If you’re a business owner, you know how important aesthetics are, especially to customers. You want to make sure your business always looks its best – and that starts from the walk in to your storefront. And if your business is in Los Angeles, you know how your sidewalk probably looks. Not great.  

You may have considered fixing the sidewalk yourself, but that can seem prohibitively expensive, especially if you’re a small business owner. But did you know that you can have the city pay to fix your sidewalks and your driveway? 

The Reasons Why Concrete Sidewalks Break
Tree Roots Tree and other plant roots uplifting the concrete	Erosion Erosion under the concrete create make the surface week
Insufficient Joins Not enough grooves in between the concrete panels	Improper Installation Cement mix drying too quickly, not enough compacted road base

Restaurant/Store Shop Sidewalk Repair

No one wants to trip on the way to your restaurant or storefront. Worse yet, you don’t want anyone to trip in front of your store. Guess who they’re going to blame? The city for their horrendous sidewalks? Think again. They’re going to blame you, the business owner. And then lawyers get involved and it’s a mess. 

Which brings the age-old question – who is liable for the maintenance of city sidewalks? If maintenance responsibility has been transferred to you, the property owner then you are responsible for it. But what if that transfer hasn’t happened? Who’s responsible for a slip and fall case on city sidewalks?

The answer is murky – so murky even the city suggests property owners consult an attorney and let the attorneys duke it out. 

The best solution? Make your business look better AND avoid slip and fall cases by repairing that sidewalk in front of your business. It’s easier than you think. In fact, through a newish city program, the city will pay you via rebate to replace your old, worn out sidewalk. What could be better than fixing the sidewalk faster than the city and getting the city to foot the bill?

Business/Commercial Sidewalk Repair

With over 11,000 miles of sidewalk, it’s no surprise that the city of Los Angeles hasn’t been able to properly maintain the sidewalks for decades. Not only that, but most of the sidewalks were poured at least 40-50 years ago. Around the same time the city planted fast-growing trees whose roots have been tearing up the sidewalks ever since. Our sidewalks have definitely reached the end of their shelf-life.

As a business owner, it can be frustrating to see the broken and crumbling sidewalk and driveway aprons day after day. You can’t help but feel frustrated at the lack of progress on fixing the problems. 

With Safe Sidewalks LA, you can start the repair process on your own. 

It’s pretty simple. You just apply through the city’s Safe Sidewalks LA website or My LA 311 to fill out the application. Not only can you get your sidewalk fixed, but you can also get your driveway apron fixed, as long as it’s in the public right-of-way. The city will offer you up to $12,400 for each lot that needs repairs. 

How does Safe Sidewalks LA work?

In order to apply, you will first have to upload documentation that you own the property. The city will contact you if any additional information is needed. After that, check your email. While the city is notoriously slow with paperwork, they expect you to answer pretty quickly. As soon as you get your rebate offer, you only have two weeks to accept it. That’s why it's imperative that you check your email frequently. 

Once you have your rebate offer in hand, the next step is to find a contractor to complete the work. This is where you have to be careful. You can only hire a contractor with an A, C-8, C-12 or C-61:D-06 license. Basically, you can’t have your general contractor complete the work. You must hire a licensed CONCRETE contractor. 

Once you hire a licensed concrete contractor, they will work with the city to pull the necessary permits, call in the city inspectors and do the work necessary to get your project approved as quickly as possible. Once the city inspector signs off on your project, the city pays your rebate. 

Like most rebate programs, you won’t get your money until the project is done. That means you will have to pay the concrete contractor upfront for the work. 

Once the work is done and you have received your rebate, the city will issue a five-year warranty on the project. That means, for the next five years, the city will pay for any repairs to the project before handing over the maintenance responsibilities to you, the property owner. If you get at least one repair during the life of that warranty, maintenance responsibilities are transferred to you. 

City And Country Concrete Services We Offer
Sidewalk Repair	Curb Drain Coring
City Gutter Repair	Sidewalk Grinding

What types of repairs are covered by Safe Sidewalks LA?

Basically, this rebate program covers repairs to any section of sidewalk that is in the public right-of-way and is not currently ADA compliant. That means, if your driveway apron (the entrance) is part of the sidewalk, it’s covered. Any business owner knows how much abuse driveway ramps suffer, especially if you are a business that uses heavy trucks on a daily basis. This program will replace your driveway entrance, as long as it is part of the pedestrian right-of-way. 

Not only that, but if you own multiple properties, you can apply for the rebate multiple times. That is, you can apply for the rebate with each property you own. You do have to submit separate applications for each property. 

There are a few types of properties that do not qualify for the program. If you, the property owner, already have maintenance responsibility for the sidewalk, you cannot apply for the rebate. If a property is part of a development project or is owned by a government agency, then it is not eligible for the rebate.

What times of repairs are eligible for the Safe Sidewalks LA rebate?

Basically, if your sidewalk is not ADA compliant, it’s eligible for the rebate. What does that entail? Here are some examples:

• Sidewalks less than 4 feet wide

• Sidewalks with openings in their joints (gaps) that are wider than half an inch

• Sidewalk uplifts that are higher than a quarter of an inch

• Driveways that do not have an intersecting sidewalk that is at least four feet wide with a 2% cross slope.

• Sidewalks with damage caused by tree roots that is causing inaccessibility 

As any pedestrian in LA is aware, tree roots are the number one sidewalk destroyer. As part of the rebate program, the city will pay a city arborist to assess the tree issue. If the roots need to be pruned or the tree needs to be removed, that will be part of the rebate. If the city arborist determines that the tree needs to be removed, two trees must be replanted in its place. One tree will be planted in the place of the tree that has been removed. A city arborist will determine where the second tree will be planted. However, if a city tree is NOT causing the damage, the tree owner will have to remedy that situation on their own. 

Why you should choose Safer Sidewalks

We are a licensed concrete contractor with extensive experience in repairing city sidewalks. We understand how the rebate process works. We can help you navigate the city red tape to make sure your repairs are done quickly and up to code so you get your rebate as soon as possible. Call us for a free quote today.