Pulling a Permit? Here Is How to Get Your Spokane Street Obstruction Bond Without the Headache
If a City of Spokane permit clerk just told you that you need a street obstruction bond before you can close a lane, stage equipment, or open up the pavement, you are in the right place. It feels like one more hurdle, but it does not have to slow you down. We have been writing surety bonds since 1971, and we can walk you through this one in plain language.
Most contractors we talk to just want two things: to know what the bond costs and to have it in hand before the permit deadline. We can do both. Call us at 800-333-7800 and we will tell you what Spokane wants, what the annual premium runs, and how fast we can turn it around.
What a Spokane Street Obstruction Bond Actually Is
A street obstruction bond is a promise, backed by a surety company, that you will do your work in the public right of way responsibly and put things back the way you found them. When you obstruct a street, sidewalk, curb, or other public place, the city or county wants assurance that it all gets restored properly after you finish.
Here is the part that trips people up. This bond does not protect you. It protects the public and the agency that owns the street. If your pavement fails or you never come back to fix the sidewalk you cut, the obligee can make a claim against the bond. The surety pays the claim, and then you pay the surety back. So while the bond lets you get your permit, it is really a guarantee that you will keep your word.
Who Needs One and When
You will generally need a street obstruction bond any time your work spills into the public way in Spokane. That includes closing a travel lane, parking equipment or a dumpster in the street, cutting into pavement for utility work, building a driveway approach, or staging materials on a sidewalk. The permit desk flags it as part of the obstruction or street work permit.
Timing matters. The city and county will not finalize your permit until the bond is on file, so line this up early. Many folks call us the same day they get the requirement, and we can often have the bond issued before the permit office closes. If you do repeat work in Spokane, ask about a bond that covers your activity on an annual basis instead of pulling a new one each job.
If your work also reaches into state highways or crosses onto neighboring land, you may run into right of way, highway, and encroachment bonds, and we write those too.
The City of Spokane Requirement vs. the Spokane County Version
Spokane runs two separate programs, and the one you need depends on whose street you are working in. Here is the breakdown.
City of Spokane
Inside city limits, the requirement lives in the Spokane Municipal Code, and the city treats it as a performance bond tied to your permit. The penal amount is not one flat number. It is set at ten thousand dollars or the City Engineer's estimate, whichever the engineer deems appropriate for your project, so larger or riskier work can carry a larger bond.
The real bond form names the City of Spokane as the obligee and holds the principal firmly bound unto the City of Spokane. Its condition requires you to properly complete the work, remove all obstructions and interference with the use of any sidewalk, street, curb, pavement, or other public place, and then maintain that work or those repairs for a period of two years to the satisfaction of the City Engineer. It is both a completion guarantee and a two year maintenance guarantee.
Spokane County
Step outside the city into unincorporated Spokane County and you are dealing with a different obligee and a different bond. The county runs its own street obstruction permit program, and its bond is fixed at ten thousand dollars. It works the same way in spirit, guaranteeing that any damage to public streets, sidewalks, or infrastructure gets repaired at your expense rather than the taxpayers'.
The short version: city work usually means a variable performance bond, and county work means a flat ten thousand dollar bond. Either way, the bond also requires you to indemnify and hold the agency harmless against claims, costs, and losses tied to your obstruction of the public way. Meet those obligations and no claim is ever filed. Not sure which applies to your site? Tell us the address and we will figure it out.
How We Make It Easy
Getting bonded should take minutes, not days. For standard amounts we usually do not need a deep financial review. You pay an annual premium, a small percentage of the bond amount, and we issue it so you can file. If your project calls for a larger City Engineer's estimate, we will tell you up front what that means for pricing.
We write bonds all across the state, so if you have jobs in more than one jurisdiction we keep everything under one roof. Learn more about the full range of Washington surety bonds we handle, from license and permit bonds to contract and court bonds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Spokane street obstruction bond cost?
You do not pay the full bond amount. You pay an annual premium, a percentage of the bond's penal sum that depends on the amount and your qualifications. Because the City of Spokane amount can vary, the best way to get a firm number is to call us at 800-333-7800.
Is the City of Spokane bond a fixed amount?
No. The city sets the penal sum at ten thousand dollars or the City Engineer's estimate, whichever is appropriate for your project. Larger or higher risk work can carry a larger bond. The Spokane County version, by contrast, is fixed at ten thousand dollars.
How long does it take to get the bond?
Often the same day. For standard street obstruction bonds we can usually issue quickly once we have your basic information, so you can file it and keep your project on schedule.
Do I need the city bond or the county bond?
It depends on where your work is. Jobs inside Spokane city limits use the City of Spokane performance bond. Jobs in unincorporated Spokane County use the county's ten thousand dollar bond. If you are not sure which applies, give us the job address and we will sort it out.
What happens if someone files a claim against my bond?
If you fail to complete or restore the work and the city or county files a valid claim, the surety pays it and then you reimburse the surety. As long as you meet the bond's conditions, no claim is filed. It is a performance and maintenance guarantee, not liability insurance, so it protects the public and the agency rather than you.
Ready to Get Bonded?
You have a permit to pull and a job waiting, so let us get this handled. We have been doing this since 1971, we know what Spokane and the county want, and we can have your bond issued fast. Call us at 800-333-7800 to talk it through right now.
For the official rules, review Spokane Municipal Code Section 07.02.070 and the city's business and development permit resources before you apply. When you are ready, get your free quote started and we will follow up with a firm number. Prefer to ask a few questions first? Contact us and we will point you in the right direction.
