What is Sidewalk Violation and How to Re-Cover It?

If you own a sidewalk, either with access to public roads or inside a private property, there are certain guidelines that are required to be followed when either building or repairing a sidewalk. Failure to comply with these standards and guidelines means you can be slapped with a ‘sidewalk violation’ notice from Department of Transport and will be given 75 days to repair it yourself or get the help from DOT authorities who will handle the repairs and bill you the charges.

Sidewalk violation covers a number of aspects, such as:

• Chipped Sides: Chipped sides are a health hazard as it can strike the feet of those walking on the sidewalk, possibly injuring them.
• Cracked Slabs: Sidewalk slabs often get cracked due to extreme usage or due to poor quality concrete. Which can lead to sidewalks breaking down complete under pressure and creating a major health hazard.
• Uneven Tile Placement: If the sidewalk slabs are not properly placed and a few tile edges remain exposed, it can trip anyone walking on them and injure them.
• Metal Inlets and Sewer Covers Exposed: Many drain mains and sewer manholes are integrated into sidewalks, and if they rise slightly from the surface, they can act as a trip hazard.
• Plant and Tree Growth: Often, trees and their roots rise from beneath the ground and crack the sidewalk, breaking it in the process. This basically invokes all the top three sidewalk violations, hence it is a violation in itself.

How to Bring the Sidewalk Back to Standards?

If you are sent a sidewalk violation notice, you can simply ask the DOT to help you repair it and bill the cost to you, or if you want to take more control over the proceedings and possibly get it done at a lower price, you can hire a licensed sidewalk contractor in NYC itself to get it done for you. These sidewalk contractors are well-versed with sidewalk violations and the means to make it go away, so they can quickly make the sidewalk safe again. After this is done, you can request a re-evaluation from DOT and get the violation removed.