Lawrence, MA Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Deadline to clear
- 24 hours after snowfall stops
- Minimum cleared path
- 36 inches wide
- Fine, single-unit residential
- $100.00 per violation, per day
- Fine, multi-unit/non-residential
- $200.00 per violation, per day
- Enforcement
- inspectional services department inspectors
- Ice alternative
- cover with sand or sawdust
Summary
Lawrence property owners must clear snow, slush and ice from sidewalks and curb ramps within 24 hours after snowfall stops, under Municipal Code § 12.04.040. Fines start at $100.00 per day for one-unit residential buildings and jump to $200.00 per day for multi-unit or non-residential property, with each day counted as a separate violation.
A.Requirements for snow and/or slush. The owner of any building or land bordering on any street or way where there is an awning, sidewalk or curb ramp shall, within 24 hours after snow has cease to fall, remove any slush or any loose, granular, or packed snow upon such sidewalk, footway or curb ramp. Removal of any slush or snow shall be conducted in a manner that clears a path of a minimum of 36 inches wide. Each day that a violation exists shall be considered a separate and distinct violation.B.Requirements for ice. The owner...shall, within 24 hours after it becomes encumbered with ice, cause such sidewalk or curb ramp to be made safe and convenient by removing the ice therefrom, or by keeping the same covered with sand or some other suitable substance.D.Enforcement/penalties.1.Any violation of this section occurring at a sidewalk abutting a building zoned solely for residential use that has only one unit shall result in a fine of $100.00 for each such violation.2.Any violation of this section occurring at a sidewalk abutting a building zoned solely for residential use that has two or more residential units shall result in a fine of $200.00 for each such violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 8).
Full Breakdown
040 splits the duty into snow/slush and ice. Subsection A requires the owner of any building or land bordering a street with an awning, sidewalk or curb ramp to remove 'any slush or any loose, granular, or packed snow' within 24 hours after the snow stops falling, whether it fell from the sky or off the building itself, clearing a path at least 36 inches wide along the sidewalk's full paved width. Subsection B gives owners the same 24-hour window for ice, and allows compliance by making the surface 'level and completely covered with sand, sawdust, or other similar material' instead of fully clearing it.
The council on aging may hand owners a list of snow-removal companies for elderly and disabled residents but cannot favor any one contractor on that list. 4. 00. Each day the sidewalk stays uncleared counts as its own separate violation, so the fine compounds daily rather than being a single flat charge. The section was last amended by Doc. 325/2018, effective September 13, 2019.
Violations & Fines
Leaving snow, slush or ice on an abutting sidewalk or curb ramp past the 24-hour window draws a $100.00 daily fine for a single-unit residential property and $200.00 per day for a multi-unit residential or any non-residential building. Because § 12.04.040(A) makes each day a separate offense, an uncleared walk keeps generating new fines until it's cleared.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long after snowfall does a Lawrence property owner have to clear the sidewalk?
What's the fine for not shoveling snow in Lawrence?
Can I just cover ice with sand instead of removing it in Lawrence?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lawrence
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