Norwalk, CT Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Chapter 96, enacted in 1988 and rewritten in 2007, makes it unlawful under § 96-2A to excavate or encroach in, on, over or under any street without a permit. Limited exceptions in § 96-2B cover Public Works' own maintenance, ladder use for window washing or brief repairs under an hour, temporary merchandise deposits outside the traveled way under an hour, and emergency work by a utility or taxing district using barriers and warning devices, provided a sidewalk is never reduced below half its usable width.

Section 96-2C bars new excavation permits on streets or sidewalks paved or reconstructed in the prior 24 months absent a hardship finding by the Director or an emergency under § 96-10. Under § 96-3, the applicant doing the actual work must apply to the Director on a Department of Public Works form with plans and specifications, and the Director sets a fee for each permit under § 90-4. Section 96-4 requires the permit be posted on the job; excavation work must start within 30 days or the permit lapses, while an encroachment permit itself is valid only 14 days from issuance, renewable in further 14-day increments at the Director's discretion.

Section 96-7 requires a bond before any permit issues, no less than $2,000 (or $1,000 for pavement-restoration-only permits), running for two years after permanent repairs, plus a blanket bond option of at least $50,000 covering all permits in a twelve-month period. Section 96-8 requires liability insurance naming the City as an additional insured. Section 96-15 through § 96-17 let the Director revoke a permit or refuse future permits for noncompliance, and § 96-18 makes an unpermitted excavation or encroachment a public nuisance.