Surety Bond Encyclopedia

Street Opening or Excavating Bond - City of Stamford, CT in Connecticut

Brief Summary

Stamford's City Engineer will not issue a street opening permit until this bond is filed, and the amount is tied to your own cost estimate. Getting the estimate and the bond lined up early is what keeps a right of way job from stalling at the permit counter.

Stamford requires a Street Opening and/or Excavation Bond before the City Engineer issues any permit to open or excavate a city street or sidewalk. Under Code of Ordinances Section 214-30 the penal sum equals 100 percent of the estimated cost of the work. One bond can cover all work within a consecutive twelve month period, and it carries a one year maintenance obligation after the city accepts the work.

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How to Apply for a Street Opening or Excavating Bond:

Prepare a cost estimate for the work, since the bond amount equals 100 percent of it.
Decide whether one twelve month bond will cover all of your Stamford right of way work for the year.
Have the contractor's legal name exactly as it will appear on the permit application.
Complete the bond application and review the quoted premium.
Have the surety execute Stamford's Street Opening and/or Excavation Bond form, including the notarized surety affidavit.
File the bond with the City Engineer before the street opening permit can issue.

Detailed Information About the Connecticut Street Opening or Excavating Bond:

The amount is not a flat figure

Stamford does not set a fixed dollar amount for this bond. Section 214-30 of the Code of Ordinances sets the penal sum at 100 percent of the estimated cost of the work to be performed. A small service connection and a long utility trench will carry very different bond amounts, so have your cost estimate ready before you request a quote.

Who has to post it

Any person applying for a permit to make an opening or excavation in a Stamford street or sidewalk files the bond with the City Engineer. Section 214-29 requires that permit, and the city's standard engineering notes state that a Street Opening Permit is required for all work within the City of Stamford right of way. Public service companies may submit the certificate issued by the Secretary of State under Connecticut General Statutes 16-230 in place of the bond. That option belongs to the utility, not to a private contractor working for it.

What the bond guarantees

The city's prescribed Street Opening and/or Excavation Bond form commits the principal to perform the permitted work to the City Engineer's specifications, to repair defects in workmanship or materials for one year after the City Engineer accepts the work, and to indemnify the city for damage to city property caused by the principal, its employees, agents or subcontractors. One bond can cover all work within a consecutive twelve month period. The surety may cancel for future work on 30 days notice by registered mail, but cancellation does not release repairs already owed.

Costs that sit next to the bond

Section 214-29 sets a minimum fee of $250 per standard utility opening permit. Fines for working without a permit are at least four times the permit fee, unrepaired or improperly backfilled openings draw a daily fine, and repeat violators can be barred from new permits. Confirm the current bond form and filing steps with the Stamford Engineering Bureau before the bond is issued.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Connecticut Street Opening or Excavating Bond:

Bond amount equal to 100 percent of the estimated cost of the work.
City of Stamford as obligee on the city's prescribed bond form.
One year maintenance obligation after the City Engineer accepts the work.
Minimum $250 permit fee per standard utility opening.
Owner credit review and, on larger amounts, contractor financial information.

Connecticut Street Opening or Excavating Bond FAQs:

How much is the bond?

It equals 100 percent of the estimated cost of the work under Section 214-30. There is no single flat amount, so the bond is sized to your job or to your expected work for the twelve month term.

I work for the gas company. Do I need my own bond?

The CGS 16-230 certificate option is for public service companies themselves. If you are a private contractor applying for the permit in your own name, plan on posting the bond.

When does my obligation end?

The bond covers work within a consecutive twelve month period, and you remain responsible for repairing defects for one year after the City Engineer accepts the work.

Can I start work once the permit is issued?

The city's standard notes require you to notify the Engineering Bureau at least three days before starting work in the right of way and to call Call Before You Dig for utility markouts first.