EXCAVATIONS

Las Vegas Municipal Code tit. 13, ch. 13.20

in effect

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 13.20.010 Time restrictions on work in streets.

13.20.010 - Time restrictions on work in streets. (A) For purposes of this Chapter, the term "emergency work" means work performed by the owner or operator of a utility, by any governmental entity, or by persons authorized to perform work within the City rights-of-way that must be performed or that will compromise the health, safety and welfare of the public if not performed and completed as soon as possible, even if such completion requires continuous repairs at times other than normal working hours. (B) The City Traffic Engineer shall establish and maintain a schedule of time restrictions applicable to work to be performed on City streets. Except for emergency work, no work may be performed in the travel lanes of any street except in accordance with the schedule. (C) The schedule described in Subsection (B) may be amended from time to time as necessary by the City Traffic Engineer. No amendment to the schedule shall become effective without at least ten days' notice to the general contractor performing the construction work. (D) The Director of Public Works, or the Director's designee, may waive the time restrictions set forth in this Section if the health, safety or welfare of the public is not adversely affected and if the work to be performed: (1) Is not within two hundred fifty feet of a residential dwelling; (2) Will not unnecessarily disrupt traffic flow; (3) Requires materials that are not readily available during the restricted time periods; (4) Would not significantly disrupt traffic flow during the restricted time periods any more than during the unrestricted time periods; (5) Necessitates that such work be accomplished at different time periods than those specified herein; or (6) Can be completed in whole or in part with more intense construction activity that shortens the overall length of the traffic disruption. (E) If the Director of Public Works denies a waiver of the time restrictions, the applicant may appeal the decision to the City Council within ten days after the decision is made. The appeal shall be in writing, shall be filed with the Director, and shall state the factual basis for the appeal. The Director shall, within thirty days thereafter, place the matter before the City Council, whose decision shall be final. (Ord. 5571 § 17, 2003: Ord. 4006 § 1, 1996)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 13.20.020 Permit—Obtaining—Emergencies.

13.20.020 - Permit—Obtaining—Emergencies. An excavation permit shall be secured from the Department of Public Works before any person makes any excavation in any public street, alley, or easement. Permits must be secured at least twenty-four hours prior to the beginning of the excavation; provided, however, that if an emergency arises necessitating an immediate excavation during the hours when the Department of Public Works is not open for business, the person making such excavation shall notify the Metropolitan Police and Fire Services Departments, giving the location of the excavation, the time when the same will be made, and the extent thereof. A permit shall be secured from the Department of Public Works on the next succeeding business day, whether the emergency work has been completed or not, which shall be granted if the applicant complies with the provisions of Section 13.20.060. (Ord. 2236 § 2 (part), 1981: Ord. 845 § 1, 1960: Ord. 662 § 1, 1955: prior code § 9-4-1)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 13.20.030 Bond.

13.20.030 - Bond. Any person obtaining a permit for any of the purposes designated in Section 13.20.020 shall, before commencing work upon or in any manner changing the surface of the street, highway, avenue or alley, execute to the City a bond to be approved by the City Engineer, in such sum as shall be designated by the City Engineer as necessary for the proper protection of the City, conditioned that the obligors of such bond will pay to the City the amount of the bond, should the person obtaining such permit fail, neglect or refuse to complete the excavating, grading, paving, leveling, repairing, sidewalking, crosswalking or filling in the public street, highway, avenue, or alley for which such permit was obtained, within the time stated in the permit, or fail, neglect or refuse to restore the street, highway, avenue or alley in proper condition to the satisfaction of the City Engineer after the work provided for in the permit has been finished, and to keep the same in such condition for at least six months thereafter, reasonable wear thereof excepted, refilling any such excavation during such time, whenever and wherever it may sink or settle below the surface of the street, alley, sidewalk, highway, avenue or place, and without notice to do so from the City Engineer; provided, however, that instead of special bonds to cover particular work, any person intending to make excavations in public streets, alleys, or any public places in the City may make and maintain with the City a general bond in the sum of fifty thousand dollars, which general bond shall be conditioned and used for the same purpose as the special bond hereinbefore described in this Section, covering all work to be done instead of any particular piece of work; and while such general bond is maintained at the sum of fifty thousand dollars, such person shall not be required to make the special bond hereinbefore in this Section provided, but shall be required to comply with all the other provisions of this Chapter. (Ord. 5571 § 18, 2003: Ord. 2040 § 1 (part), 1979: Ord. 173 § 2 (part), 1931: prior code § 9-1-14)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 13.20.040 Deposit instead of bond.

13.20.040 - Deposit instead of bond. Instead of executing the special bond required by Section 13.20.030, a deposit in money in the same amount may be made with the City Engineer, to be held under the same conditions as provided for such bond, except that when such excavation is refilled and the surface of the street, alley, sidewalk, highway, public square or place is restored as provided for herein, one-half of such deposit shall be returned and the other one-half of such deposit shall be retained for a period of six months after the completion of the excavation; and at the expiration of such time shall be returned to the person so depositing the same; provided, further, that the City Engineer may use any part or all of such deposit in restoring and in maintaining, at a reasonable cost, such street, alley, sidewalk, highway, public square or place, as required in Section 13.20.030, whenever the person making such excavation fails or neglects to comply with the requirements of such Section. (Ord. 2040 § 1 (part), 1979: Ord. 173 § 2 (part), 1931: prior code § 9-1-15)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 13.20.050 Fees.

