Sidewalk Repair Grant Program

The Sidewalk Repair Grant Program offers financial assistance for sidewalk repair and replacement.

Timely repair or replacement of damaged sidewalks keeps our streets accessible to all travelers. Well-maintained sidewalks are important to the health, safety and welfare of our community.

Sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of adjacent property owners. Property owners within the Urban Road Maintenance District (URMD) are eligible for the Sidewalk Repair Grant Program to help with the cost. 

We provide grants as reimbursement for County-approved work. You must pay for the sidewalk repair or replacement out-of-pocket before we can approve a grant. 

The work must be done by a licensed contractor. Your application must include three bids from licensed contractors.

The maximum reimbursement amount is $2,000. Your reimbursement will be whichever of these options is lower:

• 50% of the lowest bid, even if you use a more expensive contractor
• 50% of the final invoiced amount

Applications must only include the sidewalk work you are requesting reimbursement for. No additional work can be included on the bids.

The URMD Sidewalk Repair Grant Program can award up to $200,000 per fiscal year. The URMD is a service district that supports road maintenance and various transportation-related programs.

Eligibility

The property adjacent to the damaged sidewalk panels must be within the URMD. See if you live in the URMD. 

All repairs must meet our Road Design and Construction Standards and be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Not all repair or replacement work is reimbursable.

Reimbursable work

• Replacement of displaced or damaged sidewalk panels
• Repair of damaged sidewalk panels
• Removal of street trees or roots causing sidewalk damage
• Curb repair

Not reimbursable work

• Work performed without a sidewalk repair permit
• Work that doesn’t meet our Road Design and Construction Standards
• Work on undamaged sidewalk panels adjacent to damaged panels
• Work on adjacent concrete repair beyond the original sidewalk width  
• Driveway repair or improvement outside of sidewalk area
• Repairs that are not ADA compliant
• Root removal beyond the cause of sidewalk damage
• Repair of damage that is only cosmetic
• Landscaping repair, restoration or beautification
• Work on sprinkler or irrigation systems
• Other property improvements or repairs

Only the property owner is allowed to apply. We need to receive and approve the application before work begins. Applications must include all required documents. An eligible property can receive the grant only once every 10 years. 

How to apply

1. Contractor bids

Get three or more competitive bids from licensed contractors for the sidewalk work. Keep these bids. They will be required when you apply for the grant.

Bids should only include reimbursable repairs. If additional work is planned, bid it separately or ask the contractor to itemize the bid so we can clearly identify how much the sidewalk repair alone will cost. Some sidewalk repair may require driveway improvements that are not reimbursable.

Do not combine or retype bids. Make sure this information is included:

• The contractor’s active CCB license number
• Address of repair matching your permit application
  • Address must be within the URMD and must not have received this grant reimbursement in the last 10 years
• Itemized cost, work and materials estimates

2. Right-of-way permit application

Apply for a right-of-way sidewalk repair permit on the Public Permitting and Services Portal. If this is your first time using the portal, watch the How-to Register video. 

Check the box indicating that you would like to apply for the grant in the permit application. Complete all the required forms including: 

• Bid information
• Conditions of Agreement
• Site Plan, including:
  • Plan view of the project site that is dimensioned and legible, with the location of all proposed work in the right-of-way. 
    • Plans sized 8.5 inches by 11 inches are preferred and should be no larger than 11 inches by 17 inches
  • Traffic control or erosion plans, if required, with illustration of scope and scale of the project.
    • Traffic control plans should detail how you will accommodate pedestrians during construction. Use appropriate signage during construction.

3. Application and permit approval

We will approve your grant if we determine you are eligible and there is funding available. We will notify you if the grant application is approved and if your sidewalk repair permit is approved. Grant application approval does not guarantee permit approval.

4. Work begins

Begin sidewalk work. Right of way permits are valid one year from date of issuance and all work must be completed within that time period.  You can request one 90-day extension. We will not reimburse expired applications.

Follow all conditions of your permit, including calling for inspections.

5. Reimbursement request

Pay your contractor out-of-pocket in full. Submit a final itemized receipt for reimbursement once the work and inspections are complete as described in your permit. Submit the receipt by uploading it on the Public Permitting and Services Portal. 

6. Reimbursement approval

We will send a check to you within 30 days of receiving the reimbursement request if you meet all Conditions of Agreement.