Kirkwood, MO Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Kirkwood Code of Ordinances § 20-26, Removal of accumulations on sidewalks, makes it unlawful for the owner or occupant of any building, premises or vacant lot to permit ice, snow, dirt, mud or filth of any character to remain longer than 24 hours on any sidewalk fronting or immediately adjacent to that building, premises or vacant lot. The clock starts once the accumulation appears, not once the storm ends, so a sidewalk that stays snow-covered through a second day is already out of compliance. Where a building has several tenants, the section assigns the duty to the person occupying or owning the tenement, apartment, store or portion of the premises nearest the street, so a landlord cannot point to a rear-unit tenant to escape responsibility for the frontage.

The section traces to Gen. Ords. 26 and Ord. No. 4796 (1963), and it sits in Chapter 20's Article II, Division 1, alongside the separate duty in § 20-24 not to deface a sidewalk and § 20-25 requiring downspouts to be piped so roof runoff does not spread across the walk and refreeze. Kirkwood does not publish a separate snow ordinance chapter; this 24-hour rule is the operative standard citywide for both public sidewalks and any private walkway the section reaches.