Worcester, MA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Section 2 of Chapter Twelve puts sidewalk construction and repair in the hands of the commissioner of public works and parks, not the property owner. When a sidewalk "shall have been laid out, established and ordered," the commissioner grades and constructs it using materials the city council selects, and sets curbs and paves gutters only when the council orders that work. Repairs work the same way: when public convenience and safety require a sidewalk be repaired, the city council orders the commissioner, through the city manager, to fix it, and "he shall forthwith cause the same to be repaired."

The catch is cost. The commissioner must keep an exact account of every expense from the job and report it in writing to the city auditor within thirty days of completion, broken into separate line items for the walk paving, curb setting and gutter paving. That report must name the owners of the abutting estates who are chargeable, and the auditor then assesses each owner their "just and proportionate part of the expense." In practice, a homeowner does not hire a contractor to fix a cracked public sidewalk; the city performs or contracts the work and later bills the abutting property for its share, separate from the winter snow-clearing duty imposed on occupants under Section 23. Section 3 layers on a further step for larger jobs: any change of grade or repair exceeding three hundred dollars in cost requires the commissioner to prepare a full estimate of the expense and likely abutter damages before work begins, and to report that estimate through the city manager to the city council.