Need a Seattle Street Use Bond for Your SDOT Permit? Here Is How to Get One
If you are working in the public right of way in Seattle, cutting into pavement, staging equipment, or building new curb, sidewalk, or roadway, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will likely ask you to post a bond before your permit is issued. That requirement is often the last thing standing between you and a start date, and it is easy to fix. We have been writing surety bonds since 1971, and we can get your Seattle street use bond in place quickly so your crew is not sitting idle.
A Seattle street use bond is a guarantee to the City of Seattle that you will follow the terms of your permit and restore any public space you disturb back to SDOT standards. It does not protect you. It protects the City and the public, and the City requires it before you touch the right of way. If the bond is the only box left on your permit, call us at 800-333-7800 and we will walk you through it.
Many contractors did not know a bond was part of the permit until SDOT told them. That is normal, and it is a quick fix. This bond falls under the broader family of right of way, highway, and encroachment bonds, and it is one of many Washington surety bonds we place every week.
What a Seattle Street Use Bond Actually Is
Think of the bond as a three-party promise. You are the principal, the party doing the work. The City of Seattle, through SDOT, is the obligee, the party protected by the bond. We are the surety, the company that backs your promise financially. If you fail to restore the street or comply with your permit and the City has to step in, the surety pays the City up to the bond amount, and you repay the surety. In practice, the vast majority of bonds are never called.
The bond is not insurance on your project and it is not a deposit you get back. It is a credit instrument, which is why the City accepts it. Once your work is accepted and the permit closed, the bond obligation ends.
Who Needs This Bond and How to Get It
You need a Seattle street use bond if your SDOT permit involves working in, occupying, or disturbing the public right of way. That covers opening pavement for utility work, installing or replacing curb and sidewalk, building street improvements tied to a development, staging materials in the roadway, or working as a registered pavement restoration contractor. General contractors, utility contractors, developers, and paving firms all run into this requirement.
Getting the bond is straightforward. You tell us which SDOT permit you are pursuing and the bond amount the City is asking for. We take a short application, review it, and issue the bond, usually within a business day. We work with all credit types, so a rough credit history does not automatically stop you. If you are applying for a related earthwork permit, ask us about the Seattle grading bond at the same time so you are not chasing two forms separately.
Cost depends on the bond amount and your credit profile. We offer competitive rates, and the premium is an annual figure and a small fraction of the bond amount. For an exact number, call 800-333-7800 and we will quote you free.
The Agency, the Code, and What the Bond Form Requires
The obligee is the City of Seattle, and SDOT administers street use and street improvement permits through its Street Use division. You can read the requirements on the SDOT street improvement permits page. The governing law is Seattle Municipal Code Title 15 (Street and Sidewalk Use), Chapter 15.04, Use and Occupation Permits, which you can review in the Seattle Municipal Code.
Bond amounts vary. For most street improvement and street use work, SDOT sets the required amount based on the engineer's estimate of the cost of the improvements or restoration, so larger work means a larger bond. Because the figure is project specific, tell us what SDOT put on your permit and we will match the bond to it.
There is one exception with a fixed amount. Under Seattle Municipal Code 15.04.044, a registered pavement restoration contractor must file a Street Use and Occupation Bond in the fixed penal sum of $10,000, an amount set by code rather than an estimate.
The form
The Street Use and Occupation Bond form under SMC 15.04.044 spells out real obligations. As the principal, you agree to indemnify and hold the City of Seattle harmless, and you promise to replace and restore any street, alley, sidewalk, planting strip, or other public place to the standards required by SDOT and maintain that work in good order. The surety must give the City not less than 60 days' prior written notice before the bond is cancelled or allowed to expire, which keeps continuous coverage in place. The form names King County Superior Court as the venue for any legal action on the bond. Read the form before you sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Seattle street use bond cost?
Your premium is a small percentage of the bond amount, set by the bond size and your credit, and billed annually rather than monthly. We work with all credit types and offer competitive rates. Call 800-333-7800 for a free quote.
Who requires the Seattle street use bond?
The City of Seattle requires it, and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) administers it. The bond protects the City and the public, not you, and it is a condition of your street use or street improvement permit.
How is the bond amount determined?
For most street use and street improvement work, SDOT sets the amount based on the engineer's estimate of the cost of the improvements or restoration. One exception is the pavement restoration contractor bond under SMC 15.04.044, which is a fixed $10,000.
How long does it take to get the bond?
Usually the same day or the next business day. Once we have your application and the amount SDOT requires, we can review and issue quickly so you are not holding up your crew.
Can I get a bond with bad credit?
Yes. We work with all credit types and have markets for applicants with credit challenges. A rough credit history does not automatically disqualify you. Call us and we will find the right option for your situation.
What does the bond obligate me to do?
Under the SMC 15.04.044 form, you agree to restore any street, alley, sidewalk, or planting strip to SDOT standards and maintain it, and to indemnify and hold the City harmless. The surety must give the City at least 60 days' written notice before cancellation.
Is this the same as a grading bond or a right of way bond?
They are related but not identical. A street use bond covers work in the public right of way under your SDOT permit. Grading and earthwork have their own bond, and the broader right of way, highway, and encroachment category covers similar guarantees elsewhere. We can place any of them.
Get Your Seattle Street Use Bond Today
Do not let a bond requirement stall your permit. We have been writing surety bonds since 1971, we work with all credit types, and we can usually issue your Seattle street use bond the same day. Get a free quote at our quote page, reach out through our contact page, or call 800-333-7800. We will match the bond to what SDOT requires and get you cleared to work.
