Who is responsible for sidewalk repair in Dallas?

The short answer

In Dallas, the abutting property owner. Dallas City Code Sec. 43-63 says that when a sidewalk becomes defective, unsafe, or hazardous, the owner of the property next to it repairs it and pays for it.

The City helps with part of the cost for existing residential sidewalk through a 50/50 Cost Share Program. A repair the owner arranges privately needs a City permit.

Every statement on this page about Dallas's rules is quoted or summarized from the City of Dallas's program pages, opened on October 22, 2026, and from an archived copy of its code dated December 5, 2025. Where the City's text is silent, this page says so. It does not guess.

Check with the city before you act. Codes change, and the answer for one address can turn on details this page has not seen. This page is a starting point, not legal advice.

What Sec. 43-63 says

Section 43-63 of the Dallas City Code covers the repair of defective sidewalks or driveways by abutting property owners. Subsection (a) says:

"When a sidewalk, driveway, or any appurtenance to a sidewalk or driveway becomes defective, unsafe, or hazardous, the abutting property owner shall reconstruct or repair the sidewalk, driveway, or appurtenance, and the expense of such work must be borne by the abutting property owner."

The notice. Under subsection (b), when a sidewalk is found to be defective, unsafe or hazardous, the director of transportation and public works or the director of code compliance notifies the owner of the abutting property to repair it.

The deadline. Subsection (c) says:

"Any owner who fails to reconstruct or repair a defective, unsafe, or hazardous condition within 30 days after the date of the written notice from the director of transportation and public works or the director of code compliance to do so, or any owner who fails to begin such reconstruction or repair within 15 days after the date of such notice, is guilty of an offense."

The City's Sidewalk Replacement Program page says much the same: "City ordinance requires property owners to replace sidewalks, drive approaches or any other associated element when they become defective, unsafe or hazardous."

How we read it. The live code library showed a human-verification check on October 22, 2026, so the code text above comes from an Internet Archive capture of the code library page, dated December 5, 2025, which shows the "4/2025 Code (S-29)" edition. The code library's own disclaimer says its documents "should not be relied upon as the definitive authority for local legislation." Confirm the current text with the City.

What the code section does not say. It does not give the penalty for the offense in subsection (c), it does not say whether the City may make the repair and bill the owner, and it does not define "defective, unsafe, or hazardous" with a measurement. It does not separate homes from commercial property. It says "the abutting property owner."

The 50/50 Cost Share Program

The City's program page says:

"The City partners with residents to share the cost 50/50 for existing residential sidewalk removal and replacement. Note, all single family residences are eligible to participate in this program including condominiums and townhomes."

What else the page says about the program:

• Drive approaches are the owner's: "the property owner will pay 100% for the cost of drive approach removal and replacement." The City pays for other items, including barrier free ramps.
• Permits and warranty. The City secures the permits, and the program has a one year warranty on workmanship.
• Order and timing. Requests are logged in by the date received. The page says it takes two to three months from the first inquiry to assess the property and mail a quote, and about three to nine months from payment to completion, depending on demand.
• How to start. Call the program at 214-948-4127.

The page describes the program for residential sidewalk and single family residences. It does not say whether a commercial property, an apartment community, or an HOA common area can use it. Ask the program office about your property before you plan around it.

A hazard that needs attention now

The program page says: "Sidewalk hazardous conditions are eligible for temporary asphalt repairs." Call (214) 670-3111 to request one. The page does not say who pays for a temporary repair.

For a property manager, a reported hazard also needs a response on your own side while you wait. The trip-hazard response plan covers marking, recording, and follow-up.

Hiring the work yourself

An owner who repairs the sidewalk without the program needs City permits.

• Sidewalk permit. The program page says: "Any sidewalk replacements by the property owner or by a private contractor must have an issued permit from the City of Dallas Permit Center, 320 E. Jefferson Blvd. Room 118, (214) 948-4290."
• Right-of-way permit. The City's Right-of-Way Management page says a permit is required for any construction work within the public right-of-way, or outside it where the work will cut, break, or otherwise damage the right-of-way.
• Traffic control permit. The same page says a traffic control permit is required if the work will close a traffic lane or block a sidewalk or alley. The application must include a traffic control plan, which can be submitted through the City's Right-of-Way Permit Management System. The page sends right-of-way permit applicants to the same online system.
• Standards. The City publishes Sidewalks and ADA Construction Details as "the minimum requirements for construction of sidewalks and ADA ramps within the City Right-of-Way."

Ask the City which of these your job needs before work starts.

To ask for new sidewalk where none exists, the program page gives (214) 670-3111 or a 311 service request.

Private walkways are a separate question

All of the above is about the sidewalk along the street. Walkways inside a property, such as paths through an apartment community, HOA common areas, and retail frontages, may be a different question. Sec. 43-63 speaks of a sidewalk and the abutting property owner, and the section we opened does not say whether it reaches a walkway inside a property. Ask the City. Find out which kind you have before you report it or ask for a quote. For an apartment community, HOA, or retail property with problems in more than one place, the commercial walkway assessment page explains how to organize the locations and who decides before a site visit. For the repair methods themselves, see sidewalk grinding, concrete leveling, and sidewalk replacement, and the three-method comparison. For a raised edge, grinding vs. saw cutting compares the two ways of taking it down and the surface each leaves. The guide to sidewalk cracks explains which kinds of crack need a closer look and what each one points to. For how another town in the area handles it, see who repairs the sidewalk in Flower Mound.

What to do next

1. Confirm the rule for your address. Call the City before you hire anyone or wait for a City crew.
2. For a home, ask about the Cost Share Program at 214-948-4127.
3. For a hazard now, request a temporary asphalt repair at (214) 670-3111, and follow the response plan.
4. If you hire the work, get the sidewalk permit from the Permit Center at (214) 948-4290, and apply for any right-of-way or traffic control permit through the City's Right-of-Way Permit Management System.
5. Prepare the details. The assessment preparation guide lists what to gather.

This site's inquiry service covers Plano, Allen, McKinney, and Frisco. It does not cover Dallas. To ask about a privately maintained walkway in those four cities, describe it on the contact page. The operator reviews every inquiry and replies with the next step. Sending the form is not a booking.