Right of Way Permit Bond - City of Augusta, GA in Georgia

Brief Summary

Augusta sizes this bond by how many projects you have open in city right of way, not by the size of one job. A single continuous permit bond covers your active work, so a utility contractor can keep pulling encroachment permits without posting new security for each one.

Augusta, Georgia requires financial security before any encroachment or excavation starts in city right of way. Under the city's Rights of Way Encroachment Guidelines, a permit bond naming the City of Augusta as obligee is one accepted form. The amount is $3,000 for one to three active projects, $5,000 for four to five, and $10,000 for six or more, as approved by the City Engineer.

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How to Apply for a Right of Way Permit Bond:

• Count your active projects in Augusta right of way, including finished work still inside its 18 month warranty period, to find your tier.
• Complete the Application and Permit for Utility Facility Encroachment.
• Prepare two sets of plans showing the installation, existing utilities, pavement or curb references and any jack or bore locations.
• Obtain the permit bond in the tier amount with the City of Augusta as obligee and a continuous beginning date.
• Submit verification of the security with the application to the Engineering Division.
• Keep the signed permit on site and begin work within 12 months of approval.

Detailed Information About the Georgia Right of Way Permit Bond:

The amount depends on your open project count

The figure most people get wrong is the bond amount. Augusta does not tie it to the dollar value of a single job. The Rights of Way Encroachment Guidelines set it by the number of active projects you have in city right of way:

• One to three active projects: $3,000
• Four to five active projects: $5,000
• Six or more active projects: $10,000

A project counts as active from the start of work until its 18 month warranty period runs out, and that warranty period only begins after the city gives final acceptance. Finished jobs still count against your tier for a year and a half. The City Engineer approves the tier.

Who posts it and how it works

The bond is posted by the applicant who signs the Application and Permit for Utility Facility Encroachment, which includes utility companies and their subcontractors. The guidelines accept three forms of security naming the City of Augusta as obligee: a letter of escrow, a letter of credit from a chartered bank or savings and loan, or a permit bond from an authorized bonding agency. A permit bond must carry a continuous beginning date, and only the City Engineer can release it. Verification of security goes in with each application. On a first submission, the person who signs the security must be the same person who signs the application.

If deficiencies are not corrected or work is not completed, the guidelines allow forfeiture of the approved security.

Work that falls outside the guidelines

The guidelines list exceptions. They do not apply to projects with an approved site plan (an approved grading permit alone does not qualify), short side taps inside an approved subdivision development, individual residential taps that do not cross or encroach on the roadway, and individual aerial service taps. Multiple residential taps on the same street still need a permit.

The Engineering Division handles these permits. Confirm the current form and tier with Augusta Engineering before the bond is issued.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Georgia Right of Way Permit Bond:

• City of Augusta named as obligee.
• Bond amount of $3,000, $5,000 or $10,000 based on active project count, as approved by the City Engineer.
• Bond issued by an authorized bonding agency with a continuous beginning date.
• Same person signing the security and the application on a first submission.
• Bond released only by the City Engineer.

Georgia Right of Way Permit Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Georgia Right of Way Permit Bond: