1. Before beginning work, you should obtain information for sidewalk repair from the City’s Planning and Development Services Area, located on the Sixth Floor of City Hall, 100 N. Fifth Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI48104, phone:(734) 994-2674.
2. If you plan to do the work yourself, contact the Planning and Development Services Area to obtain a permit to work within the public right of way at least 48 hours prior to the work.In order to obtain this permit, you must submit certified proof of public liability insurance in the amount of $100,000.This is usually standard on a homeowner’s policy.A copy of your policy must be taken to the Planning and Development Services Area when you apply for your permit.YOU MUST HAVE A PERMIT FOR ANY WORK THAT YOU DO.
3. If you plan to have a contractor do the work, the contractor must obtain a permit at least 48 hours prior to starting the work.The contractor must submit a certified proof of public liability insurance to the Planning and Development Services Area in the amount of $500,000 to obtain this permit.The insurance certificate must name the City of Ann Arbor as an additional insured party.Property owners should verify that a contractor has a permit by calling the Planning and Development Services Area at (734) 994-2674 the day before work begins.Contractors are required to call the Sidewalk Office at (734) 994-2493 at least 24 hours before pouring concrete, so that we can schedule an inspection.YOUR CONTRACTOR MUST HAVE A PERMIT FROM THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT BEFORE ANY WORK IS DONE.WORK WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PROCEED IF CITY INSPECTORS FIND THAT THEY CONTRACTOR DOES NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED PERMIT.
Property owners may verify that a contractor has a permit by calling the Community Services Area at (734) 994-2674 at least one day before work begins.
Sidewalk Lifting Option & Procedure
In some situations sidewalk lifting may be an option.Those sidewalks that have slabs which do not contain cracks or "spalling," (flaking and crumbling) but are simply settled more than ¾” may be a candidate for lifting.While slabs that must be replaced will be marked with a silver “O” or dot, those that may be lifted will be marked with a silver “L”.If both types are present at your property, you may still have the designated slabs lifted while having the remaining defective slabs replaced.If you or your contractor have questions about which slabs must be replaced and which may be lifted, please contact the Sidewalk Office at (734) 994-2493.
Slabs that have been marked by City inspectors with a silver “L” may be lifted by a contractor.This is a procedure by which holes are drilled into the sidewalk slab and through which mud is injected under high pressure.This pumps mud into the voids beneath the slab and forces the concrete upwards until it is level with the adjacent sidewalk slabs.
1. The contractor must obtain a permit 48 hours prior to starting the work.They must submit a certified proof of public liability insurance to the Planning and Development Services Area in the amount of $500,000 to obtain this permit.The insurance certificate must name the City of Ann Arbor as an additional insured party.Property owners should verify that a contractor has a permit by calling the Planning and Development Services Area at (734) 994-2674 the day before work begins.YOUR CONTRACTOR MUST HAVE A PERMIT FROM THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AREA BEFORE ANY WORK IS DONE.
Estimate for Sidewalk Replacement and Lifting Costs
Based up on 2007 prices, the removal and replacement costs for a slab were estimated between $130-$165. Lifting costs were 1/3 to ½ of the costs for removal and replacement. We recommend that you receive more than one estimate from contractors, and then give us a call if you have any questions.
Remember: property owners grouping together are likely to receive lower unit prices due to the greater quantity of work! Attached is a a list of concrete contractors from the Yellow Pages who are willing to perform these repairs, however, inclusion on this list is not meant as an endorsement.
Corner Lots
If you own a corner property and have only been notified about the sidewalk along one side of your property, you may call the Sidewalk Office to meet with a sidewalk staff member to discuss the status of the sidewalk along the adjacent side.The Sidewalk staff will be available to help you determine the defective slabs if you choose to repair the sidewalk along the other street at this time.
Financial Hardships
The City recognizes that the cost of repairs may cause financial difficulty.Persons in this situation should contact the Sidewalk Program by letter.This letter should specify the reasons for hardship and should be sent to the following address: City of Ann Arbor, Public Services Area, Sidewalk Office, P.O. Box 8647, 100 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8647.