Tacoma, WA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)
Key Facts
- Duty falls on
- Abutting property owner
- Trigger
- City Council resolution
- Owner's cost cap
- 50% of assessed valuation
- Unpaid cost becomes
- Lien on the property
- City-caused damage
- Owner exempt, § 10.18.050
Summary
Once Tacoma's City Council formally finds a sidewalk unsafe and orders it fixed, the duty and cost of construction or reconstruction falls on the directly abutting property owner, capped at half the property's assessed value, under TMC § 10.18.020.
the sidewalk thereon has become unfit or unsafe for public travel...and the City Council, by resolution, finds that the improvement...is necessary for the public safety and convenience, the duty, burden, and expense of constructing or reconstructing such sidewalk shall devolve upon the property directly abutting upon such portion; provided that such abutting property shall not be charged with any costs...in excess of 50 percent of the valuation of such abutting property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4946110; v22 updated 2026-07-28).
Full Breakdown
Tacoma doesn't make owners maintain sidewalks on their own initiative; it's triggered by City Council resolution. When a block-length stretch is missing a sidewalk or has become unfit or unsafe for travel, and the Council finds the fix necessary for public safety, § 10.18.020 shifts the duty, burden, and expense of building or rebuilding it onto the property directly abutting that stretch, though the owner's share can't exceed 50% of the property's assessed valuation. Section 10.18.030 requires the City to notify the owner with plans and a deadline before any of this takes effect, and § 10.18.050 exempts owners from paying when the damage was caused by the City itself.
Violations & Fines
If a notified owner doesn't build or rebuild the sidewalk by the deadline in the City's notice, the City performs the work through Public Works and assesses the full cost against the abutting property as a lien, collectible like other local improvement assessments, per § 10.18.030.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to fix a broken sidewalk in Tacoma?
What happens if I ignore Tacoma's sidewalk repair notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tacoma
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