Middletown, OH Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Middletown Code § 1022.01 places the repair duty directly on the abutting landowner: no person or occupant of abutting lands shall fail to keep the sidewalks, curbs and gutters in repair and free from any nuisance. That duty runs alongside the City's separate statutory authority to control sidewalks under Ohio R.C. 723.011, cited as a cross-reference in the chapter. Before any construction or repair of a public sidewalk, curbing, curb and gutter, or driveway apron, § 1022.02 requires a permit from the Engineering and Environmental Services Director or an authorized representative; the requirement does not apply to work done under a City contract.

Applications under § 1022.03 must be signed by the person doing the work and name the abutting property owner, and anyone other than the owner performing the work must carry liability insurance covering at least $50,000/$100,000 for personal injury and $15,000 for property damage, unless the Director waives that requirement for work that does not warrant it. Fees under § 1022.04 run $0.25 per square foot for driveway apron and sidewalk construction or repair, and $0.50 per linear foot for curbing and curb-gutter work. A permit can be denied under § 1022.05 if the work would unreasonably interfere with public use of the street, sidewalk, alley or lane, or would menace public safety, and can be revoked under § 1022.07 on the same grounds after issuance.

Before receiving a permit, § 1022.08 requires the applicant to post a $10,000 surety bond with the Engineering and Environmental Services Director, approved by the Law Director, to cover faithful performance and the cost of reconstructing any defective work. Property owners doing their own work on the right-of-way abutting their property must follow the chapter's other requirements under § 1022.06, but are excused from posting bond and furnishing insurance evidence.