Flagstaff, AZ Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Section 8-01-001-0001(A), rewritten by Ordinance 2020-02 on January 21, 2020, makes it the duty of the owner of any lot or parcel adjacent to any sidewalk within the corporate limits of the City to keep and maintain such sidewalk in good order and repair. The same section carves out one exception: an owner isn't responsible for repairing a sidewalk where a City-owned tree in the City right-of-way is the primary cause of the damage. When the Streets Director or a designee spots or receives a complaint about a defective sidewalk, Section 8-01-001-0002 requires written notice by certified mail giving the owner 30 days, or longer if weather requires, to make the repair, and the owner must pull a permit before starting work, though the permit is free unless the repair changes the sidewalk's grade, location, or dimensions.

If the owner doesn't act within the notice period, the City can do the repair itself, subject to available funding that fiscal year, then bill the owner an itemized cost. An owner who doesn't pay within 45 days of that bill can have a lien recorded against the property with the Coconino County Assessor, and the City can pursue other civil collection on top of the lien. Section 8-01-001-0003 requires the Streets Director to log every sidewalk complaint and to run a proactive inspection program rather than waiting only for complaints, and Section 8-01-001-0004 lets the City Council fund a cost-share program covering up to half the repair cost for residential owners.