Montgomery County ROW bonds.
From $100.
Before Montgomery County issues a right-of-way permit to work in a County street, sidewalk, or utility easement, it requires a performance bond guaranteeing you will restore the right-of-way to County standards. The County sets the amount; the bond is priced at 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum, and no credit check up to $50,000.
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How much does a Montgomery County ROW bond cost?
1% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
The County won't issue the right-of-way permit until the bond is posted. Here is the whole process:
Apply online
Your business details, the bond amount from your Montgomery County permit, and the effective date — that is the application.
Issued on the spot
No credit check up to $50,000. Above $50,000, a soft pull may add a short review.
File with Montgomery County
Submit the executed bond so the Department of Permitting Services issues your right-of-way permit. Wet-ink original mailed whenever the County insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the Montgomery County bond guarantees
Working in a public right-of-way — cutting pavement, opening a sidewalk, setting utilities — means tearing into infrastructure that belongs to Montgomery County. The bond is a performance and restoration guarantee that you will repair and restore the right-of-way to County standards when the work is done.
It is a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety, and Montgomery County (the obligee). If the restoration is incomplete or fails — a sunken trench, a broken sidewalk panel — the County can recover against the bond to make the repair.
It is not insurance for you. If the County draws on the bond and the surety pays, you repay the surety. Contractors who restore the right-of-way and pass final inspection get the bond released and never see a claim.
You need this bond if you are
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 Montgomery County. Submit the executed bond so the Department of Permitting Services issues your right-of-way permit. Wet-ink original mailed whenever the County 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 $50,000. 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.
Submit the application with the bond amount Montgomery County set — the executed bond is generated instantly, ready to file.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Maryland bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
The County won't issue the permit without it.
From $100, no credit check up to $50,000, executed bond the same day. Free until issued.