Abilene, TX Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Section 29-38 places an ongoing duty on every owner of real property in Abilene to keep the sidewalk, sidewalk amenities, landscaping strip, driveway and curb abutting their land in good repair, and to reconstruct or repair it at their own expense once it becomes defective or dangerous. The same section requires owners to keep those sidewalks and amenities clear of snow, ice and other hazardous substances, and makes the owner, not the City, solely liable for damages if a defective sidewalk causes an injury; the City's own inspection or approval of past construction doesn't create liability on its part.

Section 29-39 lets the City Engineer start the repair process with a notice, served personally or by mail to the owner's last known address, and the owner then has thirty days to comply with what the notice requires. If the owner fails or refuses to make the repair within that window, Section 29-40 authorizes the City to do the work itself and charge the cost back to the abutting property owner. Section 29-41 turns that cost, along with interest and the cost of collection, into a personal claim against the owner secured by a lien on the property that ranks above every other lien or claim except lawful taxes, and the City can sue in any court with jurisdiction to enforce it.

The same repair duty carries over to new construction: Section 29-42 applies the article to sidewalks, driveways, recess parking and curb and gutter built or rebuilt alongside new buildings, and Section 29-48 withholds a certificate of occupancy until the required sidewalk is installed under the City's sidewalk master plan.