13.20.050 - Fees. The City is authorized to charge fees in connection with each permit issued. The fees shall be in accordance with the schedule of fees adopted pursuant to Section 13.40.050, and may include without limitation fees related to the restoration of streets, alleys, public ways, and easements to City specifications following excavation for sewer, water, gas or other public utility purposes. Such fees shall take into account the size of the excavation and the type of pavement in existence at the time of excavation. For purposes of this Section, "City standards" include the standards adopted pursuant to Section 13.44.010 and any all other improvement standards or specifications that have been adopted by the City. (Ord. 5571 § 20, 2003)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 13.20.060 Permit issuance.

13.20.060 - Permit issuance. A permit shall be issued to an applicant if: (A) The applicant has filled out an application for a permit stating the time and location of the excavation; (B) The plans for the proposed excavation have been approved by the Department of Public Works; (C) A bond or deposit in lieu of bond has been made according to the provisions of Sections 13.20.030 and 13.20.040; (D) The excavation will not unreasonably interfere with vehicular and pedestrian traffic, the demand and necessity for parking spaces, and the ingress and egress from the affected or adjacent properties; (E) The health, safety and welfare of the public will not be unreasonably impaired; and (F) The applicant has submitted a traffic barricade plan and has obtained approval of the plan from the City Traffic Engineer. (Ord. 5571 § 21, 2003: Ord. 2236 § 2 (part), 1981: prior code § 9-4-8)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 13.20.080 Standards and specifications.

13.20.080 - Standards and specifications. (A) All excavations shall be made and completed in accordance with the standard specifications adopted pursuant to Section 13.44.010. (B) All pavement cuts shall be made by power saw, leaving vertical edges. (C) Backfill shall be as specified by the applicable provisions of the Standard Specifications adopted pursuant to Section 13.44.010. (D) All trenches shall be made safe to pedestrian and vehicle traffic from start to completion of work. (E) Pavement surface patch shall be placed in accordance with the applicable provisions of the standard specifications adopted pursuant to Section 13.44.010. (Ord. 5571 § 23, 2003: Ord. 2236 § 2 (part), 1981: Ord. 845 § 3, 1960: Ord. 662 § 3, 1955: prior code § 9-4-3)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 13.20.110 Barricades, lights, signs.

13.20.110 - Barricades, lights, signs. (A) Excavations in the City right-of-way shall be properly protected by barricade methods as provided under the manual entitled the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices," in the version adopted by the Nevada Department of Transportation pursuant to NAC 408.411. Any person maintaining improper barricades within street rights-of-way which require the placing of additional barricades, warning lights or signs by the City in the interest of public safety shall be charged a fee for each occasion in which the City finds it necessary to place the barricades. The City Traffic Engineer shall bill the responsible party according to a fee schedule established by the City pursuant to Section 13.40.050. (B) The City is authorized to charge fees related to the placement of traffic barricades in accordance with the fee schedule established pursuant to Section 13.40.050. The fees may include, without limitation, fees relating to the approval and renewal of traffic barricade plans, and the fees described in this Section. (C) Where barricades or other traffic-control devices are left within the travel lanes or sidewalk areas of a right-of-way for longer than the period authorized by a permit, the City is authorized to charge a correction fee and lane/sidewalk rental fees, including fees charged on a per-unit of equipment basis, in accordance with the fee schedule established pursuant to Section 13.40.050. (D) The City is authorized to charge fees related to the patching and resurfacing of pavement that is cut or disturbed in connection with utility installations and other development-related work. The fees may include the costs of slurry seal installation, asphalt resurfacing or reinstallation, or may be based upon reimbursement for lost value. The fees shall be in accordance with the fee schedule established pursuant to Section 13.40.050. (Ord. 5571 § 25, 2003: Ord. 3201 § 1, 1985: Ord. 2236 § 2 (part), 1981: Ord. 1253 § 2, 1966: Ord. 845 § 7, 1960: prior code § 9-4-7)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 13.20.130 Drains connected with public sewer.

13.20.130 - Drains connected with public sewer. Whenever any excavation as mentioned in the preceding sections is made for the purposes of connecting a drain with a public sewer or repairing a drain connected with a public sewer, before beginning such excavation, such person, firm, association or corporation shall notify the Department of Public Works of the place where, and the time when such excavation is to be made, and such excavation and filling shall be made under his direction. In such cases the provisions of the foregoing sections and of this Chapter shall apply in all respects, except as to the making of the deposit and the execution of the bond as therein specified, no bond or deposit being required in such cases, but in addition to the penalty provided in this Code, the City may recover against the person, firm, association or corporation in a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction for all damage or injury, direct or indirect, which the City may suffer by reason of the failure, neglect or refusal of the person, firm, association or corporation making such excavation to strictly comply with the provisions of this Chapter. (Ord. 5571 § 26, 2003: Edited during recodification; Ord. 173 § 3, 1931)

Source: City of Las Vegas, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/nv/las_vegas/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT13STSIPUPL_CH13.20EXFetched: 10/28/2026