Seattle public place improvement bonds.
From $125.
When you build improvements in a Seattle public place — sidewalks, curbs, paving, street furniture in the right-of-way — the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) conditions the permit on a surety bond. The City sets the amount; the premium is 1% of that bond amount plus a $25 fee, with a $125 minimum, and your exact price appears at the application.
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How much does a Seattle public place improvement bond cost?
1% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee, from $125. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
No underwriting queue for the standard municipal improvement bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with the City. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your business details, the bond amount the City required, and the effective date — that is the application.
Issued on the spot
Most applications approve instantly — the executed bond is generated as soon as you pay.
File with Seattle SDOT
Submit the executed bond with your street use / public place permit to the Seattle Department of Transportation. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the Seattle bond actually covers
When your project builds improvements in a Seattle public place — sidewalks, curb ramps, driveways, paving, street trees, or other right-of-way features — the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) conditions the street-use permit on a surety bond. The bond guarantees the improvements are built to City standards and that the public place is restored.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the City of Seattle (the obligee). If the work is defective, abandoned, or leaves the public place unrestored, the City can recover against the bond and complete the work.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays the City, you repay the surety. Permittees who build to spec and restore the public place treat the bond as a permit formality. The City sets the amount; the premium is 1% of that amount plus a $25 fee, with a $125 minimum, and no credit check up to $50,000.
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 Seattle SDOT. Submit the executed bond with your street use / public place permit to the Seattle Department of Transportation. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is 1% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee, $125 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 the City of Seattle set — the executed bond is generated instantly, ready to file with your SDOT permit.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Washington bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Seattle public place bond, issued today.
Priced at 1% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee with a $125 minimum. Enter the amount the City required and file the same day.