Fresno Construction Bonds and Insurance for Subdivisions, Street Work and City Contracts

Fresno Public Works Traffic Engineering issues Street Work permits to licensed contractors only. Applicants supply proof of general liability, auto and workers' compensation insurance, a signed Indemnification and Hold Harmless Agreement and a $25,000 Street Work and Excavation Bond, and applications run through Accela Citizen Access.

The bond form (revised November 5, 2024) is written as a continuous, blanket bond in the sum of $25,000 covering permits issued to the principal from time to time under Chapter 13, Article 2 of the Municipal Code. The form states that bonds required by Section 13-206 run for not less than one year, and that no bond may be canceled except on 30 days' written notice to the director. One bond can therefore sit behind many permits, so a contractor that lets it lapse can stall every open job in City streets.

The City posts an example of insurance requirements for Street Work and Utility permits. The form header reads 2018, so treat it as an example and confirm current limits with the City's Risk Manager. It lists general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, $1,000,000 personal and advertising injury, $2,000,000 products-completed operations aggregate and $2,000,000 general aggregate; auto liability of $1,000,000 for any auto; workers' compensation with a waiver of subrogation; and employer's liability of $1,000,000 each accident, disease per employee and disease policy limit.

The endorsement details matter more than the limits. The City must be an additional insured on CG 20 12 04 13, coverage must be primary and noncontributory on CG 20 01 04 13, insurers must be rated A-VII and cancellation requires 30 days' notice. The example states that a certificate of insurance is not acceptable in lieu of the additional insured endorsement, and that the permit is suspended until the City is told required insurance has been restored. A certificate request that arrives without endorsements can hold up a permit.

Contractors bidding City of Fresno public works face a separate, heavier set of terms. These come from the City's Standard Specifications, Addendum No. 11, approved September 25, 2026. They apply to City contracts, not to subdivision security. The payment bond is for not less than 100 percent of the contract price, the faithful performance bond is for 100 percent and also secures correction of defects, and both must be executed by a corporate surety admitted by the California Insurance Commissioner. The warranty runs one year after completion of the work and restarts on corrected work.

The insurance section raises general liability to $2,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 personal and advertising injury, a $4,000,000 products-completed operations aggregate and a $4,000,000 general aggregate applying separately to the work. Auto is $1,000,000 per accident on Code 1, any auto. Workers' compensation is statutory, with employer's liability at $1,000,000 each accident, disease per employee and disease policy limit. Builders risk at completed value applies to building work, and contractors pollution liability ($1,000,000 each occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate) applies to remediation, fuel transport and demolition, renovation or MEP work on structures built before 1990.

Insurers must be rated A-VII, the City is added on CG 20 10 (10/01) and CG 20 37 (10/01) and coverage is primary and noncontributory. The contractor also pays Street Work permit fees on City contracts. A GL program built for permit work may need a per-project aggregate or an excess layer to meet these terms, which can vary by carrier guidelines and programs.

Storm drainage in Fresno and Clovis runs through a separate special district. The Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District serves a 399-square-mile watershed with more than 700 miles of pipeline and more than 150 stormwater retention basins, and it states that all final fees are determined by the District before building permits issue or maps are approved, whichever applies. Its own standard plans and specifications govern District facilities. Bond and insurance terms for District facilities were not confirmed for this page, so ask the District early when a tract builds pipe or basin work.

Maintenance can also run through financing districts. In the Tract 6392 item, the subdivider met the maintenance condition by annexing into the City's CFD-11, and the City's Land Development page lists annexation forms for CFD No. 11 (single-family) and CFD No. 9 (commercial, industrial and multifamily). For storm drain and utility contractors, a District-checked basin or line adds an owner to the inspection chain and to the completed-operations exposure.

On December 18, 2025, the City Council adopted, as amended, the Southeast Development Area (SEDA) Specific Plan, covering about 9,000 acres in Development Area-3 Southeast and Development Area-4 East. The plan anticipates 40,000 to 45,000 dwelling units and 30,000 to 37,000 jobs at full buildout. The plan document notes that the General Plan's buildout numbers include about one third of SEDA's residential capacity, roughly 15,000 units, with the rest after 2035; the posted PDF cover still reads draft, so confirm the adopted version with the City.

Fresno COG's 2023-2060 projections put the county at 1,010,550 residents in 2022 and 1,128,530 by 2060, a gain of nearly 118,000, with the City of Fresno taking the largest share at 55,450 and Clovis adding 30,420. The report anticipates demand for 69,470 new homes from 2022 to 2060, 72 percent of them single-family. It also projects 77,170 new jobs. Much of the land outside city limits falls under County rules, which differ from the City's on security, encroachment and water.

Start with the jurisdiction. A tract inside the City, one in unincorporated County land and one in Clovis can carry different security forms, maintenance terms and permit rules. For a City tract, ask the City for the performance and payment amounts it expects, confirm whether any deferral applies and plan surety capacity for both figures together. Then line up the $25,000 Street Work bond and endorsement-ready insurance for every contractor touching City streets.

For a City public works bid, compare the 2026 Standard Specifications with your current program before the bid, not after award. Check FMFCD fees and plan check for any basin or pipe, and confirm CFD annexation steps for maintenance. Bonds protect the City; if a surety pays a claim, it typically looks to the principal and indemnitors for repayment. To discuss a specific Fresno project, request a quote or call 844-978-7283.