Union County, NJ Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- Only sidewalks lifted by county-planted trees
- County-controlled sidewalk
- Bureau cuts roots and repairs (Section 131-1.A)
- Non-county sidewalk
- Bureau cuts roots, municipality repairs (Section 131-1.B)
- Responsible county division
- Bureau of Shade Tree and Conservation
- General sidewalk repair
- Set by each municipality, not this county code
Summary
Union County's code does not set a general rule for who maintains sidewalks abutting private property; that is a municipal matter. It does address one narrow case: sidewalks lifted by a tree the county planted, where Section 131-1 splits repair between the county and the local municipality depending on who controls the sidewalk.
If a responsible property owner should become aware that sidewalks or any other objects are being raised by the growth of a tree planted by Union County, such that it presents a dangerous condition to the public the owner shall then contact the Division of Public Works, Bureau of Shade Tree and Conservation. Once provided with a notice of the condition, the Bureau of Shade Tree and Conservation will be provided with a sufficient time to take measures to remedy the condition. A. If the sidewalk is under County control, the Bureau will then cut the roots in the necessary manner and replace the affected area so that it is no longer in dangerous condition to the public. B. Under all other circumstances, the Bureau will cut the roots in the necessary manner and notify the municipality to repair the affected area.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Article I of Chapter 131, Streets and Sidewalks, titled Trees Injuring Pavement and adopted in 1979 and amended in 2000 by Ordinance No. 515, addresses only sidewalk damage caused by a tree that Union County itself planted. Section 131-1 directs a property owner who notices a sidewalk or other object being raised by the growth of a county-planted tree, creating a dangerous condition, to contact the Division of Public Works' Bureau of Shade Tree and Conservation, which is then given sufficient time to remedy the condition once notified.
The section then splits responsibility for the fix in two subsections: under subsection A, if the sidewalk itself is under county control, the Bureau cuts the offending roots and replaces the affected area so it is no longer dangerous. Under subsection B, for every other circumstance, meaning a sidewalk that is not under county control, the Bureau still cuts the roots but then notifies the municipality, which must repair the affected pavement itself. This provision does not create a general abutting-owner repair duty for ordinary sidewalk wear; it is limited to the specific scenario of a county-planted tree's roots lifting pavement, and it explicitly hands the repair obligation to the municipality whenever the sidewalk is not county-controlled, confirming that everyday sidewalk maintenance in Union County's 21 municipalities is a local, not a county, responsibility.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 131, Article I sets no fine or penalty of its own; it is a policy-and-procedure provision assigning repair duties between the Bureau of Shade Tree and Conservation and the municipality rather than a prohibition backed by a citation schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Union County require homeowners to repair the sidewalk in front of their house?
Who fixes a sidewalk lifted by a county-planted tree's roots?
What should I do if a tree is damaging the sidewalk in front of my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Union County
Compare Union County to another location·View the New Jersey sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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