Kenosha, WI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)
Key Facts
- Repair duty
- Abutting property owner, per City policy
- Governing section
- City Code § 5.116
- Inspection authority
- City Engineer's Sidewalk Inspectors
- Payment deadline
- 30 days after billing
- Unpaid balance
- Becomes a special assessment
- Height-difference trigger
- Over 1 inch between squares
Summary
Kenosha's declared policy puts the cost of keeping public sidewalks in repair on the abutting property owner, not the City. City Code Section 5.116 lets the City Engineer's Sidewalk Inspectors order replacement or repair, and if the City performs the work, the owner is billed and the unpaid balance becomes a special assessment collected under Section 2.10.
B.Policy. It is the declared policy of the City of Kenosha that sidewalks shall be kept in repair by and at the expense of abutting property owners.C.Procedure. The City Engineer shall have the authority of the Board of Public Works as provided for in Wis. Stats. § 66.0907, and he/she shall designate one (1) or more subordinates as Sidewalk Inspectors who shall have the duty of inspecting the sidewalks within the City and ordering and arranging for the replacement or repair of sidewalks. The costs of sidewalk replacement or repair, where performed by or through the City, shall be billed to the property owner and if not paid within thirty (30) days, collected as a special assessment pursuant to Section 2.10.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11 Update 1 | Zoning Ordinance: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
' The City Engineer holds the authority the Board of Public Works has under Wis. Stats. 0907 and designates Sidewalk Inspectors to inspect sidewalks citywide and order or arrange repair or replacement. 10, with Wis. Stats. 615 governing the required notices. Inspectors apply specific measurements to decide whether a sidewalk square needs replacement: a height difference greater than 1 inch between adjacent squares (half an inch in business and commercial districts), a pitch steeper than 1 inch per foot, a crack wider than half an inch (a quarter inch downtown), a height difference greater than half an inch across a crack, a depression greater than half an inch, or spalling that has created a depression greater than a quarter inch.
A square that already received a temporary repair, such as a crack filler or wedge, must be ordered replaced rather than patched again, except where the only defect is a settlement-related elevation difference. Inspectors document the inspection date and condition and notify the owner in writing of the corrective action required.
Violations & Fines
Owners who do not comply after notice can have the work performed by or through the City, with the full cost billed to them. Unpaid bills after 30 days convert to a special assessment against the property under Section 2.10, collected the same way as other municipal charges, rather than through a criminal or forfeiture penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for sidewalk repairs in Kenosha?
What happens if I don't fix my sidewalk after Kenosha orders it?
What sidewalk defects does Kenosha require an inspector to flag?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kenosha
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