Hartford excavation permit bonds.
From $200.

The Town of Hartford will not approve an excavation permit in a Town highway right-of-way until Public Works has your original permit bond. The Director of Public Works sets the amount for each project, and the Town holds the bond for two years. Premiums cost 2% of the bond amount.

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Required for a Town of Hartford excavation permit — no work starts until the bond, Dig Safe number and insurance are in

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A two-year bond in favor of the Town, in the amount the Director of Public Works sets for your dig

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The application collects no credit information — most applications approve instantly

From $2002% of the bond amountSoft pull onlynever a hard inquiryInstantissued the moment you pay

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Price

How much does a Hartford excavation permit bond cost?

2% of the bond amount, from $200. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.

How it works

Apply to filed in one sitting.

The Town will not let work start until the whole permit packet is in and approved. The bond is the piece you can finish today:

TODAY · ONLINE

Apply online

Your business details, the bond amount Public Works set, the effective date, your Town permit number, and a description and location of the work — the actual carrier fields. The application collects no credit information.

INSTANTLY

Pay & e-sign

Pay the premium and the bond issues the moment you pay, written for the two-year period the Town holds excavation bonds, with the surety’s power of attorney attached.

SAME DAY

Return it to Public Works

Deliver the original bond to Hartford Public Works, 173 Airport Road, White River Junction, with your permit application and original certificate of insurance. Date the bond on or after the permit date. Wet-ink original mailed on request.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the Hartford excavation permit bond guarantees

Anyone who wants to use a town highway right-of-way in Vermont needs a permit first — 19 V.S.A. § 1111(a)(1) says so for both the State and town systems. The statute does not ask for a bond. The bond comes from the Town of Hartford: its Transportation Ordinance (ch. 75, art. VI, § 75-38) says no party may disturb the ground or pavement in a Town highway right-of-way without a written permit, and the Public Works Department’s Excavation Permit Guidelines make an original permit bond part of every permit packet, with the amount determined by the Director of Public Works or his designee.

The bond backs your promise to put the road back. On the Town’s application you agree that all refilling will be done to the Town’s trench specifications, and that if depressions appear or the road washes out because of your dig during the next two years, you will pay the Town for the refilling or grading. The Town’s bond form runs to the Town of Hartford, 171 Bridge Street, White River Junction, and covers your duties under the permit during a two-year guaranty period. If the Town asks you to pay and you do not, the Town can collect from the bond. It is a three-party arrangement — you are the principal, the surety stands behind you, and the Town is the obligee — and it is not insurance for you: if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety.

The Town holds excavation bonds for twenty-four months and releases them itself; it asks that the bond not lapse on its own at the end of the term, and you may ask Public Works to reduce or release the bond after 18 months. Our bond is written for that two-year term. The permit is separate: it expires on December 31 of the year it is issued, so if the work slips past its dates you re-apply. The Guidelines let an insurer use its own bond form, accept an irrevocable letter of credit instead of a bond, and the application also allows an escrow — a surety bond leaves your cash free. Your certificate of insurance is a separate filing: § 75-38 asks for general liability of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, commercial auto liability of $1,000,000, and the Town named as additional insured.

