# Tree Root Sidewalk Damage in Austin, TX: Who Pays? | Who Pays the Repair?

> In Austin the City maintains existing public sidewalks, and public street trees are the City's responsibility. Owners handle only non-public trees and vegetation.

**Who pays:** city

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

**Boundary:** Austin took sidewalk maintenance off owners in 1999; the Transportation and Public Works Urban Forestry Program proactively handles vegetative sidewalk obstructions. Owners must maintain only "vegetation and non-public trees", public (city) trees are the city’s.

**Property owner:** Owners maintain only "vegetation and non-public trees above or adjacent to sidewalk within the right-of-way", public city trees are excluded from that duty.

**City / agency:** City of Austin: "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." The Urban Forestry Program "pro-actively addresses vegetative sidewalk obstructions."

**Exceptions:** City runs the sidewalk repair/rehab program for ~2,800 miles of existing sidewalk; public street trees are the city’s responsibility

## Sources
- [City of Austin: Sidewalks, Crossings and Shared Streets Plan, Sec. 2.4 (city maintains sidewalks since 1999; public trees excluded from owner duty)](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/sidewalks-crossings-and-shared-streets-plan) — "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 adjacent to sidewalk within the right-of-way." / "The Transportation and Public Works Department Urban Forestry Program pro-actively addresses vegetative sidewalk obstructions in response to the 3-1-1 customer service request system and through an ongoing inspection, notification, and enforcement program." (accessed 2026-09-07)
- [City of Austin Transportation and Public Works (Urban Forestry Program)](https://www.austintexas.gov/department/urban-forestry) (accessed 2026-09-07)
- [Sidewalks, Crossings and Shared Streets Plan](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/sidewalks-crossings-and-shared-streets-plan) — "The Transportation and Public Works Department is currently responsible for maintaining approximately 2,800 miles of existing sidewalk network." (accessed 2026-09-27)

_Last verified 2026-09-07. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/austin-tx-tree-roots/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._