Driveway ($20,000) Bond - City of Kentwood, MI in Michigan

Brief Summary

Before a concrete truck pulls up to a Kentwood driveway approach, the Engineering Department needs an original $20,000 bond on file for the contractor doing the work. Getting the bond in place early keeps the drive permit from stalling, and because Kentwood accepts it as an annual filing, a flatwork or paving contractor can use the same bond for every residential and commercial approach it builds in the city that year.

The City of Kentwood requires a $20,000 surety bond, payable to the City of Kentwood, from contractors who build, rebuild or repair driveway approaches, curbs and public sidewalks in the city right of way. The bond is required by Section 54-173 of the Right-of-Way Ordinance, appears as the $20,000 penal sum on the city's Commercial Driveway Permit, and must be filed with the Engineering Department with a copy of the contractor's insurance certificate before the drive permit is issued.

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

• Confirm the work touches a driveway approach, curb or public sidewalk in the Kentwood right of way, which requires a permit under Section 54-193(a) even for the property owner.
• Apply for the $20,000 bond in the contractor's exact legal name with the City of Kentwood as obligee.
• File the original bond and a copy of the certificate of insurance with the Engineering Department at City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave SE.
• Submit the Residential Drive Permit Application Package or the Commercial Driveway Permit with contractor and property owner information.
• Pay the permit fee: $130 for a residential driveway, $200 with up to 100 feet of sidewalk, $50 for each additional 50 feet, $130 for a commercial driveway without curb and gutter, $225 with curb and gutter, and $125 for each additional commercial driveway.
• Call MISS DIG at 1-800-482-7171 at least 72 hours before digging and notify Engineering 48 hours before work starts.
• Call for the forms inspection before placing concrete.

Detailed Information About the Michigan Driveway ($20,000) Bond:

Homeowners need a permit too

Section 54-193(a) of the Kentwood Right-of-Way Ordinance says no person, including the owner of the abutting property, may construct, reconstruct or repair any public sidewalk, driveway approach or curb in the city without first obtaining a permit from the Director. Replacing the apron at the end of your own driveway counts. The ordinance defines the driveway approach as the part of the driveway inside the public right of way, running from the inner edge of the sidewalk to the back of curb or edge of pavement.

Where the $20,000 bond fits

The Engineering Department's Working in the Right of Way page states that contractors must be bonded and insured, and that original bonds are filed with Engineering along with a copy of the certificate of insurance before a permit is issued. Section 54-173 sets the bond at $20,000, filed each year by contractors who want to obtain permits through the year. The city's Commercial Driveway Permit carries a $20,000 penal sum payable to the City of Kentwood, conditioned on doing the work in a careful, secure, skillful and workmanlike manner and promptly restoring the street when the work is finished.

Approach specifications the inspector checks

Under Section 54-193(d), a driveway approach must be at least 6 inches thick and no more than 20 feet wide, built to Michigan Department of Transportation specifications. Section 54-184 limits each curb cut to between 10 and 30 feet wide and keeps it at least 10 feet from a public crosswalk. Where a sidewalk crosses the drive, Section 54-193(e) requires 6 inch thick concrete instead of the usual 4 inches. Section 54-193(f) makes it unlawful to block stormwater flow through a driveway culvert, gutter or road ditch. Forms must be inspected before concrete is poured, and Engineering wants 48 hours notice before work starts.

Commercial driveways often trigger an upgrade

The Commercial Driveway Upgrading Standard requires an existing commercial approach to be brought up to city standard when any work is planned on it in the right of way other than fog or crack sealing, when the building is wholly or substantially demolished and the site repurposed, when an addition increases floor area or parking by more than 25 percent, or when more than 25 percent of the site's paved surface is removed down to base. The standard calls for a concrete valley gutter at least 24 inches wide, MDOT F4 modified curb and gutter, a concrete apron at least 6 inches thick and an M style opening.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Michigan Driveway ($20,000) Bond:

• Bond amount of $20,000 under Section 54-173 of the Kentwood Right-of-Way Ordinance.
• City of Kentwood named as obligee and payee.
• Original bond filed with Engineering, renewed each year the contractor pulls permits.
• Approach at least 6 inches thick and no more than 20 feet wide, with curb cuts between 10 and 30 feet.
• Concrete to MDOT specifications, with the city specifications calling for 3,500 psi mix.
• Premium is set by the surety based on the contractor's credit, financial strength and concrete or paving experience. The bond is issued once the premium is paid.

Michigan Driveway ($20,000) Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Michigan Driveway ($20,000) Bond: