Who is responsible for sidewalk repair in Fort Worth?

The short answer

In Fort Worth, the abutting property, once the City orders the work. City Code Sec. 30-1 declares a defective, unsafe or hazardous sidewalk a nuisance. When the director of public works orders a sidewalk, curb or driveway repaired, the owner, the agent in charge, or the tenant of the abutting property has 30 days from the notice to do the work. Not doing it is a misdemeanor, and the order can be appealed.

Fort Worth's residential permitting page says sidewalk repairs need a parkway permit pulled by a bonded contractor.

Every statement on this page about Fort Worth's rules is quoted or summarized from the City's code and its own pages, opened on October 23, 2026. Where they are 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 the code says

Sec. 30-1(b), "Maintenance of defective sidewalk, driveway or curb," opens:

"Any sidewalk, parkway, driveway or curb which has become or is defective, unsafe or hazardous is declared a nuisance."

It then sets the duty:

"It shall be the duty of the owner or the agent in charge, or the tenant, of the property abutting on any street, avenue, public alley, place, square, section or part thereof along which a sidewalk, curb or driveway is ordered by the director of the department of public works to be constructed, reconstructed or repaired within 30 days from the receipt of notice from the director of public works, to construct, reconstruct or repair such sidewalk, curb or driveway."

And the consequence:

"The failure of any owner or the agent of any owner, or the tenant, to construct, reconstruct or repair any such sidewalk, curb or driveway ordered to be constructed, reconstructed or repaired by the director of public works shall be a misdemeanor."

How we read it. The duty is tied to an order. The 30 days run from the receipt of the director's notice. The section names three people who can carry the duty: the owner, the agent in charge, and the tenant. It does not separate homes from commercial property. Sec. 30-1 was last amended by Ordinance 23658-05-2019, passed May 7, 2019, according to its history note.

What the code does not say. Sec. 30-1 does not use the words "cost" or "expense," does not say whether the City may make the repair and bill the owner, gives no fine for the misdemeanor (we did not read the code's general penalty section), and does not define "defective, unsafe or hazardous" with a measurement. We read the section in full and found none of these.

Appealing an order

Sec. 30-1(c) lets the owner, the agent, or the tenant appeal:

"Any owner or the agent of any owner, or the tenant, required to install, construct, reconstruct or repair any such sidewalk, parkway, driveway or curb and gutter under this section may appeal such requirement to the director of the transportation and public works department or his/her designee. An appeal of a decision by the director or his/her designee may be brought to the city manager responsible for overseeing the department of transportation and public works."

The section gives no deadline for an appeal. Ask the City before the 30 days run out.

New sidewalk on a redeveloped lot

Sec. 30-1(a) is about sidewalk that is missing, not broken. It requires the abutting owner to install missing sidewalk, parkway, driveway, or curb and gutter, but only when the owner "is building new construction or redeveloping the property where construction will equal or exceed 50% of the assessed value of the then-existing improvements, as determined by the appraisal district in which the property is located."

The City's own Sidewalk Program is also about new sidewalk. Its page says the program fills sidewalk gaps under the Active Transportation Plan, Safe Routes to School, and Safe Routes to Transit. It does not describe help with repairing an existing sidewalk.

Hiring the work, and reporting a hazard

Fort Worth's residential permitting page says:

"New or repairs to driveway approaches and sidewalks require parkway permits pulled by a bonded contractor. Driveway flat work on your own property does not require permitting."

Ask the City which permit your job needs before work starts.

To report a sidewalk in need of repair, the City's MyFW system lists a "Sidewalk Hazard Repair" request: "Please use this service request to report sidewalk repairs." The page does not say what happens after a request is filed.

Private walkways are a separate question

Sec. 30-1 is about sidewalks along a street, avenue, alley, or other public place. Walkways inside a property, such as paths through an apartment community, HOA common areas, and retail frontages, are a different question. Find out which kind you have before you report it or ask for a quote.

For the repair methods themselves, see sidewalk grinding, concrete leveling, and sidewalk replacement, and the three-method comparison. If a trip hazard has been reported, the trip-hazard response plan covers what to do on your side while the repair is arranged. For the rule next door, see who repairs the sidewalk in Dallas.

A note on the code text

The code library that hosts Fort Worth's ordinances says its posted documents "should not be relied upon as the definitive authority for local legislation," and that "the official printed copy of a Code of Ordinances should be consulted prior to any action being taken." Ask the City for the current text of Sec. 30-1 before you rely on the exact words.

What to do next

1. Confirm the rule for your address with the City of Fort Worth before you hire anyone. The City's main number is 817-392-1234.
2. If you have received a notice, note the date you received it. The 30 days run from then.
3. If you hire the work, use a bonded contractor who pulls the parkway permit.
4. 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 Fort Worth. 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.