Salt Lake County, UT Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)
Key Facts
- Duty holder
- Abutting property owner
- Repair notice deadline window
- 30-60 days
- Hearing request deadline
- 10 business days
- Consequence of inaction
- County repairs, files lien
- Repair permit fee
- None
- Snow removal deadline
- 12 hours after storm
Summary
Salt Lake County Code §14.32.010 puts the duty to repair and maintain public curbs, curb ramps, gutters and sidewalks abutting a property squarely on that property's owner, not the county. If an owner ignores a public works repair notice under §14.32.030 and doesn't request a hearing within ten business days, the county can fix the sidewalk itself and file a lien against the property under §14.32.050.
14.32.010 - Duty of abutting property owners. It shall be the duty of each owner of real property abutting or fronting upon any street, highway or alley within the unincorporated area of the county, to repair and maintain in good condition all public curbs, curb ramps, gutters and sidewalks across or immediately abutting their property. ... 14.32.030 - Notice to repair. Notice of needed repairs or defects...shall be sent to the owner of the abutting property...Such notice shall specify the repairs needed or the defect and shall state a deadline for completing the repairs. A review of such deadline shall be not earlier than thirty nor later than sixty days from the date of the notice. ... 14.32.050 - Repair by county-Lien. In the event that the property owner fails to complete the repairs or to seek review within the time specified in the notice, the county may make the repairs with the implied consent of the owner. The cost of such repairs shall constitute a lien against the real property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 49).
Full Breakdown
010 applies to every owner of real property abutting or fronting a street, highway or alley in the unincorporated county: they must repair and maintain in good condition all public curbs, curb ramps, gutters and sidewalks across or immediately abutting their lot. 030 requires written notice to the owner of record, per the county recorder's files, specifying the defect and setting a repair deadline of not less than thirty and not more than sixty days out. 040; a permit is needed only if the owner wants to change the grade, location or dimensions of the curb, gutter or sidewalk, and that permit carries no fee.
060 gives the owner ten business days to file a written request with the public works director, who must schedule a hearing within ten more business days and, after issuing a decision, must tell the owner about the right to appeal to the mayor within ten business days of that decision. 070 while the case is pending. 050 lets the county do the work itself with the owner's "implied consent," and the repair cost becomes a lien on the property; an unpaid lien can be foreclosed under Utah's mechanic's-lien statute, Title 38 of the Utah Code, after sixty days. if the storm hit overnight.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring a repair notice doesn't itself carry a fine: the consequence is that the county repairs the sidewalk and bills the owner through a property lien under §14.32.050, foreclosable after sixty days like a mechanic's lien. Separately, failing to clear snow from an abutting sidewalk within the twelve-hour window set by §14.32.100 is a distinct violation of that section. Owners who miss the ten-business-day window to request a hearing under §14.32.060 lose their right to contest the notice before the county acts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to fix a cracked sidewalk in unincorporated Salt Lake County, the county or the homeowner?
What happens if I ignore a sidewalk repair notice from the county?
Can I challenge a sidewalk repair notice?
Do I need a permit to fix my own sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake County
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