| Repair | Who pays | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk Trash / Junk Removal | City | Phoenix Public Works collects bulk trash by appointment only, capped at 4 per year, and excludes hazardous waste and refrigerant-containing appliances. |
| Gas Service Line | Property owner | In Phoenix, Southwest Gas owns the gas line to the meter; the Customer-Owned Yard Line beyond it is the owner’s. Cited to Southwest Gas’s COYL page. |
| Municipal Liability: Pothole Damaged My Car | Depends | Arizona requires filing a notice of claim within 180 days with a specific dollar amount before Phoenix can pay pothole damage. |
| Sewer Lateral | Property owner | Phoenix sewer lateral: the owner maintains the line to the city connection; the city repairs broken lines inside the public right-of-way under Code Section 28-5. |
| Sidewalk Repair | Property owner | In Phoenix the abutting owner must keep the sidewalk in repair; on default the City repairs and liens the cost to the owner. |
| Tree Roots | Property owner | Phoenix Code 31-54 makes the owner keep the sidewalk in repair even when a street tree caused the damage. On default the city repairs and liens the property. |
| Water Service Line | Shared | In Phoenix the water meter is the dividing line: the city repairs the street side, the owner the private side. Cited to a Phoenix Water Services plumbing-tips document. |
Bulk Trash / Junk Removal
Phoenix Public Works collects bulk trash curbside by appointment only, capped at four appointments per household per year, and excludes household hazardous waste and large refrigerant-containing appliances (freezers, refrigerators, A/C units) from the pile.
Appointments that are canceled at least 2 business days ahead of time will not count against your four total appointments for the year.
Source: Bulk Trash Pickup
Gas Service Line
Phoenix: the buried gas yard line past the meter is yours, Southwest Gas owns to the meter, "COYLs must be maintained by the property owner."
Unlike the lines running from the street up to and including the meter (which are owned and maintained by Southwest Gas), COYLs must be maintained by the property owner.
Source: Customer-Owned Yard Lines (COYL)
Municipal Liability: Pothole Damaged My Car
Arizona's Notice of Claim statute governs Phoenix: you must file with the City Clerk within 180 days with a specific settlement dollar amount, or the claim is permanently barred regardless of fault.
This claim form is provided to assist in presenting a claim against the City of Phoenix that complies with the requirements of Arizona Revised Statutes §12-821.01 which defines the requirements for filing a claim against a public entity in the State of Arizona.
Sewer Lateral
Phoenix: the owner maintains the lateral to the city connection, but a line that BREAKS inside the public right-of-way is the city’s repair under Code §28-5.
we are only responsible for city owned infrastructure which are portions of the system that reside in dedicated right of ways and or utility easements. Everything from the connection to that system or point, back to the house or business is responsibility of the home or business owner.
Source: Phoenix Water Services: Sewer Cleaning Q&A (official PDF, updated May 2026)
Sidewalk Repair
Phoenix: the abutting owner must keep the sidewalk in repair, on default the City repairs and liens the cost to the owner.
It shall be the duty of the owner or the lessee of any lot or parcel abutting upon any sidewalk now or hereafter constructed in the City to keep and maintain such sidewalk in repair. (Code 1962, § 35-66)
Source: Phoenix City Code § 31-54 (owner/lessee duty to keep sidewalk in repair)
Tree Roots
Phoenix puts sidewalk repair and injury liability on the abutting owner, and can lien your property for the cost, with no exception for city-tree root damage.
It shall be the duty of the owner or the lessee of any lot or parcel abutting upon any sidewalk now or hereafter constructed in the City to keep and maintain such sidewalk in repair. (Code 1962, § 35-66)
Source: Phoenix City Code 31-54/31-55/31-57 (owner duty, liability, city lien)
Water Service Line
Phoenix: the meter is the line, "the water meter is what separates city and private property in determining who is responsible for leak repairs."
Phoenix Water Services is responsible for repairing all leaks, broken pipes, and water mains on the city, or street side of the water meters. Any leaks or breaks that occur on private property (the customer’s side) are the responsibility of the property owner. The water meter is what separates city and private...
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