Bond Program Overview

Surety Estimate 

Communicating Surety Preferences at Plat Submittal 

The Land Development Surety Preferences Selection F​orm addresses our customers' demonstrated need to effectively communicate surety preferences in advance; ensuring the surety estimate calculated following plat approval meets their needs for a particular project. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission (CMPC) will require a Surety Preferences Selection Form, completed by the Owner, with each plat submitted for review.

The following options are available:

Developer Subdivision Surety Options:

  • Estimate includes all required subdivision improvements, no credit for completed work. 

  • Estimate includes *credit for completed work - calculated upon plat approval. 

  • Estimate includes *credit for completed work - calculation deferred until requested by Owner. 

Separate Sidewalk Surety:

  • Sidewalk improvements included in the Developer Subdivision Surety. 

  • ​Sidewalk calculated for a separate surety (usually posted by the Builder). 

Please review the Land Development Surety Preferences Selection Form for details and requirements specific to each option.  Give careful consideration to your selections - once the form is submitted, selection modification is not permitted.  Effective March 1, 2017, there will be no modification to the estimate unless a Surety Action Request Form is submitted along with the required adjustment fee. 

Easily completed in MS Word, the form is also available in hard copy at the counters of CMPC or Land Development. 

Note - No credit allowed for installed storm drainage or BMPs until as-built plan is approved.  To receive credit for stone base, asphalt, curb & gutter, or sidewalk, 100% of the item must be installed unless this Form is accompanied by a scaled plan delineating the limits of work for which credit is requested.

Calculation of Surety Requirements Following Plat Approval:

  • In accordance with the Owner's selections on the Surety Preferences Selection Form, the Review Engineer utilizes Land Development's standardized Surety Estimation Worksheet Sample to calculate the surety requirements for the project (each approved plat has unique bonding requirements for which an estimate summary will be calculated - surety requirements for multiple plats cannot be combined).

  • Within fifteen (15) business days of the initiation of surety calculation process by the Review Engineer, the Bonds Administrator will provide the estimate and all Surety requirements to the Owner as well as to any additional contacts listed on the Surety Preferences Selection Form.  Owners should provide their Developer/Builder with all forms and instructions to ensure all sureties posted meet Land Development requirements!

Acceptable Surety Types – Unless otherwise specified for a particular project by the Land Development Division Manager, Land Development accepts any of the following to meet all surety requirements:

  • Letters of Credit;

  • Surety Bonds;

  • Cash Sureties (certified checks made payable to The City of Charlotte).

​Required Surety Formats - Letters of Credit and Surety Bonds must adhere to specific format/content requirements established by the City of Charlotte, Engineering and Property Management, Land Development Division (required formats and instructions are provided along with e-mailed estimates, and are available for download from this website). Variations in format or content of these documents will not and cannot be accepted, nor will sureties which fail to incorporate the correct Surety Amount, Project, and/or Application Date references (also provided with the emailed estimate).

​Surety Term Limitations – One Year Minimum/Two Year Maximum Term for new sureties, renewal amendments and continuation certificates.

Posting Sureties/Plat Release (in the absence of completed required public improvements): 
Upon acceptance of all required sureties, the Bonds Administrator will  advise the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission. A representative of the Planning Commission will contact you or your agent when the plat is ready for pick-up and recordation at the Register of Deeds (projects located in the ETJ require NCDOT sign-off prior to recordation).