# New York City: Who Pays for Street Tree & Root Damage? | Who Pays the Repair?

> NYC Parks maintains street trees, but owners pay for sidewalk repairs except eligible 1-3 family homes get free tree-root repair.

**Who pays:** shared

In New York City, Parks maintains all ~600,000 street trees, but the abutting owner generally pays for sidewalk repairs, except owner-occupied 1-3 family homes which get free tree-root sidewalk repair through Parks' Trees & Sidewalks program.

**Boundary:** NYC Parks has jurisdiction over and maintains all street trees in the public right-of-way, but the abutting property owner is generally responsible for sidewalk repairs, except owner-occupied 1-3 family homes (Tax Class 1), which qualify for the Trees & Sidewalks program that repairs tree-root heaving at no cost.

**Exceptions:** Owner-occupied 1-, 2-, or 3-family homes (Tax Class 1) are eligible for Parks' Trees & Sidewalks program, which repairs sidewalks heaving due to tree-root conflicts at no cost.

## Sources
- [Frequently Asked Forestry Questions: NYC Parks](https://www.nycgovparks.org/services/forestry/faq) — "The Department of Parks & Recreation has jurisdiction over all trees growing in the public right-of-way, including trees along streets, parkways, and in city parks. Within Parks, the Forestry Divisions are responsible for the maintenance of our nearly 600,000 street trees." (accessed 2026-09-13)
- [Frequently Asked Forestry Questions: NYC Parks (same page, Sidewalks section)](https://www.nycgovparks.org/services/forestry/faq) — "The property owner is responsible for any sidewalk repairs in front of the property. However, one-, two-, or three-family homes occupied by the homeowner (Tax Class 1) are eligible for Parks' Trees & Sidewalks program, where sidewalks that are heaving due to conflicts with tree roots are repaired." (accessed 2026-09-13)

_Last verified 2026-09-24. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/new-york-city-ny-street-tree-responsibility/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._