What makes a sidewalk defective

Defective sidewalks are parts that are:

• Cracked, broken or falling apart
• Uneven or settled
• Sticking out
• A hazard to people walking and rolling

See standards for defective sidewalks document

When defective sidewalks look fine

In some cases, sidewalk panels may appear to be in good condition. These panels may not meet minimum sidewalk standards or drain water properly.

Short-term repairs

• The City may lay down a free, temporary asphalt path.
• This is a short-term fix to prevent tripping until we fix the sidewalk.
• We replace all permanent sidewalks with concrete.

You must pay for sidewalk repairs

Property owners are responsible for the public sidewalk that is alongside their property. 

This means paying for:

• Damages
• Repairs
• Construction 

See City Ordinance 427.90

Common sidewalk damages

Some common sidewalk problems are:

• Worn-out sidewalks
• Trees and tree roots
• Broken paths

Shared sidewalk panels

One sidewalk panel may be part of the neighbor’s property. You’re only responsible for the part of the sidewalk that is in front of your property.

Keep or remove boulevard walk

If fixing an existing boulevard (carriage) walk is part of the planned work, you can choose to remove it and not replace it.

What to know

You'd have to pay the costs to remove the carriage walk and restore the boulevard.

Move landscaping out of the area

Before we do work in the sidewalk area, remove and store any:

• Special landscaping
• Brick pavers
• Stones
• Plantings and shrubs
• Fences 
• Retaining walls 

Mark your sprinkler system locations

• Locate and mark any sprinkler systems in the area of the sidewalk work.
• The City sidewalk contractor will avoid causing damage to sprinkler systems.
• We'll maintain the location markings throughout our work.  

Damage to sprinkler systems

If a sprinkler system is damaged and was not marked or was marked incorrectly, you will be responsible for the repair costs.

Impacts on trees near sidewalks

To make room for future tree growth, we may:

• Create a ring in the sidewalk around the base of the tree.
• Remove some tree roots.
• Relocate boulevard walks away from the base of the tree.

When a tree is removed

• The Minneapolis Park Board may remove a boulevard tree.
• This only happens in extreme cases.
• The Park Board may plant a new tree in its place when this happens.