Sidewalks

It is important that property owners understand their responsibilities regarding sidewalk maintenance. Property owners are encouraged to inspect their sidewalks regularly and to act promptly to have them repaired if necessary to avoid injuries and costly litigation.

Under existing state law and City ordinance, Foster City property owners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalks immediately adjacent to their properties. This includes, but is not limited to, sidewalks along major roadways, sidewalks located behind walls or fences, segments on the back of properties, and multiple segments for properties with multiple sidewalk adjacencies.

The City of Foster City offers a service to assist property owners with sidewalk maintenance.  Property owners can choose to have sidewalk repairs along public streets, for which they are responsible, performed by the City rather than finding their own contractor to perform the work. Property owners will be billed by the City for the actual cost, including an administrative fee.

The benefits to property owners are reduced effort required to procure and administer a sidewalk repair contract and potentially lower construction costs due to economies of scale. Property owners can always elect to repair sidewalks on their own. Property owners are reminded that all sidewalk repair/replacement work requires an encroachment permit from the City prior to the commencement of any work. Encroachment permits are obtained from the Public Works Engineering Division in City Hall at 610 Foster City Boulevard, Foster City, CA 94404. 
 
Sidewalk maintenance is important to ensure the safety of pedestrians in the community. Municipal Code Section 11.08 clarifies the property owner's responsibility to third parties who suffer injury or damage because of the property owner's failure to maintain the sidewalk in a safe and secure condition. Property owners are encouraged to inspect the condition of their sidewalks regularly and be proactive in ensuring that tripping hazards are abated quickly.

When problems are identified with sidewalks adjacent to private properties, the owner is notified by the City and is required to repair/replace the sidewalks within established timeframe. As allowed by the California Streets and Highways Code, if repairs are not completed within the specified time, the City will perform the work and seek payment from the property owner.  If not paid, the costs may become a lien against the property.