When it comes to home safety and maintenance, many homeowners feel that they are doing their part by checking on their smoke detectors and bringing electrical systems up to date. Plenty of homeowners don’t realize that the sidewalks directly outside their properties are actually their responsibility as well. Often times, a homeowner will receive a harsh wakeup call in the form of a letter from the city or township stating that the sidewalk on his property is not up to code and must be repaired immediately. Since the average person does not possess the ability to uproot heavy sidewalk patches and pour new concrete, this can often cause quite the financial blow.
Where to start
When tackling sidewalk repairs, it’s important to determine the cause of the damage or the nature of the hazard posed. Sometimes, a city is responsible for damage caused by trees or overgrown tree roots (though often times, the homeowner must bear this cost as well). Other times, significant cracks in the sidewalk could be the result of errant snow plows running off-road during routine winter clean-ups, in which case it is the city’s responsibility to pay for the repairs. To protect yourself, take occasional before and after pictures at the start, middle, and end of every winter. This way, your “blame the snow plow” defense stands a better chance of holding up.
To protect yourself from overpaying for sidewalk repairs, understand the extent to which repairs are necessary. In some cases, a slight variance in the height of adjacent sidewalk squares can cause the city to deem it a “trip hazard” and require repairs. In these instances, it might not be necessary to rip out the entire section of sidewalk and have it replaced; instead, a contractor might be able to shave off some concrete from the higher patch and smooth out the finish for a relatively quick and inexpensive fix.
Since sidewalk repair is rarely a “do it yourself” job, you’ll want to find a contractor that is properly licensed and insured. This way, the contractor will be able to stand behind the work and in some cases offer a one- or two-year warranty. While each city usually has an approved contractor, know that you don’t have to use the city contractor for the repairs. In fact, you should always price out the various contractors in your area to get the best possible deal. Some companies, however, might demand a minimum charge just to come out and do the work. In these cases, you might be better off using the city contractor.
Benefits
While you might be annoyed by the city or township’s annoying ways, the sudden prompt for repairs could save you money in the long run. If the sidewalk really is in bad shape and a person gets injured as the result of your poor maintenance, then you could find yourself faced with a lawsuit; a situation that is far more costly and time-consuming than even a more complicated sidewalk repair. Also, if you are looking to sell your home any time in the near future, know that in many places, you need to have properly-maintained sidewalks in order to receive your Certificate of Occupancy. Therefore, when it comes to sidewalk repairs, you might not want to wait to receive that notice from the township, and you certainly don’t want to wait for that first victim to take a nasty fall. By being proactive, you might actually save yourself money and aggravation by fixing your damaged sidewalk before you find yourself in a jam.
Part of the reason homeowners tend to spend so much money on sidewalk repairs is that they are often forced to work within a certain time constraint. When the city notifies the homeowner that sidewalk repairs are in order, the notice often includes a deadline by which the work must be completed. By owning up to the problem before the city catches on, you’ll gain the ability to price out the cost of repairs and find the contractor most willing to offer you a deal. For example, a contractor might come out at an “off peak” time, such as very early in the morning, to squeeze in a smaller job; if the job in question can be completed on top of the rest of the day’s work, then you might be charged less than the standard rate. A contactor might also push your job off for a couple of weeks and simply come when he has availability in exchange for a reduced rate. The more control you have over the timing of the repair situation, the more bargaining power you’ll have when it comes to cost.
The Bottom Line
Though quite the aggravating and often-unexpected expense, sidewalk repairs should not be neglected. It’s easy to roll your eyes at the mention of the words “trip hazard,” but you won’t be laughing quite as hard when that person who trips and falls down in front of your house is you.
