# Tree Root Sidewalk Damage in Chicago, IL: Who Pays? | Who Pays the Repair?

> Chicago parkway trees are city property, but the owner still pays for sidewalk repair. The Shared Cost Sidewalk Program offers a subsidized rate, not a free fix.

**Who pays:** owner

Chicago keeps sidewalk repair on the owner even for parkway-tree damage; the only relief is the voluntary Shared Cost program, which does not care what caused the crack.

**Boundary:** Sidewalk repair is the owner’s responsibility. Parkway trees are city property (Bureau of Forestry), but the city’s only assistance is the cost-agnostic Shared Cost Sidewalk Program, a subsidized rate, not free, not tree-specific.

**Property owner:** The owner bears sidewalk repair; the city’s Shared Cost Sidewalk Program charges a rate "well below what a private contractor would charge," with a further discount for "senior citizens and persons with disabilities", a voluntary cost-share, not a tree-damage exception.

**City / agency:** "The Bureau of Forestry issues permits for any work involving trees" and "coordinates the removal of parkway or trees in the public way that are dead or damaged", the city manages the tree, not the sidewalk repair it causes.

**Exceptions:** Voluntary Shared Cost Sidewalk Program: subsidized rate (not free, not tree-specific); senior/disability discount

## Sources
- [City of Chicago CDOT: Shared Cost Sidewalk Program](https://www.chicago.gov/content/city/en/depts/cdot/provdrs/street/svcs/shared_cost_sidewalkprogram.html) — "The Shared Cost Sidewalk Program cost per square foot charged to property owners is well below what a private contractor would charge." / "Senior citizens and persons with disabilities may qualify for a further discounted rate." (accessed 2026-09-07)
- [City of Chicago: Bureau of Forestry (parkway trees are city-managed)](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/forestry.html) — "The Bureau of Forestry issues permits for any work involving trees." / "The Bureau of Forestry coordinates the removal of parkway or trees in the public way that are dead or damaged." (accessed 2026-09-07)

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