Although homeowners usually believe their property ends at their yard, in many municipalities homeowners are responsible for the upkeep of the common sidewalks in front of their homes. Sidewalks are vulnerable to damage from regular traffic, root growth or inclement weather. Keeping your pavement may be a costly endeavor, but a lot of cities provide programs to ease the fiscal burden of sidewalk repair.

Cost Responsibility

The determination of cost responsibility for pavement repairs is determined by city ordinances. In some cities, the local Department of Public Works is responsible for pavement maintenance and repair. But many cities soared at least portion of the cost of pavement repair to the next homeowner. Although individual cities have the right to determine pavement repair cost responsibility, many nations have a tendency to have consistent policies involving cities. For instance, a lot of big cities in Massachusetts assume the full cost responsibility for pavement repairs, whereas most of the cities in California defer the cost of repairs to homeowners.

Average Cost

The cost of pavement repairs varies largely by location, materials use and extent of damage. Costs may be given per square foot or at complete job cost. The typical cost per foot may be as low at $3 for small do-it-yourself jobs but could be as high as $18 per square foot for contracted occupations requiring special finishes or materials. At San Francisco, as an instance, the conventional bid price per square foot of pavement repairs had been $10.40 in 2013. Average cost projects total around $600, but major damage might easily lead to prices over $2,000.

Considerations

Major contributors to charge include the type of sidewalk and the area of the damage. Root damage, by way of instance, tends to be somewhat costly and frequently contributes to some of the highest prices for sidewalk repair. If homeowners decide to repair the damage themselves, they must cover a license to repair; license costs are typically calculated at a price per square foot of work, so larger projects will incur larger license costs.

Reducing Cost

Some homeowners opt to perform small repairs from themselves rather than pay for a contractor, though repairs have to meet all code specifications outlined by the city. Some cities provide cost sharing programs, where the city will spend a percentage of the cost of the repair. Other cities handle their particular competitive-bid pricing for contractors in a bid to keep prices low for homeowners. The best way of maintaining repair costs low is avoidance; report repair needs and address small repairs whenever they appear to prevent larger projects later on.