions include excavation for footings and basements covered by a valid building permit, small cuts and fills that stay under 50 cubic yards and meet the depth and slope limits in the code, exploratory soil borings, utility trenching by franchised utilities, and resurfacing of existing pavement. Paving over 3,000 square feet for a private road, parking lot or driveway does need a grading permit unless the Building Official waives it in writing, and so does altering a watercourse.

Timing

A Tustin grading permit expires if work does not start within 180 days, if work stops for 180 days, or if the job is not finished within one year unless the permit or an improvement agreement says otherwise. A change of ownership before the grading is complete voids the permit and a new one is required, which usually means a new bond in the new owner's name.

Eligibility and Requirements for a California Grading Permit Bond:

• Bond amount as set by the Tustin Building Official for the specific project.
• City of Tustin named as obligee.
• Principal name matching the permit applicant or property owner on the grading application.
• Surety admitted to write bonds in California.
• Separate street repair security when the Building Official or Public Works Director requires it for import or export hauling.

California Grading Permit Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the California Grading Permit Bond: