Beloit, WI Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Deadline
- 48 hours after snow, sleet, or freezing rain
- Clearing width
- At least 36 inches, full sidewalk length
- Alternative
- Sand or abrasive if ice is too hard
- City exemption
- None; city must clear its own walks too
- Penalty
- Forfeiture under § 25.04 plus city billing
Summary
Beloit property owners and occupants have 48 hours after snow, sleet or freezing rain stops falling to clear the abutting public sidewalk under Beloit Code of Ordinances § 11.22(1). Ice too hard to remove safely can be sanded instead, but the city itself gets no exemption from the rule.
(1)REMOVAL OF SNOW AND ICE FROM SIDEWALKS.(a) ... Notice. The owner and the occupant of any real estate in the City shall cause snow and ice to be removed from all sidewalks abutting the real estate within 48 hours after the cessation of any fall of snow, sleet or freezing rain. The entire length and at least 36" of the width of the abutting sidewalk shall be cleared. The City is not exempt from these requirements.(b)Alternative. If the snow and ice on the sidewalk has become so hard that it cannot be removed without likelihood of damage to the sidewalk, the person charged with its removal shall, within the time mentioned in sub. (a) above, cause enough sand or other abrasive to be put on the sidewalk to make travel thereon reasonably safe and shall, as soon thereafter as weather permits, cause the sidewalk or sidewalk area to be thoroughly cleaned. ... (c)Violations, Work Done, Liability Therefor, Penalty.1.Persons violating any of the provisions of this section shall be subject to a penalty as provided in §25.04 of this Municipal Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Update 01 - 05-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 11.22(1)(a) requires the owner and the occupant of any real estate in the city to remove snow and ice from every sidewalk abutting the property within 48 hours after a snowfall, sleet or freezing rain event ends. The clearing must cover the sidewalk's entire length and at least 36 inches of its width, and the ordinance specifically states the City itself is not exempt from the requirement on its own abutting properties.
Where ice has bonded so hard that removing it risks damaging the sidewalk, § 11.22(1)(b) allows spreading sand or another abrasive within the same 48-hour window instead, followed by a full cleanup once the weather allows safe removal. If an owner or occupant fails to clear the walk or apply abrasive, § 11.22(1)(c)2 lets the Director of Public Works do the work directly. The Director keeps records of that cost, and § 11.22(1)(c)4 bills it to the responsible person; an unpaid bill after 60 days becomes a special charge added to the property's tax roll, collected exactly like a delinquent property tax.
Violations & Fines
Failing to clear snow and ice, or to sand an icy sidewalk, within the 48-hour window is a violation carrying a penalty under § 25.04 of the Municipal Code, referenced directly in § 11.22(1)(c)1. That citation does not replace the city's right to do the work itself and bill the owner or occupant under § 11.22(1)(c)4; § 11.22(1)(c)5 lets the city pursue both the penalty and the cost recovery for the same lapse.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to shovel my sidewalk after it snows in Beloit?
What if the ice is too thick to shovel without damaging the sidewalk?
Can Beloit fine me and still bill me for clearing my sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beloit
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Snow & Sidewalk Clearing in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Rock County handle snow & sidewalk clearing.