Plainfield, NJ Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Article 7 of Chapter 13 of the Plainfield Municipal Code puts the sidewalk burden on the person next door, not on the City. Section 13:7-1 requires the owner or tenant of lands abutting or bordering the sidewalks of public streets to remove all snow and ice from the paved sidewalk in front of the premises within twelve hours of daylight after the snow and ice has fallen or formed. Section 13:7-2 assigns the sidewalk in front of City owned property to the Department of Public Works.

Ice has its own clock. Under Section 13:7-3, when ice forms on or adheres to a public sidewalk, the owner or tenant must strew it with ashes, sawdust, sand or other approved material within six hours. If the ice formed during the night, the six hours run from sunrise the following morning, and the ice must stay strewn until it has been removed under Section 13:7-1.

Larger buildings carry a wider duty. Section 13:7-4 makes the owner of a building occupied by more than four dwelling units responsible for clearing the driveways, the parking lots and the walkways between the public sidewalks, lots or driveways and the unit entrances, again within twelve hours of daylight. That snow or ice cannot be placed on a street or sidewalk.

When an owner or tenant refuses or neglects the job, Section 13:7-5 lets the Director of Public Works or a designee have the snow or ice removed. The City then certifies the cost to the Collector of Taxes, and the cost becomes a lien on the abutting lands, bears interest, and is collected as the law provides. Section 13:7-6 separately preserves the City's police power to clear sidewalks to protect their users.