Chicago, IL Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)
Key Facts
- Who must fix it
- Owner of the abutting property
- Trigger
- Notice from Commissioner of Transportation
- If owner refuses
- City relays it, bills owner in court
- Penalty basis
- Separate offense per day unfixed
Summary
Abutting property owners must relay out-of-grade sidewalks and can be billed if the city has to do the work itself.
All sidewalks heretofore constructed that do not conform to the grade established by ordinance shall be relaid to the proper grade by the owner of the abutting property. Each day he shall fail to relay or reconstruct such sidewalk after notice by the commissioner of transportation shall constitute a separate offense. No part or portion of any sidewalk, where the grade has been established, shall be laid or relaid at any different grade or any other level than the adjacent portions of such sidewalk, except as provided in the provisions of this chapter relating to driveways and sidewalk ramps. The person violating this provision shall alter said sidewalk so as to make the same conform to the established grade, and in case he neglects and refuses so to do within a reasonable time it shall be lawful for the department of transportation to alter the same, and the cost and expense of the same shall be paid by such owner and may be recovered from him in an action in the name of the city. (Prior code § 33-43; Amend Coun. J. 5-4-94, p. 49718; Amend Coun. J. 1-14-97,
p. 37762, § 49)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through Council Journal of June 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chicago's Municipal Code puts the burden of a non-conforming sidewalk on the property it fronts, not the city. If a sidewalk doesn't sit at the grade the city council established by ordinance, the owner of the abutting property must relay it to the proper grade, and each day it's left unfixed after notice from the Commissioner of Transportation is a separate offense. If the owner refuses or neglects to fix it within a reasonable time, the Department of Transportation can do the work itself and then recover the full cost from the owner through a court action in the city's name, so ignoring a notice doesn't make the bill go away, it just shifts who swings the shovel.
Violations & Fines
Separate offense for each day the sidewalk remains out of grade after notice; owner also liable for the city's full cost of relaying the sidewalk if it does the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the City of Chicago ever pay for sidewalk repair?
What happens if I ignore a sidewalk repair notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chicago
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Sidewalk Repair in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle sidewalk repair.