On this page you can find out everything you need to know about verge bonds, including an explanation of what it is, what it covers, how much it is, and how to apply for a refund.
A verge bond is a bond held by us to ensure that any damage caused to City verge infrastructure during construction or demolition works is rectified to pre-works condition at completion of the project.
A verge bond is required for:
- All demolitions works
- All swimming pool installations/removal
- Residential and commercial building construction work valued at over $20,000
Verge infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Kerbs
- Footpaths
- Signage
- Road surface and pavement
- Drainage infrastructure
- Other utility provider assets
Reinstating the verge to pre-works condition also includes:
- Removal of redundant crossovers and completion of associated reinstatements
- Ensuring the verge is neat, tidy and levels are unaltered (refer to the City’s Verge Treatment Policy for details)
A verge bond is $1,900. An additional non-refundable inspection fee of $100 applies.
The property owner or builder is required to pay both the verge bond and the inspection fee at the time of lodging an application for a building permit (for applications where a verge bond is needed).
Our technical services and building teams will take photos and document the condition of the verge infrastructure prior to the commencement of works or construction, and conduct an inspection prior to release of the bond.
The bond payer (property owner or builder) is responsible for submitting a BA7 - Notice of Completion form upon completion of all works, in accordance with Section 33 of the Building Act 2011 (WA). This must be submitted before we can process an application for a verge bond refund.
You can apply for a verge bond refund:
Once we have received your verge bond refund application form, we will carry out an inspection. This inspection will only be conducted when all the building construction/demolition and associated works (including verge clean-up) are completed.
The bond can only be refunded to the original payer of the bond, following inspection and approval that the verge has been returned to pre-works condition.
Please note the following information:
- Ensure that the area of space on the verge you are requesting is correct, that the area required is available within the verge and complies with the Technical Services setback requirements. If an incorrect area is stated on the application, it may result in an incorrect invoice amount and/or the application process being delayed
- Some building sites especially large challenging projects may have limited area on site and therefore need to use the verge or road reserve to store materials. Approval is required to use the verge area for the storage of building materials and the City will, where available, endeavour to accommodate requests to use the verge.
- Adjoining property owners are not required to be consulted as part of the application process.
- The application will be assessed against our records for approval.
How long does the verge bond refund process take? The refund will be completed within five weeks if the inspection is passed. You will be kept informed along the way of the progress of your refund by email.
If your refund application is declined, we will provide you with an opportunity to make good any damage. After completing any necessary repairs, you will need to resubmit a new verge bond refund application form.
Failure to make good any damage may result in us undertaking the necessary reinstatement works and using the bond amount to recover all or part of these costs.
If the bond is not sufficient to cover the cost, we will issue an invoice to the property owner/builder/applicant to recover the remaining cost. This includes rectification works for damage to City assets by service authorities connected with the building/demolition work (e.g. gas, water, electricity and other providers). If damaged City assets are not reinstated within the specified timeframe, a penalty may apply.
If your verge needs to be reinspected after failing an inspection, you will need to pay another $100 reinspection fee which will be deducted from the verge bond.