Raleigh, NC Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

," spells out both who pays for sidewalk work the City orders and who is personally responsible for upkeep. Subsection (f), "Duty of Maintenance for Driveways and Sidewalks," states plainly that it is the duty of every property owner to maintain the sidewalks and driveways abutting his property in good repair and safe condition. That duty sits alongside the Council's own authority under subsections (a) and (b) to order street or sidewalk improvements and sidewalk or driveway repairs "according to standards and specifications of the City" and to assess the total cost against the abutting properties without requiring a petition from the owners first.

Where a sidewalk exists on only one side of a street, subsection (c) allows the City to assess the cost against properties on both sides unless a sidewalk already exists on the other side and was separately assessed. Before ordering improvements under subsections (a) or (b), subsection (d) requires the Council to hold a public hearing and give abutting owners written notice of that hearing and the proposed action. 00 must be paid in cash within 90 days of confirmation rather than in installments, per subsection (g), and bear interest like unpaid taxes if not paid.

The assessment procedure otherwise follows the North Carolina General Statutes governing street and sidewalk improvements, except for the petition requirements, which this Charter section dispenses with (subsection (e)).