# Tree-Root Sidewalk Damage in Raleigh, NC: Who Pays? | Who Pays the Repair?

> In Raleigh the owner maintains the sidewalk generally, but the City repairs damage caused by a right-of-way tree’s trunk or roots.

**Who pays:** shared

Raleigh: the owner maintains the sidewalk, but the City repairs damage caused by a right-of-way tree’s trunk or roots.

**Boundary:** The abutting owner has the general sidewalk-repair duty (Raleigh City Code § 12-1037.1), but the City relieves the owner of repairing a sidewalk raised, broken or made uneven by the trunk or roots of a tree located in the public right-of-way (§ 11-6008), once the City finds or is notified of the condition.

**Property owner:** Maintain the abutting sidewalk in good repair generally (§ 12-1037.1), except where a right-of-way tree caused the damage.

**City / agency:** The City repairs sidewalks raised/broken/uneven from a right-of-way tree trunk or roots, and its Urban Forester decides on tree/root treatment (§ 11-6008).

**Exceptions:** Right-of-way tree trunk/root damage: City relieves the owner and repairs (§ 11-6008).

## Sources
- [Raleigh City Code § 11-6008 (City relief for right-of-way tree-root sidewalk damage)](https://library.municode.com/nc/raleigh/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=DIVIICOGEOR_PT11TR_CH6STMA_S11-6008CIRESIRERESIRABRET) — "Private properties will be relieved from the responsibility of sidewalk repair and replacement of sidewalks raised, broken or otherwise made uneven by tree trunks located in whole or in part in the public right-of-way under the following conditions: (1) The City receives either written notice or finds that conditions described in the above paragraph exist; and (2) The City determines that the raised, broken, or uneven sidewalk was caused by tree trunks located in the right-of-way or by the roots of said tree" (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [Raleigh City Code § 12-1037.1 (owner baseline duty to maintain sidewalk)](https://library.municode.com/nc/raleigh/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=DIVIICOGEOR_PT12LIRE_CH1STPUWA_ARTBSTUSCL_S12-1037.1RESIDRPROW) — "It shall be the duty of every property owner in the City to maintain in good repair and safe condition, the sidewalk and driveway abutting his property for the safe passage of pedestrians over the same except as otherwise provided in §7-2008." (accessed 2026-09-09)

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