Sidewalk Information

Repair of Sidewalks or Driveway Approaches

To repair or replace sidewalks or driveway approaches that have not been marked for repair by the City, email the City Clerk to obtain a permit to complete work within the City right-of-way. Additional information can be provided by the City Engineer for sidewalk, trail, curb ramp, and driveway approach construction specifications as needed.   

City Sidewalk Repair Program

An important part of keeping pedestrians safe throughout our community is the City Sidewalk Repair Program, which was developed to ensure the continued maintenance of sidewalks within the City of University Heights. Iowa Code §364.12(2)(d) and City Ordinance Number 47 provide the City of University Heights with the ability to require that the maintenance and repair of a public sidewalk be the responsibility of the adjacent property owner.

Inspection Schedule

The entire City of University Heights will be inspected once every five years (2025, 2030, etc.) in accordance with the inspection criteria established by the City Engineer to determine if repairs are necessary. Inspections will be completed by City staff and notice of the required repairs will be issued by certified mail to the adjacent property owner. 

The City will give property owners the opportunity to join a City-administered project that will take quotations and hire one contractor to complete repairs. The City-administered repair project will be completed the spring and summer following inspections to allow property owners ample time to complete repairs themselves and to avoid completing sidewalk panel replacements during University of Iowa Football season.  

If a complaint is received between inspection years, sidewalks will be inspected by staff and notice will be issued to the adjacent property owner if repairs are required. To report a safety issue with a sidewalk, such as a sidewalk that needs to be cleared of vegetation, mud, snow, or ice, or if it presents a tripping hazard, submit a Request Tracker form to notify the City.

Inspection Criteria

The inspector marks the sidewalk with pink marking paint to indicate the sidewalk panels that are out of compliance with one or more of the following inspection criteria:

• Type A – The sidewalk is displaced with a vertical edge of 3/4-inch or more.
• Type B – The sidewalk is depressed more than three (3) inches from the normal line of grade, ponds water, or has a drainage way formed into the surface.
• Type C – The sidewalk has cracked into four (4) pieces or is missing a piece.
• Type D – The sidewalk has spalled over fifty (50) percent of the surface.
• Type E – The sidewalk has separations equal to or greater than the dimensions shown on the form at any point.
• Type F – The sidewalk has raised more than three (3)  inches from the normal line of grade of the sidewalk.

An inspection report will be completed on the Sidewalk Inspection Form and will list the deficiencies observed.

Repair Process, Specifications, and Permitting

1. Property owners adjacent to sidewalks marked for repair are notified by a Certified Letter of their responsibility to repair the sidewalk. Along with the notification letter, a copy of the Sidewalk Inspection Report and the Sidewalk Repair Specifications are also mailed to the property owner. 
   • Sidewalk Inspection Form.
   • Sidewalk Repair Specifications.

2. The notification letter includes two deadlines; the first deadline is for property owners to notify the city if they prefer to be included in the City-administered project. A second deadline is for property owners that prefer to complete repairs themselves or hire their own contractor to complete the repairs to the sidewalk. A re-inspection of the sidewalks marked for repair is made after the deadline date. Satisfactory repairs are noted, and no further action is necessary. If no attempt was made to repair the sidewalk, or if the repairs do not meet City standards and specifications, the City will take charge and arrange for the repair work to be completed by removal and replacement of the sidewalk panels/squares.
   • Property owners who choose to join the City-administered project prior to the deadline included in the notification letter will be invoiced after the completion of the sidewalk replacement for the actual construction cost based on the quotations received by the City. The administrative expenses incurred by the City will not be invoiced to the property owner if they join the City’s project by the deadline or complete the repairs themselves.
   • Property owners who make no attempt to repair sidewalks or if the repairs do not meet City standards by the second deadline date included in the notification letter will be invoiced for the actual construction cost to remove and replace the sidewalk panels with the City-administered project as well as all administrative expenses incurred by the City. 
   • In all cases, if repairs are made with the City-administered project and the invoice remains unpaid, the costs will then be assessed against the property for collection in the same manner as property taxes.

3. The notification letter from the City serves as the property owner’s permit; no other city paperwork or administrative fee is required to complete the repairs.