Decatur street excavation bonds.
1% of the $5,000 bond.
Decatur requires a license — and a $5,000 surety bond — before any person, firm, or corporation constructs in or excavates a city street, alley, easement, or public place, under City Code Chapter 37. Premiums cost 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum, and no credit check up to $5,000.
Trusted by industry leaders
How much does a Decatur street excavation bond cost?
1% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
The street excavation license bond pairs with your license application at the City Clerk's office. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your business details, the $5,000 bond amount, and the effective date — that is the application.
Issued on the spot
No credit check up to $5,000, so most bonds generate the moment you pay.
File with the City Clerk
Submit the executed bond, insurance certificate, and license fee to the City Clerk. A separate permit for the specific work is then issued by the Engineering Division. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the City insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the street excavation bond covers
Decatur licenses anyone who is not a City employee, a City contractor, or a franchised public utility before they construct anything in, or excavate or otherwise alter, a street, alley, easement, or other public place. The license application is filed with the City Clerk along with a $75 non-refundable fee, a $5,000 surety bond, and a certificate of insurance.
The bond names you as the principal and the City of Decatur as obligee. It is conditioned on full compliance with the statutes, ordinances, standards, and rules governing the work, on payment of all fees and charges the City assesses, and against faulty workmanship or materials — and it must remain in effect for not less than three years from the end of the license period in which the work was done.
The license itself runs on a calendar cycle, expiring every January 31. A separate permit for each specific job is issued by the Engineering Division once the license and bond are on file. It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety.
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 bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose.
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 City Clerk. Submit the executed bond, insurance certificate, and license fee to the City Clerk. A separate permit for the specific work is then issued by the Engineering Division. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the City insists.
What sets the price
The premium is 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $5,000. Above that, the carrier may run a soft pull, which never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued on the spot.
These are the actual issuing fields. No credit check up to $5,000.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Illinois bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
File your Decatur street excavation license today.
From $100, with your exact price at the application. Enter your $5,000 bond amount and file the same day.