Who is Responsible for Sidewalk Repairing & Maintenance?

Many of us have the same question in mind. Is the property owner responsible for sidewalk repairing or the local government will pay for the maintenance work? It can get a little bit tricky if you don’t know your local laws and municipality. In many states, the property owner is responsible for all the maintenance and repairing work. Not only that they are also liable for all the accidents that happen on their curbs and sidewalks. It is better to do a few Sidewalk Contractors NYC is responsible maintenance work than to pay heavy fines for accidents and tripping hazards.

Why Sidewalk Repair is Necessary?

If you have a sidewalk facing property or a sidewalk adjacent to your home, you need to look out for all the cracks and gouges. Damaged sidewalks can become highly dangerous sometimes. If the surface of the sidewalk is uneven, people can trip and suffer injuries. If that happens on your property, you are liable for all the medical bills.

NYC has strict laws and regulations about trip-and-fall accidents. It is your responsibility to have a smooth and even sidewalk and curb for all the pedestrians. If the sidewalk adjacent to your home is damaged for some reason, the local government can find you.

Types of Sidewalks

There are two types of sidewalks; public and private. Public sidewalks are adjacent to shopping malls, hotels, and restaurants. The local government and municipality are responsible for their maintenance. Private sidewalks are next to private properties like homes. The homeowner is responsible for their maintenance. If the sidewalk next to your home has some cracks, gouges, or uneven surfaces you have got to take care of that immediately.

If you are a homeowner, you are also responsible for picking up debris and removing snow from your sidewalk. And if the local government says that you need to replace your whole sidewalk, you are financially responsible for that as well.

Sidewalk Damages

There are a lot of factors that contribute to the damage to your sidewalk. The type of damage can help you assess how it happened in the first place. You can fix the damages with proper diagnostics. First, let’s look at all the types of damage.

Cracks & gouges – this is one the most common type of damage. These cracks and gouges are inevitable. Small cracks are fine. But if you have bigger cracks, you need to fix them as soon as possible. Remember if you do not address these issues, they can do some serious damage to your sidewalk and your property.

Sidewalk Spalling – the main reason for spalling is the freeze-thaws. They can make the surface of the sidewalk flake or chip. This happens when the water gets into the pores of the sidewalk and then freezes. You can avoid that with Sidewalk Repair Manhattan by properly mixing the concrete while pouring. You can also do resurfacing and sealing to address this issue.

Settlement – the concrete tends to break when there are air pockets under the surface. This can result in an uneven and unstable surface. The voids under the surface form due to some soil issues or water leakage. Keep an eye on your sidewalk and address all the issues as soon as they appear.

Uneven surface – this is one of the most common faults of the sidewalk. There are a lot of factors that contribute to this kind of damage. Freeze-thaw cycles and tree roots can do this kind of damage to your curb. You’ll have to replace the whole surface if you do not take care of it instantaneously.

Addressing the Damages

You need to address all the damages as soon as they appear to sidewalk repair Brooklyn. This way you’ll prolong the life of your sidewalk. The small steps and maintenance work would go a long way to ensuring that you have a beautiful and strong sidewalk. There are a lot of ways you can do damage control. You can check from time to time if there are some cracks or uneven surfaces. If you have a brick sidewalk then you need to take extra care of that with sidewalk repair. Though they add an antique look to your home, they also require a lot of attention.

If for some reason, you cannot do all of that, you can always call for professional help. They will assess the situation and give you an idea of the cost and time for the maintenance job.