Who Pays for Home Repairs in Austin, TX?

We have verified 5 repair-responsibility rules for Austin. Each answer below is quoted from the city's own code, a city department, a utility or a state statute, and links to the full record with every source.

RepairWho paysThe rule
Bulk Trash / Junk RemovalSharedAustin Resource Recovery offers curbside bulk collection up to 3x/year for homes and buildings of 4 units or fewer; larger properties must hire a private hauler.
Sewer LateralSharedIn Austin the owner maintains the sewer lateral only from the property line to the building; past that line it is City system. Financing exists under Code 15-11-7.
Sidewalk RepairCityAustin dropped the owner sidewalk-repair duty in 1999. The City now maintains about 2,800 miles of existing public sidewalk; report damage through 3-1-1.
Tree RootsCityIn Austin the City maintains existing public sidewalks, and public street trees are the City's responsibility. Owners handle only non-public trees and vegetation.
Water Service LineProperty ownerIn Austin the property owner is responsible for the water service line past the meter; Austin Water maintains the mains.

Bulk Trash / Junk Removal

Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) provides curbside brush/bulk collection up to three times a year (by on-demand scheduling) for single-family homes and buildings of four units or fewer; properties with five or more units must use a private hauler.

Austin Resource Recovery provides curbside collection services for single-family homes and multifamily properties with four units or fewer. Multifamily units with five or more units must use a private hauler.

Source: Residential Services

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Sewer Lateral

Austin caps the owner sewer-lateral duty at the property line - the exact opposite of San Antonio rule in the same state.

PRIVATE LATERAL means the segment of the sanitary sewer system located on private property that connects a residence or business to the City's sanitary sewer system.

Source: Sec. 15-11-2. - Definitions (Private lateral).

Full rule, boundary and all sources →

Sidewalk Repair

Austin: the city pays, the owner-maintenance rule left the City Code in 1999; TPW now maintains about 2,800 miles of sidewalk.

Maintenance of existing sidewalks within public right-of-way has historically been considered the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. The City of Austin Code included this responsibility requirement until 1999." / "City Code requires property owners to maintain vegetation and non-public trees above or...

Source: City of Austin: Sidewalks, Crossings and Shared Streets Plan (maintenance responsibility history, 1999 code change)

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Tree Roots

Austin is the exception: since 1999 the city itself repairs sidewalks, and it explicitly excludes public trees from the owner’s vegetation duty.

Maintenance of existing sidewalks within public right-of-way has historically been considered the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. The City of Austin Code included this responsibility requirement until 1999." / "City Code requires property owners to maintain vegetation and non-public trees above or...

Source: City of Austin: Sidewalks, Crossings and Shared Streets Plan, Sec. 2.4 (city maintains sidewalks since 1999; public trees excluded from owner duty)

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Water Service Line

In Austin, the property owner is responsible for the water service line past the meter and for internal plumbing; Austin Water maintains the mains.

Property owners are responsible for service lines past the meter and for internal plumbing issues.

Source: Water Leaks: owner responsible past the meter

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