Santa Rosa, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Santa Rosa City Code Section 13-32.020 makes sidewalk repair a property-owner obligation rather than a City expense. Subsection (A) routes the mechanics through Chapter 22, Division 7, Part 3 of the State Streets and Highways Code, but specifies that if the state procedure and the City's own section ever conflict, the local section controls. Subsection (B) states the core duty plainly: owners of lots adjacent to or fronting any sidewalk area, and anyone in possession of the lot under a permit or right, must repair and maintain the sidewalk area, defined to include the parking strip, sidewalk, curb, and gutter between the property line and the street line, and must pay the costs, including a City charge for inspection and administration whenever the City awards the repair contract. If an owner does not pay, the City can place a lien on the property to recover the assessment.

Subsection (C) spells out what "maintenance and repair" covers: grinding, removing and replacing sidewalk surfaces, repairing curbs and gutters, removing or replacing parking strips, clearing weeds and debris, tree-root pruning and root-barrier installation, and trimming shrubs and ground cover between the property line and the street pavement. Subsection (D) gives owners some breathing room: notwithstanding the standard notice period in State Streets and Highways Code Section 5614, the Director of Public Works may, at his or her discretion and for sufficient cause, extend the time to start repairs by up to 74 days beyond that notice. Subsection (E) closes the loop with the same public-facing duty used for street trees: an owner who fails to keep the sidewalk area safe and nondangerous is liable to anyone injured or whose property is damaged as a result.