Waukesha, WI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Sec. 115 splits sidewalk cost responsibility into three scenarios. The initial laying of a sidewalk is always charged to the abutting property owner as a special charge under Wis. Stat. Sec. 01(4). If the City itself determines an existing sidewalk within the right-of-way needs replacing, the City pays for that replacement and cannot charge the abutting owner, unless the owner refuses in writing to let the City or its contractors onto the property to do the work; in that case, the City instead follows the special-assessment procedure in Wis.

Stat. Sec. 0907(3)(b) through (f), which shifts the cost back onto the owner. If an owner asks the City to replace a sidewalk that the City has not itself flagged for replacement, that cost is charged to the requesting owner as a special charge. Any of these special charges may be paid off in up to 10 annual installments under Wis. Stat. Sec. 0907(4)(f) rather than all at once. This cost-allocation rule is separate from the day-to-day duty in Sec. 09 requiring owners and occupants to keep the sidewalk clear of dirt, rubbish, and obstructions, which the City can also enforce and bill for if ignored.