Houston sidewalk & driveway bonds.
$100 flat.
A contractor applying to the City of Houston for a permit to construct, reconstruct, repair or regrade a sidewalk, driveway, curb or gutter files a $2,000 builder’s bond with the Permits Section. Ours is $100 flat — the price you see is the checkout price. The bond issues the moment you pay — no credit check.
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How much does a Houston sidewalk & driveway bond cost?
$100 at the $2,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps. One sitting.
Builder’s bonds like this are about the simplest thing in surety. Here is the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That is the application. No credit check.
Pay & e-sign
Small fixed builder’s bonds like this are among the thousands that issue right after purchase.
File with the Houston Permits Section
Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with your Commercial Driveway, Sidewalk, or Curb & Gutter Permit application. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
The City of Houston, TX Permits Section requires a builder’s bond before it will issue a permit to construct, reconstruct, repair or regrade sidewalks, driveways, curbs or gutters within the city, under the Public Works & Engineering Infrastructure Design Manual, § 10.06D. The bond is a compliance guarantee: it stands behind the builder’s compliance with every city ordinance governing that work and its performance to the line and grade set by the city engineer.
It is a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the City of Houston (the obligee), with the city and the public protected against negligent or defective work. If the builder’s work damages public property or fails to conform to city ordinances and the established line and grade, the city or an injured party can recover against the bond, and the obligation is performable in Harris County.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. The city’s bond form states its own period on its face — a beginning and an ending date less than one year apart — and stays in force until the end of that period, so a new permit period needs a new bond. We issue it for $100 flat — one price for the permit period, up to 12 months — with no credit check on the application.
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 $2,000 bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The 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 Houston Permits Section. Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with your Commercial Driveway, Sidewalk, or Curb & Gutter Permit application. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $100 at the $2,000 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 Texas bonds.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Finish your Houston permit filing today.
$100 flat, no credit check, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.