Milwaukee wrecker & mover bonds.
$500 flat.
Before Milwaukee issues a permit to move, wreck, raze, or demolish a building, the applicant must file a performance bond under Milwaukee Code of Ordinances §218-3. A contractor pulling more than one such permit a year can file one bond covering every permit, capped at a $100,000 annual aggregate. Ours is $500 flat.
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How much does a Milwaukee wrecker & mover bond cost?
$500 at the $100,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps. One sitting.
Here's the entire filing process for the wrecker's and mover's bond:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. No financials, no credit check.
Pay & e-sign
Bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase.
File with the city
Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with the commissioner alongside your moving, wrecking, razing, or demolition permit application. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances §218-3 (Wrecker's and Mover's Bond and Insurance) requires anyone applying for a permit to move, wreck, raze, or demolish a building or structure to first file a performance bond with the city. The base bond binds the applicant and a corporate surety in a penal sum of $20,000 per permit — but a contractor who expects to pull more than one such permit in a calendar year may instead file a single bond binding the surety to $20,000 per permit issued, with an annual calendar aggregate limit of $100,000, in lieu of a separate bond for every job.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the City of Milwaukee (the obligee). The bond guarantees the work will be performed and sufficiently completed in accordance with city ordinances within a reasonable time, and that the city will be reimbursed for any damage to city property from the work — regardless of whether the damage was done by the applicant, an agent, employee, or subcontractor.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. The ordinance separately requires a $1,000,000 general liability policy naming the city as additional insured; the bond and the insurance are two different filings, and both are conditions of the permit.
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 $100,000 bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The bond runs to December 31 whatever day you buy; the premium covers the period to that date.
Renewal falls on the statutory date, December 31, in the year your term ends.
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 city. Your executed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with the commissioner alongside your moving, wrecking, razing, or demolition permit application. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $500 at the $100,000 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 Wisconsin bonds.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
File your wrecker/mover permit bond today.
$500 flat, no credit check, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.