Kent, WA Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Unlike many Midwest and East Coast cities, Kent does not have a municipal code provision requiring property owners to clear snow and ice from the public sidewalks adjacent to their property. Kent City Code 6.07 (Streets and Sidewalks) requires property owners to maintain sidewalks free from obstructions, debris, and overgrown vegetation that would impede pedestrian travel, and to repair sidewalk damage originating from their property (such as tree root heave). During the rare Kent snow event, the city focuses on plowing arterial and collector streets and does not plow residential streets or sidewalks. Residents are encouraged but not legally required to shovel snow in front of their homes. Businesses with heavy foot traffic and ADA-compliant building entrances may have a duty under Washington common law and the Americans with Disabilities Act to maintain safe access, and slip-and-fall liability can still attach to negligent property owners under RCW 7.72 premises liability. Sidewalks damaged or obstructed by overgrown hedges, garbage cans, or parked vehicles are citable under KCC 6.07 and KCC 9.41 (Traffic Code). Call Kent Public Works at 253-856-5500 for sidewalk maintenance questions.