Who’s Responsible for Sidewalks in Houston?
Recently we received an email from a neighbor regarding sidewalk repairs. As a neighborhood over 100 years old, we face sidewalks being in major disrepair or missing altogether. Well-maintained sidewalks improve safety for kids walking to school, enhance accessibility for residents with disabilities, and boost our neighborhood’s charm and property values.
When a sidewalk needs repair, the question of who is responsible for that repair inevitably arises. In Houston, the adjacent property owner is responsible for installing, repairing, and maintaining sidewalks, not the City (Code of Ordinances Article III, Sections 40-83 & 84) This applies to both residential and commercial properties and includes addressing issues like broken or missing sidewalk segments. It can be frustrating when homeowners can’t or won’t repair sidewalks, but there is some hope.
New Sidewalks - When Updates Are Required
A sidewalk must be installed or brought up to standard when
A new home is built.
A major addition or substantial improvement is made to an existing home.
If you observe new construction or significant renovations without installing a sidewalk, it may be out of compliance. Such instances can be reported to the City’s Permitting Enforcement Team via 311 online or through the 311 app. One way Woodland Heights can see improved sidewalks is by ensuring that these sidewalk ordinances are enforced, especially as the neighborhood continues to experience rapid redevelopment.
Other Options?
While the WHCA does not have the funds or resources to repair neighbors' sidewalks, we are exploring ways to help neighbors tackle sidewalk repairs. We've discovered the following information after speaking with contractors who are experienced with the permitting process.
Each repair must have its own permit
Concrete costs can be expensive, even for small jobs
While this may not sound promising, we will contact our Council Member to see if he can assist with other options. One idea we came up with was potentially pooling multiple resident requests to create a larger, more cost-effective project. We cannot guarantee that this is possible, but we will explore the idea with our Council Member and see if he has any thoughts.
In the meantime, if you know of a contractor who might do small jobs or if you have other ideas on how we can approach this as a community, we'd love to hear from you! Email us at infrastructure@woodland-heights.org.