Palm Desert, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Chapter 12.26 of the Palm Desert Municipal Code puts the sidewalk burden on the abutting owner, not on the City of Palm Desert. Section 12.26.010 says the owner of lots, or portions of lots, fronting on any portion of a public street shall clean, repair and maintain sidewalk areas, and the area must stay safe enough that it does not endanger persons or property during reasonable use.

Section 12.26.040 defines maintenance and repair to include removal and replacement of sidewalks, removal and filling or replacement of parking strips, removal of weeds and debris, and trimming of trees, shrubs, hedges and groundcover. Section 12.26.060 lists the hazards that count: broken, cracked or spilled concrete or asphalt surfacing, litter, debris, holes, a rough or uneven surface, and otherwise hazardous conditions of improved or unimproved sidewalk areas.

The duty shifts when someone else is working there. Under § 12.26.020 the owner is not liable for conditions created or maintained by another person under a permit or right granted by law and by the city. During the permitted activity the permit holder assumes the owner's duties and must leave the sidewalk area in a safe condition during periods of inactivity and when the work is finished.

The city acts after it is notified of a dangerous condition. Section 12.26.030 requires written notice, delivered in person or by certified mail to the occupant and also to the owner if different. The notice describes the property by recorded map, metes and bounds, assessor's parcel number, and street address, and states the hazard and the repairs required. Repair must begin within fourteen days from the date of the notice and be completed without unreasonable interruption or delay. Section 12.26.050 preserves the city's right to seek indemnification from abutting landowners.