Who is Responsible for Concrete Sidewalk Repair in Los Angeles

Ah…walking in Los Angeles. You can’t go a block without watching your feet for all the trip hazards, crumbling concrete and uplifted sidewalks. Sure, those uplifts are great for skaters and BMX bikers, but for joggers, walkers and people on wheelchairs? They’re just a lawsuit waiting to happen.

So, in Los Angeles, who is ultimately responsible for maintaining our sidewalks? It’s the stuff mayoral elections have been riding on. Homeowners and business owners cringe at the sight of anyone tripping in front of their property while waiting in vain for the city to fix their sidewalks.

The question remains – Who is legally responsible for the sidewalks in LA?

Why is my sidewalk crumbling in Los Angeles?

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

Did you know that Los Angeles has more than 11,000 miles of sidewalk. That’s right. 11,000 miles. And you can’t take more than two steps on that sidewalk without landing in a minefield of crumbling concrete. So, what’s causing all that damage?

Erosion Under The Sidewalk

You may remember this from back in science class – or any large winter storm in LA. Basically, water moves really fast. And it takes everything with it. It’s taking rocks, soil, sometimes even plants and chunks of concrete. The problem occurs when water flows underneath a concrete sidewalk. But wait. How can water get underneath concrete? You know know all those small cracks you see in concrete? That’s how water gets underneath. Or how about sprinkler systems that have leaks? There’s another source of water getting under our sidewalks. And that water moves faster than you think, and when it moves, it’s taking the soil underneath that sidewalk with it. That leaves a pocket of, well, nothing underneath the sidewalk. That undermines the structure of the concrete, leaving it prone to even more cracks as people walk, jog, and bike over it.

Lifespan Of Concrete

Did you know that concrete has a lifespan? Modern concrete sidewalks can be expected to survive for about 30-50 years. The average home in Los Angeles was built in 1963. That’s over 60 years ago. Not only that, but if you live near the city center, chances are your neighborhood is over 100 years old – and your concrete sidewalk is, too.

The bottom line is, our concrete sidewalks are nearing the end of their natural lives, seemingly all at once. It’s time to replace them.

Plants Uplifting The Sidewalk

In our drier climate, it’s always nice to see greenery around. You just don’t want that greenery growing up in the cracks in our pavement. Plants are tenacious. They will seek out water and sunlight wherever they can. Think about all the tufts of grass you’ve seen growing in sidewalk cracks. Those plants are making the cracks even worse.

And don’t even get me started on trees. Decades ago, when Los Angeles was but a fledgling city, planners allowed the planting of fast-growing trees. These mature trees are beautiful, but they are tearing the place apart. The roots of those trees can get up to 12 inches in diameter – that’s a foot wide! You can imagine how those roots will push up against concrete and crack it, all in the endless search for water.

2-5 Earthquakes Every Day

While earthquakes don’t cause as much damage to sidewalks as trees, the effect of our occasional tremors can’t be denied. Concrete doesn’t bend with the earth as it shakes; it breaks and cracks. So, enough of those small quakes can have a lasting effect on our sidewalks.

What does the law say about who is responsible for sidewalks?

Ahhh…the age-old question. Who is legally responsible for the sidewalks in Los Angeles? You can fall into legal quicksand pretty quickly when it comes to determining who is legally responsible for the maintenance of city sidewalks. Property owners will argue that it’s the city’s responsibility to maintain the sidewalks, especially since the city planted so many of the quick growing trees that are causing so many problems. The city will argue that trees on private property are causing the crumbling concrete.

Many times, the city is found to be liable in these situations. In fact, the city paid $12 million dollars to settle sidewalk injury settlements in the fiscal year 2020.

If you participate in the Safe Sidewalks LA program, responsibility for sidewalk maintenance will be transferred to you, the property owner, after 20 years.

Who owns sidewalks in Los Angeles

At the end of the day, the city owns the sidewalks in Los Angeles. Since there are so many repairs needed in our huge sidewalk system, and the city was facing a huge lawsuit, Los Angeles created a rebate system to allow property owners to get their sidewalks fixed in a more timely manner.

Safe Sidewalk LA Program

Thanks to a settlement of a huge lawsuit, the city of Los Angeles now has a rebate program that allows property owners to fix the sidewalks – and get the city to foot the bill.

Under Safe Sidewalks LA, property owners apply for a rebate to get their sidewalks fixed by a licensed concrete contractor. How does it work?

Apply at sidewalks.lacity.org or call 3-1-1. You will be asked asked some information about your property.
CHECK YOUR EMAIL! A city representative will contact you to ask for additional information. You have just two weeks to answer.
The city will inspect the property in person.
CHECK YOUR EMAIL! The city will email you a rebate offer. Once you have the offer, you MUST accept or decline within 14 days. If you fail to do so, you have to start the process all over again.
After you accept your rebate, you will have to hire a licensed concrete contractor. A general contractor CANNOT do the work.
The licensed concrete contractor will pull the permits, complete the work, and work with the city inspector to ensure that all the work has been completed up to code.. You, the property owner, will foot the bill.
After the work passes the final inspection, you will receive your rebate.

Property owners can get as much as $12,400 for each project. Not only that, but you can apply for multiple projects around your property.

After all this is done, the city will issue a warranty. For homeowners, that warranty will last for 20 years. For business owners, it lasts five years. After that warranty expires, OR the city fixes the sidewalk just once, it is now the property owner’s responsibility to maintain the sidewalk.

As for liability, that question remains almost unanswerable. The image below shows the answer provided by the City of Los Angeles Safe Sidewalks LA website, which states, “There are many factors that can affect liability. Therefore, we cannot answer this question.”

Ready to get that rebate and repair your concrete sidewalk? We are a licensed concrete contractor who specializes in sidewalk repair. Not only that, but we can also help you through the rebate process. We are the only concrete company that will check the status of your rebate, so that you don’t miss that all-important email. We specialize in facilitating the rebate process, permit expediting and sidewalk construction. Give us a call to begin your rebate!