Street Excavation ($20,000) Bond - City of Bridgeport, CT in Connecticut

Brief Summary

Bridgeport will not issue a street excavation permit to anyone who is not licensed and bonded with the city, and the license bond is $20,000 under Municipal Code 12.12.140. A surety bond lets you meet that requirement for a premium instead of cash, and it stays on file with the city for at least three years after each permit or start of construction.

Bridgeport requires any contractor who excavates roads or sidewalks in the city for utility work, sewer work or related digging to hold an excavator's license from the director of public facilities. Municipal Code 12.12.140 conditions that license on a $20,000 bond, which the city holds for no less than three years from permit issuance or the start of construction, whichever is later. The license costs $250 a year and expires March 31.

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How to Apply for a Street Excavation ($20,000) Bond:

• Legal business name and address exactly as they will appear on the Bridgeport excavator's license.
• Owner name and home address for the surety's credit review.
• An executed $20,000 bond filed with the director of public facilities.
• Proof of insurance, which the city asks for with the license application.
• Payment of the $250 annual excavator's license fee.
• A permit for each address on ParkcityPortal.com, at $250 for street excavation or $150 for sidewalk excavation.

Detailed Information About the Connecticut Street Excavation ($20,000) Bond:

It is not only for utility companies

The code sections behind this bond carry the heading public utility excavations, and many contractors assume that leaves them out. The city's own Excavator License page says any contractor conducting work in Bridgeport that includes excavation of roads or sidewalks for utility work, sewer work or related digging must be licensed, and must provide insurance and a bond when applying.

The amount and how long it is held

Section 12.12.140 sets the bond at $20,000, with no tiers. At the discretion of the director of public facilities a larger amount may be necessary to cover a contractor's work, and that amount is set before the permit issues. The city holds the bond for no less than three years from issuance of the permit or the start of construction, whichever is later. Section 12.12.230 adds that permits expire 30 days after issuance, but the contractor must still honor the full bond term.

Who is exempt

Under Section 12.12.140, a water, gas or electric company, or a telephone or communication company, does not have to furnish the bond if it signs an indemnity agreement with the city on the same conditions. Section 12.12.060 also exempts the city and its officers, boards, agencies and commissions from these sections.

What the bond guarantees

The bond promises that the licensee will indemnify the city and the director against claims for injury or damage from the work, restore the street or sidewalk to as good a condition as before, do the work in a good workmanlike manner under city rules and permit terms, and reimburse the city for refilling, repaving or resurfacing the licensee fails to do. Section 12.12.040 requires a temporary patch kept safe for six months and permanent paving within six months of the temporary patch.

Openings of 100 feet or more

Section 12.12.250 adds rules for street openings of 100 linear feet or more. The applicant must post a bond in an amount satisfactory to comply with that section, with a three year duration, and give a five year guarantee of compaction and pavement serviceability that the code says is separate from the three year bond. For a public service company as defined in CGS 16-1, that bond is waived under CGS 16-230 once the utility files a certificate of proof of solvency and the other documents the section lists.

Fees and filing

The excavator's license is $250 a year under Section 12.12.150, expires March 31 and cannot be transferred. The city fee schedule lists the street excavation permit at $250 per address and the sidewalk excavation permit at $150 per address. Permits are applied for online at ParkcityPortal.com, standard review takes at least one week, and the permits office at 203-576-7123 must inspect before and after the work. Confirm the current bond form with the office before the bond is issued.

What the premium depends on

The city does not set the premium. The surety prices it from the owner's credit and the company's history. Because the bond stays on file for years, ask how renewal premiums will be billed.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Connecticut Street Excavation ($20,000) Bond:

• Bond of $20,000, or a larger amount if the director sets one before the permit issues.
• Bond held at least three years from permit issuance or the start of construction, whichever is later.
• License renewed before it expires on March 31. Licenses are not transferable.
• Inspection by the permits office before and after the work.
• Temporary patch maintained six months and permanent paving within six months of that patch.
• For openings of 100 linear feet or more, a separate three year bond and a five year pavement guarantee under Section 12.12.250.

Connecticut Street Excavation ($20,000) Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Connecticut Street Excavation ($20,000) Bond: