Permanent Vegetation Establishment Bond - City of Covington, GA in Georgia

Brief Summary

If you are not sodding every disturbed area, Covington wants $3,000 per acre of security before it hands over a land disturbance permit. A surety bond satisfies that for an annual premium, which beats tying up a letter of credit line or cash while you wait for grass to take hold.

The City of Covington, Georgia requires a bond or letter of credit of $3,000 per acre when sod is not used on all disturbed areas for final stabilization. The security must be submitted before the land disturbance permit is issued. The developer is the principal, the City of Covington is the obligee, and the bond guarantees the site will be permanently vegetated and stabilized.

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How to Apply for a Permanent Vegetation Establishment Bond:

• Decide whether sod will be used on all disturbed areas. If not, the bond is required.
• Calculate the bond at $3,000 per acre of disturbed area.
• Confirm the current bond form with the City of Covington Engineering Department.
• Complete the bond application in the name of the permit applicant.
• Submit the executed bond before the land disturbance permit is issued.
• Pay the $200 submittal fee and the land disturbance fee due at permit issuance.

Detailed Information About the Georgia Permanent Vegetation Establishment Bond:

Sod everything and the bond does not apply

The detail most applicants miss is the trigger. Covington's Commercial Land Disturbance Application states that a bond or letter of credit at $3,000 per acre is required if sod is not used on all disturbed areas for final stabilization. Projects that plan to seed, hydroseed or otherwise grow cover in place, instead of laying sod across every disturbed area, need the security.

How the amount is figured

The bond is $3,000 per acre. Multiply the disturbed acreage on your plans by $3,000. A 4 acre disturbance needs $12,000, a 10 acre disturbance needs $30,000. The application states that the bond or letter of credit must be submitted prior to receiving the permit.

What the bond guarantees

Permanent vegetation takes time to establish, and a site is not stable until it does. This bond gives the city money to finish stabilization if the developer walks away or the vegetation fails. A valid claim is paid by the surety, which then recovers the amount from the developer. Ask the city what it requires to release the bond once vegetation is established.

Other items on the same application

The Covington application also carries a $200 submittal fee, a land disturbance fee calculated and due when the permit issues, tap fees calculated on approval, and a Stormwater Facility Maintenance Covenant recorded with the Clerk of Superior Court for Newton County. Questions go to the City of Covington Engineering Department, which should also confirm the current bond form before the bond is issued.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Georgia Permanent Vegetation Establishment Bond:

• City of Covington named as obligee.
• Bond amount equal to $3,000 per acre of disturbed area.
• Permit applicant or developer as principal.
• Bond or letter of credit in place before permit issuance.
• Credit and financial review of the developer, which shapes the premium.

Georgia Permanent Vegetation Establishment Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Georgia Permanent Vegetation Establishment Bond: