Sidewalk Repair Cost Share Program

Program Overview

As with many municipalities, Coalinga addresses sidewalk maintenance and repairs in accordance with California State Streets and Highways Code Section 5610, which states that sidewalk maintenance and repair is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. Coalinga’s sidewalk maintenance policy is also addressed in our local municipal code as Sec. 7-2.05, which states that the adjacent property owner is responsible for maintaining the sidewalk in a nonhazardous condition and may also be liable for injuries caused as a result of failure to maintain the sidewalk.

The intent of the cost share program is to alleviate the some of the financial burden from property owners.  As it can be a daunting task in both expense and planning.

Under the program, the City will:

  • Split the cost of sidewalk replacement 50-50 with property owners.
  • Fully incur the cost of sidewalk offset "shaving" - e.g., when a sidewalk displacement is <1.5" and does not require full replacement.
  • Fully incur the cost of curb and gutter replacement.
  • Fully incur the cost of ADA required curb ramps.
  • Fully incur the cost of street tree work removal within a parking strip (including root trimming, stump grinding, removal).

 To further clarify what the City will contribute towards, here are some illustrations.

CostShareDIagram(noparkingstrip)
CostShareDIagram(w.parkingstrip)

It should be noted that while the City will not share any costs for driveways or aprons, it would be a good opportunity to seek these sorts of repairs at this time.  At the time of application, you may indicate that you are interested in such repair. It will then be performed as part of the project without you having to negotiate with contractors. 

Curb/Gutter  and curb ramp repairs will be at the full discretion of the City, and as such may or may not be approved as a part of the project.

As part of our negotiations with contractors, the City maintains the ability to reject all bids. This would delay the project date until suitable pricing could be found either through re-submittal or attachment to another project within the City of Coalinga.

"Offset Shaving?"

In coalition with this program, the city has sought other means to repair sidewalk throughout the city.  On October 15, 2020, the City engaged with Precision Concrete Cutting to fully evaluate the entirety of sidewalks in Coalinga.  Based on the inspections, the City will authorize them to conduct "offset shaving".  A demonstration can be see below.

Due to the size of the project, it is projected to take place over three years.  Each year, the City will meet with Precision concrete cutting and determine their scope of work.  This will partially be based on your application to this program.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for this program, you must be a property owner within the City of Coalinga.  Renters may apply, but will be required to submit signed consent from the property owner with your application.  Each property (APN) is able to submit one application.  If one property owner owns multiple properties within Coalinga, each property may apply for the program separately. 

Property owners with sidewalk damage due to private construction (cut, removal, etc.) do not qualify for this program.  The nature of the damage to the sidewalk will be assessed through a pre-construction inspection.

Cost of Sidewalk Repairs

Whenever public funds are involved, California State law dictates that work performed must be done at prevailing wage.  To combat the high prices of prevailing wage, sidewalk repair projects will not be done on the basis of a singular location.  Instead, the City will collect willing participants over a period of time until a competitive project can be put out to bid or until the project can be attached to other projects.  While this may delay repair activities, it will serve to drive costs down. 

Cost Estimates:

Engineer's Concrete Estimates



Curb/Gutter(LF)Sidewalk(SQ FT)Driveway(SQ FT)
Remove$18.50/linear ft$7.00/sq ft$11.50/sq ft
Replace$18.50/linear ft$11.50/sq ft$17.25/sq ft
Total$18.50/linear ft$18.50/sq ft$28.75/sq ft

 

Residential sidewalk is generally 4 ½ feet wide.  To find your cost of your sidewalk, multiply the length of the sidewalk by 4.5, multiply by square footage number indicated above, and divide by 2.  Driveways are calculated in a similar manner but are generally much wider, and you will bear the full cost. 

Tree Removal and Replacement

The City will remove trees and grind stumps as identified through our inspection.  It will not be required of the applicant to replant, however replanting will be the sole responsibility of the applicant.  Any tree planted must be from the City approved tree list.  And planted in accordance with City standards. 

Pre-Construction Inspection 

You are required to repair all sidewalk, curb and gutter as identified by the City. 

Once an application is received, City staff will inspect your property and any sidewalk that is deemed to be a tripping hazard will be marked for replacement and indicated as such on the pre-construction inspection survey. Participants at minimum must repair all sidewalks, curb and gutter identified by the City but may choose to replace more at full cost to the property owner.  This includes any sidewalk not identified in our inspection.  Any extra sidewalk you wish to have replaced outside of what is discovered through our inspection will be entirely at your expense. 

All work performed will need to comply with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Standards 

The City will note in your sidewalk pre-construction inspection form that all work must be ADA compliant (slope of sidewalk, grade, etc.). If the sidewalk repair involves a corner where an ADA ramp is not in place, one will need to be installed. In the event of an ADA curb-ramp installation, the City will bear full cost of the ramp.  The ramp installation may occur at a later date if the area is included in our ADA Transition Plan.  Such repairs generally occur on an independent project cycle.

Payment

Payment for work performed will not be due until construction is complete.  Any cost overages will be absorbed by the City and will not be leveraged against the applicant.  Should the cost be lower than the estimate, you will only be billed at the price in which the work was completed. 

A detailed invoice for work performed will be mailed to you within two weeks of the project finish date.  This date may be later than the date in which work is completed at your property.  Once you have received the invoice, you must pay within thirty days.  Failure to do so shall result in civil action defined in Coalinga Municipal Code Sec. 1-2.06. – Fees, Charges, Licenses, and Taxes Made a Civil Debt.