https://whopaystherepair.com/updates/A cited local responsibility database for sidewalks, sewer laterals, street trees, water service lines, driveway approaches, and other property-adjacent infrastructure. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/atlanta-ga-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/atlanta-ga-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAtlanta: the owner repairs on notice or is billed, but where City funding is available the City repairs sidewalks on a prioritized basis. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/philadelphia-pa-tree-roots/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/philadelphia-pa-tree-roots/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTPhiladelphia: tree roots buckle your sidewalk, you still pay. No exception, not even for a city-planted street tree. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/san-diego-ca-tree-roots/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/san-diego-ca-tree-roots/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSan Diego splits it by the tree: right-of-way street trees are the City’s problem, private trees and plain old age are yours. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/oakland-ca-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/oakland-ca-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTOakland: the property owner pays (OMC § 12.22.020(B)), but the City's Sidewalk Assistance Program repairs at no cost for qualifying low-income owner-occupied homes, subject to funding. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/albuquerque-nm-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/albuquerque-nm-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAlbuquerque puts sidewalk repair on the abutting owner, occupant, or agent, with a notice-and-cure process and a foreclosable lien behind it. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/omaha-ne-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/omaha-ne-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTOmaha runs on Nebraska's primary-class-city statute: the abutting owner holds the repair duty and, after notice, the injury liability. The city code adds a 24-hour snow clock and a sue-you-back clause. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/des-moines-ia-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/des-moines-ia-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTDes Moines: the abutting owner must keep the sidewalk in good repair (Code 102-42). After a repair notice the owner has 180 days, and income-eligible owners can apply for a City subsidy. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/san-antonio-tx-tree-roots/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/san-antonio-tx-tree-roots/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSan Antonio puts the tree strip on the owner: the code makes the abutting owner keep the sidewalk, parkway, curb and driveway free from defects. The City's Sidewalk Rebate Program pays back 50 to 70 percent of the repair cost, up to $3,000, while funds last. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/lincoln-ne-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/lincoln-ne-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTLincoln: the City repairs sidewalks along public streets, a duty it took on after the 1990 and 1992 elections. Owners who hire their own contractor can get part of the cost back when funds are available. Snow and ice are still the owner's job. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/lexington-ky-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/lexington-ky-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTLexington: the owner is responsible for sidewalk repair, but the city's grant program can cover 100 percent of the cost for qualifying low-income owner-occupied homes that get a repair notice. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/denver-co-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/denver-co-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTDenver: the City repairs sidewalks under the "Denver Deserves Sidewalks" program, funded by a recurring service charge on every property owner (owners still clear snow). https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/seattle-wa-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/seattle-wa-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSeattle: the abutting owner is responsible for sidewalk repair, unless a City-owned tree or a City sewer line caused the damage; then the City repairs it. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/philadelphia-pa-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/philadelphia-pa-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTPhiladelphia: the abutting owner is responsible for the footway and curb; City-performed work is assessed to owners but capped at 30 percent of cost. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/sacramento-ca-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/sacramento-ca-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSacramento: the abutting owner must repair a defective sidewalk, even when a City-owned tree's roots caused it. If the City does the work, the owner may qualify for interest-free installments. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/san-diego-ca-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/san-diego-ca-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSan Diego: responsibility is shared by cause, the City owns tree/utility/grade/heat damage, the owner owns wear-and-tear and private-tree damage. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/miami-fl-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/miami-fl-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMiami: the owner pays only when the damage was owner-caused or came from a tree on the private property, other causes fall to the City. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/cleveland-oh-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/cleveland-oh-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTCleveland: the abutting owner keeps the sidewalk in repair, but a voluntary 50/50 City program will split the cost of the work. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/colorado-springs-co-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/colorado-springs-co-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTColorado Springs: the City says owners are not responsible for maintaining the sidewalk concrete next to their property, though they keep legal liability for it. An owner can pay half to speed up a high-severity repair, and snow is always the owner's. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/jersey-city-nj-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/jersey-city-nj-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTJersey City: the abutting owner is responsible for maintaining and replacing the sidewalk and curb, tree-root trip hazards included, and for clearing snow. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/corpus-christi-tx-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/corpus-christi-tx-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTCorpus Christi: the abutting owner must keep the sidewalk in good repair, on default the City builds it and liens the cost. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/birmingham-al-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/birmingham-al-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBirmingham: the code tells the owner to repair a broken sidewalk within 10 days of the City Engineer's notice, but the City's Public Works Construction Division says it maintains and repairs City sidewalks, and the City has put money into sidewalk repairs. Report it through 311 before you hire anyone. