Contra Costa County, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Ordinance Code Section 1016-2.010(a) requires the adjacent owner to keep the sidewalk abutting the property free and clear of all weeds, rubbish, dirt, rocks, debris, or any other obstruction that interferes with the free passage of pedestrians. If an owner does not comply, Section 1016-2.010(b) authorizes the Director of Public Works to abate the obstruction under Article 14-6.4, the county's Uniform Public Nuisances Abatement Procedure, or any other remedy the law allows. That abatement chapter lets the county perform the removal itself and then recoup its cost: Section 14-6.432 makes the abatement cost a special assessment against the property and a lien on it, and separately preserves the county's right to sue the owner and any person in possession or control, jointly and severally, to recover the cost through a civil action.

This provision, added by Ordinance No. 2022-01 on January 11, 2022, is distinct from the sidewalk repair-liability rules in Sections 1016-2.004 and 1016-2.006: those govern who is on the hook if someone is hurt on a deteriorated sidewalk, while Section 1016-2.010 targets physical clutter and vegetation blocking the path itself and gives the county affirmative power to clear it.