Few things are as annoying as a broken sidewalk in Los Angeles, especially when it’s just one piece. Who even is responsible for fixing it? Why does it take so long for the city to fix it? And why, oh why, is only part of the sidewalk broken? What did it do wrong? How much is it going to cost to fix it?

There are answers to pretty much all of those questions. And, rest assured, your poor sidewalk didn’t do anything wrong. 

How much will it cost to fix my sidewalk in Los Angeles?

In general, it’s going to cost about $15 to $20 per square foot to fix your sidewalk. But who is responsible for paying for fixing your sidewalk? If you’re like most Angelinos, you’ve been waiting literally years for the city to fix your sidewalk. You may have even heard that you’re liable for the sidewalk. 

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

Am I liable for my sidewalk?

The answer to that is murky. Even the city of Los Angeles doesn’t have a straight answer. Ultimately, the answer is, it depends. Every case is different, so liability issues are something for the city to fight over with lawyers. Click here to read about my shocking discovery on this topic. WHO IS LIABLE FOR FIXING MY SIDEWALK. 

Who will pay to fix my sidewalk?

Surprisingly, the city will. Yes, that’s right. The city of Los Angeles will pay you, a home or business owner, to fix the sidewalk in front of your property. Safe Sidewalks LA is a newish program run by the city to help fix its 11,000 miles of sidewalks. 

How does it work? Safe Sidewalks LA is a rebate program. Basically, you apply through the city via the Safe Sidewalks LA website or MyLA311. You will have to fill out some basic information about your property and the damaged sidewalk. From there, the city will offer you up to $12,400 per project to fix your sidewalk. But wait! You don’t get the money yet. You will first have to hire a LICENSED CONCRETE CONTRACTOR to do the work. You cannot hire a general contractor to do the job. It MUST be done by a licensed concrete contractor. The licensed concrete contractor will work with the city to pull permits and consult the city inspectors to ensure the job is done to code. Only after the final inspection is approved will you then get your rebate. That means, you may have to pay your contractor before you get the money from the city. On the plus side, when you work with a licensed concrete contractor, they have the knowledge necessary to make sure your project passes inspection the first time. 

Once your sidewalk passes inspection, the city gives it a warranty repair period of 20 years for residential property and 5 years for commercial property. With that warranty, you can get one repair fixed by the city. After the warranty expires or you get a repair by the city, the responsibility for the sidewalk maintenance is then transferred to you, the property owner. 

How long will it take to fix my broken sidewalk in LA?

Concrete projects are surprisingly quick. Unlike building an ADU or remodeling your home (which could take up to a year to complete), replacing your sidewalk will likely take about a week. That allows time for demolition, preparing the site, pouring the concrete and the inspector to approve the project.

If you are fixing your sidewalk with a city rebate, the longest wait you’ll have will likely be waiting for the city to offer you the rebate. Pro tip: Check your email frequently. The city will make its rebate offer only by email and even then, you have TWO WEEKS to accept it. Make sure you are combing through your email for that message. 

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

Take a look outside toward your sidewalk. See those beautiful mature trees out there? Maybe they’re your own trees in your yard. Maybe they are one of those fast-growing trees the city planted decades ago. Either way, those trees are wreaking havoc on your sidewalk. More specifically, their roots.

Trees are constantly on the lookout for water and their roots are searching underground. As the tree matures, the roots get bigger and bigger, pushing up the sidewalk, creating cracks in the pavement.

Then….water sneaks in. Water will filter through those cracks and seep underneath the concrete. And what’s underneath that concrete? Soil. Water washes away all that soil underneath the concrete and over time, creates pockets of air underneath the sidewalk creating, yes, even larger cracks. 

What if the tree needs to be removed?

Let’s say you get the rebate and the city determines that a city-owned tree is to blame for all this mess. Well, then, a city arborist (tree expert) will determine what will happen to the tree. It may be that the tree just needs more room to grow or its roots need to be pruned. If that’s the case, the city arborists will provide written instructions detailing the work to be done. If the tree needs to be removed, the city of Los Angeles requires that two street trees be planted for every one street tree removed. One of those trees must be planted where the original tree stood. The city arborist will determine where the other tree must be planted. 

Can I fix my sidewalk myself?

Given the murky liability that exists with sidewalks, it’s probably not a great idea to fix your own sidewalk. Not only that, but with concrete, you can only really fix cracks that are a quarter of an inch wide or smaller. Those hairline cracks you can fix with filler from Home Depot. But if you’re looking at uplifted concrete or larger cracks, you’re going to want a professional to help with that. Remember, you can only get your rebate if you hire a licensed concrete contractor to do the work.  

Ready to replace that piece of sidewalk? Give us a call today for a free quote. We are a licensed concrete contractor with extensive experience with the Safe Sidewalks LA rebate process. We will help walk you through it so that your sidewalk gets repaired and the city foots the bill!