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/newark-nj-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/newark-nj-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNewark: the owner, lessee or occupant must pave and maintain the abutting sidewalk and curb at their own expense, and clear snow within 12 daylight hours. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/st-petersburg-fl-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/st-petersburg-fl-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSt. Petersburg: the abutting owner must keep the sidewalk in repair or, after 30 days’ notice, be treated as maintaining a nuisance. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/chula-vista-ca-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/chula-vista-ca-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTChula Vista: the code makes the abutting owner liable for sidewalk upkeep, but the City has been replacing sidewalks and slicing trip hazards with Measure P money since 2020. Report the spot to Public Works before you pay for a repair. https://whopaystherepair.com/guides/state-of-sidewalk-responsibility/https://whopaystherepair.com/guides/state-of-sidewalk-responsibility/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTWe verified who pays for sidewalk and sewer repairs in 88 US cities, then read the sidewalk statute of every US state verbatim. 64% of cities bill the owner for the public sidewalk. Oklahoma gives 3 days. In New Hampshire the statute says the city pays. Two states never wrote one. https://whopaystherepair.com/guides/cities-where-the-city-pays-for-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/guides/cities-where-the-city-pays-for-sidewalk-repair/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTIn most US cities the homeowner pays to repair the public sidewalk. These are the cities we verified where the city foots the bill instead, with the ordinance or program cited for each. https://whopaystherepair.com/guides/complete-city-guide/https://whopaystherepair.com/guides/complete-city-guide/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTEvery US city with a source-verified sidewalk-repair verdict, plus detailed sewer and tree-root breakdowns. 95 sidewalk cities indexed by who pays (57 owner, 20 city, 18 shared or it depends), each linked to the actual code section and quote. Find your city. https://whopaystherepair.com/guides/tree-root-damage-liability/https://whopaystherepair.com/guides/tree-root-damage-liability/Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTWhen a root cracks your sidewalk or ruptures your sewer line, the answer depends on who owns the tree, who maintains it, and a sidewalk statute that may not care about either. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/dallas-tx-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/dallas-tx-sidewalk-repair/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTDallas: the owner must replace a defective sidewalk, but the City's Cost Share Program splits the cost 50/50 for existing residential sidewalk. The owner pays 100% of a drive approach. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/kansas-city-mo-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/kansas-city-mo-sidewalk-repair/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTKansas City: the City repairs sidewalks through its GO Bond program and says it will no longer assess home owners for sidewalk repair. The code still tells owners not to let the sidewalk fall out of repair, and snow and ice are the owner's job. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/madison-wi-sidewalk-repair/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/madison-wi-sidewalk-repair/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMadison: when the City replaces defective sidewalk in its Sidewalk Replacement Program, the cost is not assessed to the owner (policy revised in 2022). Extra sidewalk an owner asks the City to replace is paid 100% by the owner, and an owner who repairs on their own can get a rebate of about one third. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/who-pays-neighbors-tree-fell-on-my-house/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/who-pays-neighbors-tree-fell-on-my-house/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTIf a healthy tree falls on your house in a storm, insurance treats it as an act of nature: file with your own homeowners insurer, not the neighbor's. If the tree was dead, diseased or visibly leaning and the neighbor knew but didn't remove it, the neighbor can be responsible for the damage if negligence can be proven. Photograph the tree and put the neighbor on notice in writing. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/houston-sewer-backup-who-pays/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/houston-sewer-backup-who-pays/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHouston's Legal Department says the City will not reimburse sewage cleanup or repair from a clogged sewer line, because under State law it is not liable for that damage. Any property damage claim against the City still needs a verified written notice within 90 days. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-tree-falling-on-house/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-tree-falling-on-house/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTIf a tree falls on your house, your own homeowners policy covers the damage, no matter who owned the tree. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/los-angeles-ca-city-claim-storm-sewer-damage-deadline/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/los-angeles-ca-city-claim-storm-sewer-damage-deadline/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTTo claim storm or sewer damage against the City of Los Angeles, file within six months for personal property or one year for real property. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/san-diego-ca-city-claim-sewer-backup-flooding/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/san-diego-ca-city-claim-sewer-backup-flooding/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSan Diego accepts claims for sewer main back-ups and flooding; most must be presented within six months of the incident. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/san-francisco-ca-city-claim-property-damage-deadline/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/san-francisco-ca-city-claim-property-damage-deadline/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTTo claim storm damage against San Francisco, file within 6 months for personal property or 1 year for real property. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/california-storm-power-outage-food-spoilage-claim/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/california-storm-power-outage-food-spoilage-claim/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTCalifornia utilities say storm-caused outages are generally outside their responsibility; a homeowners policy may cover up to $500 of spoiled food. https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/national-fema-individual-assistance-homeowners-renters/https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/national-fema-individual-assistance-homeowners-renters/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTFEMA can help homeowners and renters with uninsured storm losses, but it is not a substitute for insurance. https://whopaystherepair.com/guides/ohio-wisconsin-sidewalk-law/https://whopaystherepair.com/guides/ohio-wisconsin-sidewalk-law/Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTOhio makes owner-pays optional for cities (ORC 723.011); Wisconsin gives owners 20 days before the city repairs and bills through the tax roll (Wis. Stat. 66.0907). The statutes, verbatim.