Los Angeles is known for many things - Beautiful weather, the movies, beaches, earthquakes…and terrible sidewalks.
If you are a property owner in Los Angeles, you probably already know how frustrating it is to deal with the sidewalks. You would think the city is responsible for fixing the sidewalks. That’s going to take decades to happen. You may also think the city should be responsible for anyone who trips on faulty sidewalk. Just wait until someone sues you for tripping on your sidewalk. You’ll find out just how fast the city will point the finger at the property owner for not maintaining the sidewalk.
So, what is a property owner to do? Fix the sidewalk.
How to fix my sidewalk in Los Angeles
There are a couple of ways to go about fixing your sidewalk.
Option 1: Safe Sidewalks LA Repair Program by the City of Los Angeles
As part of a settlement, the City of Los Angeles has set aside money to be used to fix sidewalks through a rebate program to make the sidewalks ADA-compliant.
Pros of Safe Sidewalks LA Program
The best part of the Safe Sidewalks LA program is the money. The city will send you a rebate check of up to $12,000 to fix your sidewalk. It seems easy: fill out the application, hire a concrete contractor with a C-8 license to do the work, easy peasy, right?
Cons of Safe Sidewalks LA Program
Actually, not so easy peasy.
Increasingly, the city is requiring you (the property owner) to fix all the sidewalk inside your property line, which costs far more than the $12,000 the city gives you. It can also take up to three years for your application to be approved.
Option 2: Hire A C-8 Concrete Contractor To Perform The Sidewalk Repair
Another option is to hire a concrete contractor with a C-8 or A license to do the job and just pay them yourself without the rebate. This way, you can control how much of the concrete is fixed, as well as the price.
Pros of hiring a C-8 concrete contractor to fix your sidewalk
When you hire a concrete contractor, several things will happen. For one, you won’t have to wait up to 3 years for the rebate. A concrete contractor can pull a permit within five days. To fix just the broken parts of your sidewalk will cost about $5,000 to $10,000, depending on the extent of damage and how much tree pruning will need to be done.
In short, hiring a concrete contractor to fix your sidewalk can be a fast and affordable option.
Cons of hiring a C-8 concrete contractor to fix your sidewalk
Honestly, there aren’t very many cons to hiring a concrete contractor to fix your sidewalk. Of course, you will have to pay for the fix yourself, without any help from the city. However, if you have the means to fix your sidewalk, this option gets you the best bang for your buck.
The bottom line is, the city of Los Angeles is notorious for failing to fix its sidewalks. And now, with the pressures of insurers, it’s imperative that home and business owners take it upon themselves to fix the endless miles of sidewalk in the city.
Ready to fix your sidewalk? Give us a call for a free quote today. You (and your insurer) will be glad you did.