Who Fixes the Sidewalk in Front of Your House in Spokane? Owner Responsibility, Permits and the ½-Inch Rule (2026)

In the City of Spokane, the sidewalk in front of your house is your responsibility to keep in safe repair, even though it sits in the public right-of-way. Spokane Municipal Code puts that duty on the owner and occupant of the adjacent property, and a 2026 public rule now spells out which sidewalk repairs you can do yourself with no permit, which need a permit, and which have to be done by a licensed and bonded contractor. Here's how it works, and where a concrete contractor fits in.

Who is responsible for the sidewalk in front of my house?

Under SMC 12.01.010, every owner and occupant of a property has to keep the sidewalk area next to it in good and safe condition and repair at all times. That includes:

• The sidewalk along your frontage, including corners on a corner lot
• Tree grates next to your property
• Both owner and occupant: the code names both, so tenants and landlords should sort out who handles it

The current version of that section was passed February 9, 2026 and took effect March 19, 2026.

What happens if you don't fix it

If the City's Director of Engineering Services finds a sidewalk that isn't being kept up, the code lays out the steps:

• Written notice: the City may send a notice of the violation to the property
• City repair: if it isn't corrected, the City may remove or repair the condition at the owner's or occupant's sole expense and liability
• Code Enforcement: the City lists broken sidewalks and collapsed retaining walls among its right-of-way violations

The City's right-of-way rules also say owners and occupants can't obstruct the public right-of-way or make it unsafe. When the City removes an obstruction itself, it can bill the property owner or add the cost as a utility charge.

What counts as the right-of-way

Spokane's code defines the right-of-way as land dedicated for public travel, which takes in:

• Streets and sidewalks
• Parking and planting strips, the grass strip between the curb and the sidewalk
• Pedestrian buffer strips and other associated areas
• Alleys built for public travel

The City notes the right-of-way is typically an easement over land owned by the abutting property owner, which is why the sidewalk is on you even though the public uses it.

Repairs you can do with no permit

Public Rule 4700-26-01, Existing Sidewalk Maintenance and Minor Repairs (revision effective May 11, 2026), lets a property owner do two kinds of small fixes with no permit at all:

• Grinding lifts under ½ inch: a lift is the height difference where two sidewalk panels meet, and grinding it down gives a level walking surface
• Filling cracks under ½ inch: cracks, gaps or holes less than ½ inch wide, within a panel or between panels

Repairs that need a permit, but you can still do yourself

For these, the rule requires a permit and plan review through the City's Development Services Center, but the owner may do the work:

• Larger cracks: grinding or filling cracks, gaps or holes wider than ½ inch
• Surface coating: coating a panel to deal with spalling or surface deterioration
• Short replacements: replacing less than 15 linear feet of sidewalk

Repairs that need a licensed, bonded contractor

These need a permit and plan review, and the work has to be done by a licensed and bonded contractor that meets City specifications:

• Tree roots: any replacement or repair involving tree work or root problems, which also needs a tree permit from Urban Forestry
• Longer replacements: replacing more than 15 linear feet of sidewalk
• Commercial and multifamily: any sidewalk repair, of any size, in a non-residential zone or not next to a single-family home

So a homeowner can grind a small trip lip, but a commercial property, an apartment building, or a run of panels heaved up by a street tree is contractor work under a permit.

Why Spokane sidewalks lift and crack

The usual causes are the same ones we see in driveways:

• Tree roots pushing panels up, which is why the rule sends root work to a contractor with an Urban Forestry permit
• Freeze-thaw on saturated soil, which heaves and settles panels unevenly
• Missing or poorly spaced joints, so the slab cracks where it wants to
• Deicers on young concrete, which can scale the surface

Our driveway cracking guide and control joint spacing guide explain the mechanics, and our concrete sealing guide covers deicers on new concrete.

Do it yourself or hire a contractor?

• Small trip lip or hairline crack: grinding or filling under ½ inch is allowed with no permit
• Several bad panels: under 15 linear feet you can do it yourself with a permit, but saw-cutting, forming, finishing and curing a panel that matches the old sidewalk is real concrete work
• More than 15 feet, tree roots, or a non-residential property: the rule requires a licensed, bonded contractor
• Approaches and steps at the same time: if your driveway approach or front steps need work too, it often makes sense to do it all in one mobilization. See our driveway width and approach guide and concrete steps guide.

Outside City of Spokane limits, other cities and Spokane County have their own right-of-way rules, so check with your local permit office before you start.

Get a sidewalk repair quote

Raven Buildings pours and replaces concrete flatwork across the Spokane area, including sidewalks, approaches, steps and driveways. Pricing depends on how many panels, access and whether tree roots are involved, so we quote each job after looking at it. Call 509-350-2016 or request a free quote, and see our concrete services.

Sources

• Spokane Municipal Code 12.01.010: Sidewalk Maintenance, Owner's Responsibility
• City of Spokane Public Rule 4700-26-01: Existing Sidewalk Maintenance and Minor Repairs (PDF)
• Spokane Municipal Code 12.02.0737: Obstruction of the Public Right of Way
• City of Spokane Code Enforcement: Right of Way Violations