Who Repairs a Sidewalk - the City or the Homeowner?

With constant maintenance and added expenses, being a homeowner involves a lot of responsibility, which can extend beyond your property line. From Seattle to Roseburg, most cities clearly state that homeowners are required to maintain the sidewalk adjacent to their property. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about sidewalk repair. 

Why are homeowners responsible for repairing sidewalks?

There a variety of factors for why cities put the responsibility of repairing sidewalks onto property owners. The primary reason being the reduction of public costs. While some cities such as Los Angeles provide some homeowners a cash rebate for fixing their sidewalks, and others cities, like Roseburg, require homeowners to foot the bill for the price of materials to repair a sidewalk, but not the labor.

Will I receive a notice from my city if I need to repair a sidewalk?

Most likely, yes.

Every city has an inspector who will check the community for cracked, uneven concrete that could potentially injure someone. If the inspector deems a portion of a sidewalk dangerous, then the homeowner adjacent to that sidewalk will receive a notice stating they have to repair the concrete within a certain amount of time, typically 90 days.

Ignoring the notice from the city or failure to fix the concrete within the timeline could result in a fine or more drastic legal action.

What’s the most efficient way to repair a sidewalk and meet my city’s standards? 

From mudjacking to demolishing and replacing the sidewalk, there are a variety of options for repairing broken, uneven concrete.

For a long-lasting solution that will only take a few hours to repair, homeowners should consider TerraFirma Concrete Leveling. Our concrete leveling system is a polyurethane-based foam injected underneath the broken slab that lifts uneven concrete back to its original position.

Receiving an estimate for our concrete leveling service is free. Schedule your free inspection today!