If the repair is yours to pay
Get more than one quote before you agree to a price, and ask the contractor to confirm where the property line and the public side begin.
Compare local pros on AngiFor concrete, yard, tree, and foundation work, get a few quotes first.
Partner link. Who Pays the Repair? may earn a commission if you request a quote or sign up, at no cost to you. It never changes who we say pays.
Default rule and exceptions
Split by whose tree. The City of Seattle is responsible for sidewalks adjacent to City street trees (along with City property/structures and City-utility-caused damage), about 15-20% of Seattle's 2,300 miles of sidewalk. The remaining 80-85%, including damage from private trees, is primarily the adjacent property owner's.
| Party | What they are responsible for |
|---|---|
| Property owner | Seattle Municipal Code requires adjacent property owners to keep sidewalks in good repair and safe for travel, per the Seattle Office of City Auditor's official 2021 report: "The remaining 80 to 85 percent are primarily the responsibility of the adjacent private property owners." |
| City / public agency | Seattle Office of City Auditor (Oct 28, 2021, "Seattle's Sidewalk Maintenance and Repair Program"): "The City is responsible for repairing and maintaining sidewalks adjacent to City property or structures, affected by City utilities, and adjacent to City street trees. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) estimates that the City is responsible for about 15 to 20 percent of Seattle's sidewalks." The same audit notes the state-law enforcement mechanism against owners "has never been used in Seattle." |
| Exceptions | Damage adjacent to a City street tree: City responsibility; Damage from City property, structures, or City utilities: City responsibility |
What the source says
Last verified against the primary source on Sep 5, 2026.
The remaining 80 to 85 percent are primarily the responsibility of the adjacent private property owners.
Seattle's Sidewalk Maintenance and Repair Program
The City is responsible for repairing and maintaining sidewalks adjacent to City property or structures, affected by City utilities, and adjacent to City street trees. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) estimates that the City is responsible for about 15 to 20 percent of Seattle's sidewalks.
has never been used in Seattle.
City rules rest on state law. Read Washington's sidewalk statute, quoted verbatim, or see all 50 states in one table.
Common questions
Who pays for tree roots in Seattle, WA?
Responsibility is shared. Seattle Municipal Code requires adjacent property owners to keep sidewalks in good repair and safe for travel, per the Seattle Office of City Auditor's official 2021 report: "The remaining 80 to 85 percent are primarily the responsibility of the adjacent private property owners."
Are there exceptions in Seattle, WA?
Damage adjacent to a City street tree: City responsibility; Damage from City property, structures, or City utilities: City responsibility
What is this based on for Seattle, WA?
This verdict is sourced to Seattle Office of City Auditor: "Seattle's Sidewalk Maintenance and Repair Program" (Oct 28, 2021, official audit report) and 5 sources in total, each independently re-checked before publication.
Sources
- Seattle Office of City Auditor: "Seattle's Sidewalk Maintenance and Repair Program" (Oct 28, 2021, official audit report)official · verified-primary · accessed 2026-09-27
- Seattle street trees care dutyofficial · research-cited · accessed 2026-08-19
- Seattle Office of City Auditor: "Seattle's Sidewalk Maintenance and Repair Program" (Oct 28, 2021, official audit report)official · verified-primary · accessed 2026-09-27
- Seattle Office of City Auditor: "Seattle's Sidewalk Maintenance and Repair Program" (Oct 28, 2021, official audit report)official · verified-primary · accessed 2026-09-27
- Seattle Office of City Auditor: "Seattle's Sidewalk Maintenance and Repair Program" (Oct 28, 2021, official audit report)official · verified-primary · accessed 2026-09-27
Spot an error? Challenge this record
Found an out-of-date code section, a wrong verdict, or a better primary source? Tell us. Corrections that check out are applied, with the change shown in history. That is our standing policy.