# Tree-Root Sidewalk Damage in Fort Worth, TX: Who Pays? | Who Pays the Repair?

> In Fort Worth the City owns the street tree, but the abutting owner still pays to repair sidewalk damage caused by its roots.

**Who pays:** owner

Fort Worth: the City owns the street tree, but the abutting owner still pays to repair sidewalk damage from its roots.

**Boundary:** Fort Worth owns the trees between the sidewalk and curb (Code § 33-7), but Code § 30-1(b) puts the duty to repair a defective sidewalk on the abutting owner/tenant on notice, with no tree-root carve-out. So the owner pays for sidewalk repair even where a City-owned street tree’s roots caused the damage.

**Property owner:** Repair the defective abutting sidewalk within 30 days of the public works director’s notice (§ 30-1(b)), regardless of whether a City street tree caused the damage.

**City / agency:** The City owns and controls the trees between sidewalk and curb (§ 33-7) but assigns the sidewalk-repair cost to the owner.

## Sources
- [Fort Worth Code § 30-1 (owner must repair defective sidewalk on notice; nuisance)](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/ftworth/latest/ftworth_tx/0-0-0-28403) — "Any sidewalk, parkway, driveway or curb which has become or is defective, unsafe or hazardous is declared a nuisance. It shall be the duty of the owner or the agent in charge, or the tenant, of the property abutting on any street ... along which a sidewalk, curb or driveway is ordered by the director of the department of public works to be constructed, reconstructed or repaired within 30 days from the receipt of notice from the director of public works, to construct, reconstruct or repair such sidewalk, curb or driveway. The failure ... shall be a misdemeanor." (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [Fort Worth Code § 33-7 (trees between sidewalk and curb are the property of the city)](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/ftworth/latest/ftworth_tx/0-0-0-30144) — "All trees, plants and shrubs growing between the sidewalk and the curb are the property of the city, and shall be under the control of the department of park and recreation." (accessed 2026-09-09)

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