Street or Road Cut Permit Bond - Jefferson County, CO in Colorado

Brief Summary

Jefferson County will not issue a right-of-way permit for a street cut until your permit bond is on file, and it holds that bond for two years after the job is accepted. A surety bond covers the requirement for a premium instead of tying up a letter of credit for the whole warranty period, and a scanned copy can be emailed to get the permit moving.

Contractors cutting a county road in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado need a Right-of-Way Use and Construction Permit and a non-cancelable permit bond naming the County of Jefferson, State of Colorado as sole obligee. Under the county's Right-of-Way Use and Construction Permits policy the bond is $10,000 when construction cost is under $10,000 and equal to the value of the right-of-way work when it is over $10,000, with a separate bond for each permit.

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How to Apply for a Street or Road Cut Permit Bond:

• Confirm the road is county right-of-way using the county's jMap tool.
• Work out the construction cost of the right-of-way work to see whether you need the $10,000 bond or a bond for the project value.
• Submit the signed permit application and supporting documents, such as a traffic control plan and site map, by email to Transportation and Engineering.
• Pay the permit fees once the county calculates them.
• Obtain a non-cancelable permit bond naming the County of Jefferson, State of Colorado as sole obligee, listing the work address and cost of work.
• Email a copy to transeng@jeffco.us and get the original to the Golden office within 10 calendar days of permit issuance.

Detailed Information About the Colorado Street or Road Cut Permit Bond:

Which bond amount applies to you

Section G of Jefferson County's Right-of-Way Use and Construction Permits and License Agreements Policy (Administrative Policy Part 8, Chapter 3, Section 1, adopted by Resolution CC18-377) sets two tiers.

• Construction cost under $10,000: bond for $10,000.
• Construction cost over $10,000: bond for the value of the work performed within the right-of-way, for each permit.

On larger jobs you give the county documentation of project cost with the application so it can approve the bond figure. A contractor running several cuts needs a bond for each permit, not one bond for the year.

Who is exempt

Municipalities, quasi-municipal agencies, mutual companies, metropolitan districts, and electric, gas and communications utilities may file a Letter of Responsibility instead of a bond. It must be approved by the Transportation and Engineering Division and updated every calendar year. That exemption does not pass down to contractors. A contractor or subcontractor working for a utility or district cannot sign the permit application under the owner's letter and must post its own bond. If a facility owner fails to pay county costs, the policy lets the county revoke its letter and require bonds on all future permits.

What the bond guarantees and how long it lasts

The bond assures that you follow county standards and specifications and lets the county recover its expenses, up to the bond amount, for two years after the permit expires. That lines up with the two-year warranty in Section H. The county inspects at completion and again about 30 days before the warranty ends. If the patch holds, the bond is released. If repairs are needed and not made within 30 days, or within 24 hours for an immediate danger, the county can claim on the bond. Trenches using water consolidation for pipes over 18 inches carry a three-year warranty.

Filing the bond

After fees are paid and the permit is approved, you provide the bond. It must list the applicant's name and address, the address of the work or nearest intersection, the cost of work, and Jefferson County as sole obligee. It must come from a surety licensed in Colorado and be in a form acceptable to the County Attorney's Office. You can email a copy to transeng@jeffco.us to speed issuance, but the original must reach the Transportation and Engineering Division, 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Suite 3500, Golden, CO 80419, within 10 calendar days. A missing original can get the permit suspended and the job shut down.

Fees and timing

Permit processing is $25. Street cuts are $0.15 per linear foot with a $75 minimum, and pothole or bore pits are $50 each. Permits are good for 90 days with one 90-day renewal if requested before expiration. Starting work without a permit, other than emergency repairs reported within 48 hours, means a penalty permit at double the fee plus the original fee. The county's permit page notes the bond can be job-specific depending on the work, so confirm the amount with Transportation and Engineering at 303-271-8495 before the bond is issued.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Colorado Street or Road Cut Permit Bond:

• Bond of $10,000 for work under $10,000, or the value of the right-of-way work for anything over $10,000.
• A separate bond for each permit.
• Surety licensed to do business in Colorado, on a form acceptable to the County Attorney's Office.
• Bond remains available to the county for two years after the permit expires.
• Two-year warranty on the cut and patch, three years where water consolidation is used on pipes over 18 inches.

Colorado Street or Road Cut Permit Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Colorado Street or Road Cut Permit Bond: