TN highway grading permit bonds.
Flat 3%. Enter your amount.

When grading or earthwork affects a Tennessee state highway right-of-way, TDOT conditions the grading permit on a bond running to the Department. The amount tracks the estimated construction cost TDOT determines. We issue it at a flat 3% with no credit check.

Required by TDOT for grading work in the state highway right-of-way under the entrance permit rules
Amount tracks TDOT’s estimated construction cost — confirm the figure on your permit
Flat 3%, no credit pull — enter your bond amount and the premium updates
Flat 3%of your bond amount$275minimum premiumNo creditcheck to issue
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NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
How it works

Apply to filed in one sitting.

No underwriting queue for the standard grading permit bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with TDOT. Here is the whole thing:

TODAY · 5 MINUTES

Apply online

Your business details, the bond amount TDOT required, and the effective date — that is the entire application.

INSTANTLY

Issued on the spot

No credit check and no waiting — the executed bond is generated as soon as you pay. Larger amounts may get a quick review.

SAME DAY

File with TDOT

Submit the executed bond with your grading permit application to the regional Traffic Engineering office. TDOT often wants the original mailed or delivered — we send it.

The whole pricing page.

Bond amount × 3% = your premium, one-time, $275 minimum. Enter the figure on your TDOT permit and the premium updates.

$5,000 bond
$275
$10,000 bond
$300
$25,000 bond
$750
About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the grading permit bond actually covers

Grading and earthwork that affect a Tennessee state highway right-of-way require a permit from TDOT, issued through its regional Traffic Engineering offices under the same right-of-way framework that governs entrance permits. The grading permit is conditioned on a surety bond running to the Department.

The bond guarantees you perform the grading per your approved plans and restore to original condition any part of the highway, shoulders, or drainage your work disturbs or damages. The amount tracks the estimated construction cost TDOT determines for the work.

If you leave the right-of-way out of compliance or damaged, TDOT can recover against the bond to put it right — and if the surety pays, you repay the surety. We issue the amount on your permit at a flat 3% with no credit check.

Tenn. Dept. of Transportation — Right-of-Way Permit rules (Ch. 1680-10-01)TDOT permits for work in the state highway right-of-way, including grading, are issued under the authority of Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 54-5-301 and 54-5-302 and Department rules (Chapter 1680-10-01). The bond runs to TDOT and guarantees the work is performed per the approved plans and the right-of-way restored. Amounts generally track the estimated construction cost the Department determines — confirm yours on the permit.

You need this bond if you are

A grading or excavation contractor working within a state highway right-of-way
A developer whose site grading affects a state route
Performing earthwork near a state highway that TDOT conditions on a permit and bond
Required to restore the right-of-way after grading or drainage work

Five minutes, issued on the spot.

Submit the application with the bond amount on your TDOT permit — the executed bond is generated instantly, ready to file.

Start the application →
FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

How much is the Tennessee highway grading permit bond? +
The premium is a flat 3% of the bond amount, with a $275 minimum. TDOT sets the amount, generally tracking the estimated construction cost. Enter the figure on your permit and the quote updates.
Who sets the bond amount? +
TDOT does, based on the estimated cost of the grading work and the value of the right-of-way at risk. Smaller jobs commonly land near the $5,000 floor used for right-of-way permits.
What does the bond guarantee? +
That you perform the grading per your approved plans and restore any part of the highway right-of-way your work disturbs. If you fail to, TDOT can recover against the bond — and if the surety pays, you repay the surety.
Is there a credit check? +
No — the grading permit bond is issued with no credit pull. Larger bond amounts may get a quick soft-pull review, which never affects your credit score.
How is this different from the entrance permit bond? +
Both run to TDOT under the same right-of-way permit framework. The entrance permit bond covers attaching a driveway/entrance to a state route; the grading permit bond covers grading and earthwork in the right-of-way. Some projects need both.
Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

Grading permit bond, issued today.

Five-minute application, flat 3%, $275 minimum. Enter the amount TDOT required and file the same day.

Your premium @ 3%$275
Apply now →