Town of Hartford Excavation Permit Guidelines · Ordinance ch. 75, § 75-38Item 1(c) of the Town of Hartford Excavation Permit Guidelines (Public Works Department, 173 Airport Road, White River Junction, 802-295-3622) states: “Bond amount will be determined by the Director of Public Works or his designee.” Item 1(h) adds that bonds are held for twenty-four months (2 years), are released by the Town of Hartford only and should not automatically expire, and that the contractor may request reduction or release at the end of 18 months. Item 3 calls the Town’s form an example permit bond, lets insurance companies use their own form, and accepts an irrevocable letter of credit in place of a bond; item 4 asks for the permit application, the original permit bond and the original certificate of insurance to be returned to Public Works, and the Guidelines note that work cannot start until all paperwork is turned in and the permit is approved, including a Dig Safe number. On the Excavation Permit Application the applicant furnishes a bond or escrow to the Town for twenty-four months as security for restoring the highway to the attached specifications. The Town of Hartford Bond Form notes that the bond may not be dated before the permit and asks for a surety on the Treasury Department’s Circular 570 list that is authorized in the state. Transportation Ordinance ch. 75, § 75-38 (adopted November 13, 2012) requires the written permit, says that where a bond or surety is required all documentation must be complete before the permit issues, and lets the Town Manager or designee require a surety covering 100% of the estimated cost of the project impact in the right-of-way. 19 V.S.A. § 1111(a)(1) requires a permit to use any part of a State or town highway right-of-way and sets no bond. The forms are dated 1990 and 2012; confirm your amount and any changes with Public Works before you file.

You need this bond if you’re

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A utility or excavation contractor cutting into the ground or pavement of a Town of Hartford highway right-of-way

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A plumber or site contractor running a water, sewer or service connection under a Hartford street

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A builder or developer locating private infrastructure or utilities in the Town right-of-way

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An emergency excavator who dug first and must apply for the permit on the next working day

After you buy

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 carrier issues this bond for a single two-year term; the term cannot be changed at checkout.

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

Pay & e-sign. Pay the premium and the bond issues the moment you pay, written for the two-year period the Town holds excavation bonds, with the surety’s power of attorney attached.

What sets the price

The premium is 2% of the bond amount, $200 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.

One application, issued instantly.

These are the actual carrier fields — the bond amount, the effective date, your Town permit number, the description and location of the work, and your business details. The application collects no credit information. If a check ever runs, it’s a soft pull that won’t affect your score. Free until your bond is issued.

Start the application →

FAQ

Common questions.

How much is the Hartford excavation permit bond?Premiums cost 2% of the bond amount, with the minimum premium shown at the top of this page. The amount itself is set by Hartford’s Director of Public Works for your project. Enter that figure and your exact price appears at the application. The Town’s permit application fee is separate and is paid to the Town, not to us.

What amount should I enter?The amount Hartford Public Works set for your excavation. The Town’s Guidelines leave it to the Director of Public Works or a designee, and the Transportation Ordinance (§ 75-38) lets the Town Manager or designee require a surety covering 100% of the estimated cost of the project’s impact in the right-of-way, and sets the amount, so the figure depends on the size of your cut and the road. If you do not have it yet, call Public Works at 802-295-3622 before you buy.

Do I pay the full bond amount?No. You pay the premium, once for the two-year term. The bond amount is the surety’s maximum liability to the Town if you fail to restore the road — for example, if a trench settles and you do not pay for the refilling. It is not a deposit, and nobody holds your money, which is why a bond usually beats an escrow or letter of credit.

Is there a credit check?The application collects no credit information, and most applications approve instantly. If a check ever runs, it’s a soft pull that won’t affect your score.

How long does the Town hold the bond, and how is it released?Twenty-four months. The Town releases excavation bonds itself and asks that the bond not expire on its own at the end of the term; you may ask Public Works to reduce or release it after 18 months. Our bond is written for that two-year term, and if the Town has not released it when the term ends, we send a renewal notice so it does not lapse.

Which A-rated carriers underwrite these bonds?Typically Arch Insurance Company (A.M. Best A+) or Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (A.M. Best A). Which one writes your bond depends on the bond type and your state. The carrier's name and official signature are printed on the bond you receive.

How do I contact Light RFP about this bond?Email insurance@lightrfp.com. It reaches the bond team at Light RFP Risk Management Services LLC (NY DFS License # PC-1978982). Write to us about quotes, applications, bond forms or certificates. We will respond within 24 hours.

Related bonds

Other Vermont bonds.

Get the bond in before the dig.

One application for your Town of Hartford excavation permit bond, issued the moment you pay. The application collects no credit information. Free until issued.

Start application

Hartford excavation permit bonds.From $200.