Appleton ROW excavation bonds.
$100 flat.
The City of Appleton requires a $5,000 bond before anyone excavates in the public right of way — a street, terrace, or sidewalk. The premium is set by our carrier's rate book for this bond: a flat $100. The bond issues the moment you pay — no credit review of any kind, not even a soft pull.
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Three steps. One sitting.
Right-of-way bonds are about the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That's the application — no financials, no credit section, no follow-up scavenger hunt.
Pay & e-sign
Right-of-way bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase. At most, 1–2 business days.
File with your permit
Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with Appleton Public Works alongside your right-of-way excavation permit. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
The City of Appleton controls work in its public right of way — the streets, terraces, and sidewalks the city owns. Before you open the pavement to lay a service line, set a curb cut, or repair a connection, Appleton conditions the excavation permit on a $5,000 surety bond.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the City of Appleton (the obligee). If you damage city infrastructure, fail to restore the pavement properly, or leave the cut a hazard, the city can recover its repair cost against the bond.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays the city, you repay the surety. Contractors who restore their cuts to spec and close out permits treat the bond as a permit formality, not a risk.
You need this bond if you're
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual issuing fields — the application collects no credit information, because this bond doesn't need it.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Wisconsin bonds.
Finish your Appleton permit today.
$100 flat, no credit review, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.