Chicago building wrecker bonds.
$200 flat.
The City of Chicago's Department of Buildings requires a $40,000 wrecking bond before it will permit wrecking operations on a building or structure four or more stories tall — a lower $20,000 bond applies to structures of three stories or fewer. Ours is $200 flat at the $40,000 tier, and the price you see is the checkout price.
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How much does a Chicago building wrecker bond cost?
$200 at the $40,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps. One sitting.
Wrecking bonds are about the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That is the application. No credit check.
Pay & e-sign
Wrecking bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase.
File with the Department of Buildings
Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with your wrecking permit application. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
The City of Chicago's Department of Buildings requires a wrecking bond of $40,000 for wrecking operations on a building or structure four or more stories in height — a lower $20,000 bond applies to structures of three stories or fewer. Demolition work in Chicago also requires the contractor to hold a City of Chicago general contractor license and carry the insurance the City requires.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the City of Chicago (the obligee), with the public and adjoining property as the protected interest. If wrecking work causes damage or is left incomplete, the City can recover against the bond.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Confirm your structure's story count with the Department of Buildings before you file, since it sets which bond tier applies.
You need this bond if you're
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the $40,000 bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The bond runs to December 31 whatever day you buy; the premium covers the period to that date.
Renewal falls on the statutory date, December 31, in the year your term ends.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
File with the Department of Buildings. Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with your wrecking permit application. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $200 at the $40,000 amount for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
No credit check.
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual issuing fields. No credit check.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Illinois bonds.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Finish your Chicago wrecking permit today.
$200 flat, no credit check, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.