Street and Sidewalk ($25,000) Bond - Macon, GA in Georgia

Brief Summary

Before you cut a curb, pour a driveway apron or open up a sidewalk in Macon-Bibb County, the county wants a $25,000 bond on file or an insurance policy that meets its exact terms. The bond is the simpler route for most contractors. It is one flat amount, it runs to Macon-Bibb County, and you pay a premium instead of tying up $25,000 of your own money.

Macon-Bibb County Code Sec. 24-78 requires a $25,000 bond, payable to Macon-Bibb County, from every contractor or other person who changes curbing to build or repair a driveway, builds or repairs a sidewalk, or does any work that disturbs the surface of a sidewalk or street. The amount is flat with no tiers. Contractors and plumbers may skip the bond by filing a qualifying liability policy with the county clerk instead. The work itself also needs a right-of-way permit from the county engineer.

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How to Apply for a Street and Sidewalk ($25,000) Bond:

• Confirm your work is covered: curb changes for a driveway, sidewalk construction or repair, or any work that disturbs a street or sidewalk surface in Macon-Bibb County.
• Decide between the $25,000 bond and the liability policy alternative, which is open only to contractors and plumbers and only if the policy meets every term in Sec. 24-78.
• Provide the legal name of the contractor or person doing the work, who signs as principal.
• Provide owner name and home address for the surety's credit review.
• Ask the Macon-Bibb County Engineering Department whether it requires a county bond form and where to deliver the executed bond.
• Complete the Right of Way Excavation/Occupation Application and Permit and obtain the permit from the county engineer before any work starts.
• Return the permit within three days after the allotted time on the permit expires.

Detailed Information About the Georgia Street and Sidewalk ($25,000) Bond:

The requirement

This bond comes from Section 24-78 of the Macon-Bibb County Code of Ordinances, titled Contractor's bond required, adopted by Ord. No. O-15-0030 on July 21, 2015. It applies to every contractor or other person who:

• makes any change in curbing to construct or repair a driveway
• constructs or repairs a sidewalk
• does any construction or repair that disturbs the surface of a sidewalk or street

The bond is $25,000. It is one flat figure. The ordinance sets no tiers by project size, license class or number of jobs.

What the bond promises

The bond runs to Macon-Bibb County. It is conditioned on the work being done in accordance with the county's ordinances, rules and regulations, and on holding Macon-Bibb County harmless for any damage to person or property that arises from the work. The contractor or other person doing the work signs as principal. The surety must be authorized and qualified to do business in Georgia and in Macon-Bibb County.

The insurance alternative most pages leave out

Section 24-78 lets contractors and plumbers skip the bond entirely if they carry a liability policy with at least $25,000 of property damage coverage and $100,000 of personal injury coverage, and file a copy with the Macon-Bibb County clerk. The county will not accept just any general liability policy. It must include products hazard coverage, including completed operations liability, and the C.D.U. exclusions must be omitted. Many contractor policies carry those exclusions, so have your insurance agent check the policy before you rely on it. If your policy does not meet every term, you need the bond.

The permit is separate

The bond does not replace the permit. Section 24-68 makes it unlawful for any person, franchisees included, to excavate, build on or under, or otherwise disturb the surface of any paved or unpaved street or sidewalk without first getting a permit from the Macon-Bibb County engineer. The Engineering Department posts a Right of Way Excavation/Occupation Application and Permit on its forms page. Permits expire at the end of the time allotted on the permit unless the county engineer grants an extension (Sec. 24-70), and the permit must be returned within three days after that time runs out (Sec. 24-71). The county will not issue a permit to anyone who still owes it for repairing excavated pavement (Sec. 24-69).

A second bond may be required

Section 24-136 gives the Director of Engineering discretion to require a performance bond before work begins on, in, over or under the public right-of-way. That bond is sized by the county's risk manager to cover completing the work or restoring the right-of-way to its prior condition. It is separate from the $25,000 bond, and a large project can trigger both.

How the premium is set

The premium is a fraction of the $25,000 bond amount, set by the surety after it reviews the owner's personal credit and the company's history. Stronger credit and a clean claims record mean a lower rate. The county does not set the price.

What we could not confirm

The code does not state a bond filing fee, a bond term, a renewal date or a numbered county bond form. Ask the Engineering Department whether it wants the bond on a county form and where it should be delivered before you have it issued.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Georgia Street and Sidewalk ($25,000) Bond:

• Bond amount of exactly $25,000, flat, with no tiers.
• Macon-Bibb County named as obligee.
• A surety authorized and qualified to do business in Georgia and in Macon-Bibb County.
• Bond conditioned on doing the work under county ordinances, rules and regulations and holding the county harmless for damage to person or property.
• No outstanding debt to the county for repair of excavated pavement, or no permit will issue.
• A separate performance bond if the Director of Engineering requires one under Sec. 24-136.

Georgia Street and Sidewalk ($25,000) Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Georgia Street and Sidewalk ($25,000) Bond: