Chicago drainlayer bonds.
$250 flat.
Chicago requires every applicant for a drain layer's license to file a $50,000 surety bond, payable to the City of Chicago, under Municipal Code § 4-28-070 — processed through the sewer permit section of the Department of Buildings. Ours is $250 flat, and the price you see is the checkout price.
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Three steps. One sitting.
Drain layer license bonds are about the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That's the application — no financials, no credit section.
Pay & e-sign
License bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase. At most, 1–2 business days.
File with the Department of Buildings
Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with your drain layer license application through the sewer permit section. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Chicago Municipal Code § 4-28-070 conditions a drain layer's license on a $50,000 surety bond, filed with the Department and payable to the City of Chicago. The bond is conditioned to indemnify the City for any loss, damage, cost, expense, or liability it may incur from the licensee's acts, omissions, negligence, improper work, or failure to observe the drain layer chapter of the code while performing licensed work.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the City of Chicago (the obligee). If a licensed drain layer's work causes covered loss or damage the City must absorb, the City can look to the bond.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. The bond must stay in full force for the duration of the license period, with 30 days' advance notice to the Commissioner required before cancellation, so we track your term and send renewal notices before it lapses.
You need this bond if you're
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual issuing fields — no credit section, because this application doesn't collect credit information.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Illinois bonds.
Finish your Chicago drain layer license today.
$250 flat, soft pull only, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.