Sammamish, WA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

SMC 16.25.195(2) assigns the underlying duty: 'The owner of the premises shall maintain the structures and exterior property in compliance with these requirements, except as otherwise provided for in this code.' Sidewalks fall under 'exterior property' as defined in Chapter 16.25, and SMC 16.25.200(3) singles them out by name: sidewalks, walkways, stairs, driveways, parking spaces and similar areas 'shall be kept in a proper state of repair, and maintained free from hazardous conditions.' The same section separately requires premises to be graded and drained to prevent erosion and standing water, so a cracked or heaved slab that also pools water can trigger both duties at once.

Occupants who don't own the property share responsibility only for the part they occupy and control under SMC 16.25.195(2); the primary repair obligation runs to the owner. Enforcement runs through Title 23 SMC, which SMC 23.10.020 confirms applies to enforcing SMC Title 16 violations: a code enforcement officer documents the hazard, and the City can proceed through a notice and order, a voluntary compliance agreement, or, for urgent hazards, direct abatement. Because a broken sidewalk is a tripping hazard, it typically falls into the 'high risk' response category under SMC 23.20.010, which calls for an urgent response rather than a routine complaint queue.

There is no separate sidewalk-repair chapter outside this property maintenance provision; the City's public works department handles City-owned rights-of-way separately, but the day-to-day duty to keep an abutting walkway safe sits with the property owner under Chapter 16.25.