# Tree Root Sidewalk Damage in Los Angeles, CA: Who Pays? | Who Pays the Repair?

> In Los Angeles the owner repairs sidewalks, curbs and driveway approaches (LAMC 62.104) even when a city street tree's roots did the damage. Root pruning too.

**Who pays:** owner

In Los Angeles, when a city street tree cracks your sidewalk, you still pay: the abutting owner owns the repair, tree or no tree.

**Boundary:** The abutting owner maintains sidewalks, curbs, and driveway approaches (LAMC 62.104(b)), with no carve-out for damage caused by a city-owned street tree. The owner is also responsible for the entire private sewer lateral, including tree-root damage to it.

**Property owner:** StreetsLA: "Under the provisions of the Los Angeles Municipal Code 62.104(b), maintenance of sidewalks, curbs, and driveway approaches is the responsibility of the abutting property owners." For tree-caused sewer problems, LA Sanitation: "Property owners are responsible for maintaining and repairing their entire private sewer lateral line, from the building all the way to the street connection."

**City / agency:** The Urban Forestry Division "manages and maintains all trees and plants contained in the public right-of-way", the city owns the tree, but not the repair of what its roots damage.

**Exceptions:** Owner may root-prune with a StreetsLA Urban Forestry permit, but pays for the work

## Sources
- [StreetsLA: Policies and Guidelines (owner maintains sidewalks; tree costs owner’s)](https://streetsla.lacity.org/resources/policies-and-guidelines) — "Under the provisions of the Los Angeles Municipal Code 62.104(b), maintenance of sidewalks, curbs, and driveway approaches is the responsibility of the abutting property owners." (accessed 2026-09-07)
- [StreetsLA: Urban Forestry Division (city owns the street trees)](https://streetsla.lacity.org/about-us/divisions/urban-forestry-division) — "The Urban Forestry Division manages and maintains all trees and plants contained in the public right-of-way, and also has authority on private property over certain native tree species that are protected by the City." (accessed 2026-09-07)
- [Tree Roots | LA Sanitation & Environment](https://sanitation.lacity.gov/san/faces/home/portal/s-lsh-wwd/s-lsh-wwd-cw/s-lsh-wwd-cw-s/s-lsh-wwd-cw-s-sh/s-lsh-wwd-cw-s-tr) — "Property owners are responsible for maintaining and repairing their entire private sewer lateral line, from the building all the way to the street connection. ... it cannot be repaired at the expense of the city's utility ratepayers." (accessed 2026-09-27)

_Last verified 2026-09-27. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/los-angeles-ca-tree-roots/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._