Fees, bonds and insurance.
El Paso City Code § 13.08.040
in effect13.08.040 - Fees, bonds and insurance.
A. Fees: The established fees shall be as follows:
1. Permit fee: The permit fee shall be charged for each permit issued. The permit fee shall be paid when the permit is issued, and shall not be refunded. Permit fees shall not include the costs related to occupancy that prevents the use of parking meters and permittees shall be subject to parking meter fees pursuant to Title 18. Permittees obtaining a permit under this chapter shall not be required to pay the sidewalk, street or alley space rental or storage fees that are required in Title 18. No permit fee will be charged to public utility companies operating under a franchise from the city or state or to city agencies, provided that city agencies are required to pay for inspection costs incurred by the permit official. Contractors applying for a permit to perform work on behalf of a public utility that is operating under a franchise with the city or the state shall not have to pay the permit fee when the public utility has provided verification to the city that such contractor is working on behalf of the public utility for the work authorized under the permit.
2. Permit extension fee: The permit extension fee shall be one-third of the original permit fee and shall be charged for each thirty-day extension of the permit. Permit extension fees shall be paid prior to issuance of each extension. No permit extension fee will be charged to public utility companies operating under a franchise from the city or state or to city agencies, provided that city agencies are required to pay for inspection costs incurred by the permit official.
3. Initial inspection fee: The initial inspection fee shall be included in the permit fee and includes the city's cost of up to two hours of inspection of the work during normal city work hours by city employees.
4. Additional inspection fee. Permittees shall pay an additional inspection fee that shall be charged for each additional hour or part of an hour of inspection by the City that is in addition to the first two hours of inspection.
5. After hours inspection fee. An inspection fee for inspection performed by the city during hours other than normal city work hours shall be charged for each hour or portion of an hour inspection is provided.
B. Bond requirements. No permit shall be issued under this chapter to any person, firm or corporation applying for a permit until such applicant has filed with the permit official a bond in the minimum amount of ten thousand dollars, signed by a surety company authorized to do business in Texas. The permit official may require a bond in an amount in excess of ten thousand dollars in the event the permit application is for work in excess of ten thousand dollars. The city shall be named as the obligee under such bond. The bond shall provide that the principal and its agents, employees, and subcontractors shall comply with all provisions of this chapter, that the principal shall pay all damages which are sustained by the city and which are caused by failure of the principal, its agents, employees or subcontractors to comply with the provisions of this chapter, and that the principal shall indemnify the city against claims arising out of such failure to comply, including but not limited to the one-warrant period required in this chapter. Bonds shall be issued for a duration sufficient to cover the one-year warranty period. The surety shall be acceptable to the city as to solvency and such surety shall be listed on the current Department of the Treasury's Listing of Approved Sureties, Department Circular 570, United States Department of the Treasury or its successor publication, ("Circular 570"). If the City becomes dissatisfied that the surety is solvent or the surety is no longer included in Circular 570, the permit official may require a bond from a surety listed in Circular 570. Permit applicants that have provided a bond to the city in the amount required by the permit official for a permit pursuant to the requirements of a chapter of the City Code other than this chapter that meets all of the requirements established in this Chapter shall not be required to obtain an additional bond but are required to provide a copy of such bond, provided that such bond specifically includes coverage for the permit or permits issued pursuant to this chapter. Permittees who have multiple permits issued pursuant to this chapter are required to provide only one current valid bond for all such permits but may be required to provide a copy of the current bond with each application for a permit. Contractors under contract with a government agency shall provide the bond required in this section. No bond is required when all of the work performed pursuant to a permit issued under this chapter to a government agency is performed entirely by the employees of that government agency. Public utility companies operating under a state or city franchise shall not be required to provide the bond required in this section when the work authorized in a permit will be performed solely by employees of such public utility. Any person or entity that is not an employee of the public utility performing work under a permit on behalf of a public utility shall provide the bond required under this section.
C. Insurance requirements. No permit applicant shall be issued a permit until the applicant presents evidence satisfactory to the permit official that the applicant meets the following minimum insurance requirements:
1. The applicant shall procure and shall maintain during the term of the permit such commercial general liability, property damage liability and vehicle liability insurance, naming the permittee and any subcontractor performing work associated with the permit as insured, co-insured or additional insured for claims for damages for personal injury, including accidental death, as well as from claims for property damage that may arise from work associated with the permit.
2. Minimum limits of liability and coverage shall be two hundred fifty thousand dollars for bodily injury liability, including death, for each person and five hundred thousand dollars in the aggregate and one hundred thousand dollars for property damage for each occurrence and one hundred thousand dollars in the aggregate.
3. Such insurance shall be written by an accredited insurance company under the supervision of the Board of Insurance Commissioners of the State of Texas. Evidence of compliance with these insurance requirements shall be considered as having been met when copy of the insurance policy or a certificate of insurance has been filed with and approved by the permit official. Such policy shall include an endorsement that the city is named as an additional insured to the full amount of the policy limits and that permit official shall be notified at least thirty days in advance in the event the policy or policies are canceled and ten days in advance for non-payment of policy premiums. The required endorsement shall be provided to the permit official. The permittee shall maintain said insurance with a solvent insurance company authorized to do business in Texas. The policy shall provide that the insurer will defend against all claims and lawsuits which arise and will pay any final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction against the city, its officers, agents, servants or employees and permittee, his officers, agents, servants or employees. Failure by permittee to keep the policy in full force and effect throughout the term of the permit shall be grounds for cancellation of the permit by the permit official. The permit official shall provide notice of cancellation of the permit to the permittee, at which time the permittee shall cease the work allowed under the permit.
4. Permit applicants who have provided certificates of insurance to the city pursuant to the requirements of a chapter of the City Code other than this chapter that meet all of the requirements established in this chapter shall not be required to obtain an additional insurance but are required to provide such certificates of insurance showing present coverage as required in this chapter.
Permits shall be required in connection with all city (including but not limited to El Paso Public Service Board/El Paso Water Utilities), county, state or federal public works projects provided that no permit fee shall be required for such projects. When the work permitted under this chapter is performed by the employees of a governmental agency, the insurance requirements of this section may be met by providing certification that government agency obtaining the permit is self-insured. Work permitted under this chapter performed by those contracting with a governmental agency shall provide the insurance required herein.
5. Self-insurance. A permittee may satisfy the vehicle insurance requirements of this section by providing the city with a current "Self-insurance Certificate" issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety or its successor agency. A permittee may satisfy the worker's compensation insurance requirements of this section by providing the city with a current "Certificate of Authority to Self-insure" issued by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Worker's Compensation or its successor agency.
(Ord. No. 17487, § 1, 1-18-2011; Ord. No. 17772, § 1, 4-17-2012)
Source: City of El Paso, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/el_paso/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT13STSIPUPL_CH13.08EX_13.08.040FEBOINFetched: 10/28/2026