Got a sidewalk repair letter from the City of Wichita?

Who is responsible for the sidewalk

The sidewalk along the street sits in the public right of way, but Kansas law makes the owner of the abutting property responsible for keeping it in repair. That surprises a lot of people, especially when the damage came from a street tree they did not plant.

The same statute, K.S.A. 12-1808, lets a city of Wichita's size repair the sidewalk itself after giving the owner notice, then charge the cost to the property as a special assessment. An assessment that goes unpaid ends up on the property tax rolls. Wichita runs its program under Charter Ordinance 88.

When KWCH reported on south Wichita homeowners who received repair letters in July 2025, the city confirmed that property owners pay for repairs to the sidewalks next to their property.

Sources: K.S.A. 12-1808, Kansas Legislature; KWCH, Neighbors in south Wichita shocked after learning they will foot the bill for sidewalk repairs (July 16, 2025).

Why your sidewalk was marked

The city does not survey every street on a schedule. At a May 2022 City Council meeting, the city's Engineering staff explained that inspectors come out after someone reports a problem, then check the whole block. A section gets marked if it is a trip hazard, an accessibility problem, or a drainage problem. That is why several houses on one block often get letters at the same time.

Source: City of Wichita City Council minutes, May 24, 2022.

Your three options

Owners get 30 days from the letter to act. Check your own letter for the exact deadline and the sections it lists.

• Let the city do the repair. If you do nothing, or tell the city you want it to handle the work, the repair goes to the contractor on the city's annual sidewalk contract and the cost is billed to your property. One homeowner in the KWCH story was quoted $1,268.
• Hire your own contractor. Wichita's code requires a contractor licensed by the city engineer, and a city permit, for concrete work on a public sidewalk. Ask anyone you hire whether they hold a current City of Wichita license and will pull the permit and call for the inspection.
• Re-level it yourself. KWCH reported that the city listed this as an option. Because the code ties work on a public sidewalk to a license and permit, call the number on your letter before you start and ask what the city will accept from a homeowner.

Sources: City Council minutes, May 24, 2022; City of Wichita Ordinance 50-179, concrete construction in the right of way (Code ch. 10.12); City of Wichita, Traffic, Street and Construction Permitting.

What the city's repair costs, and how you pay

If the city's contractor does the work, you do not pay up front. Once the City Council approves the year's sidewalk assessments, you have 30 days from their publication to pay in full. After that, the amount is split into five yearly installments on your property tax bill, with interest.

In January 2026 the council approved 96 sidewalk repair assessments. Most fell between $200 and $700, and they ranged from about $167 to about $4,200, depending on how many squares were replaced.

Source: City of Wichita sidewalk special assessment ordinance, adopted January 13, 2026.

When leveling is the cheaper fix

Many sidewalk problems are a square that dropped and left a lip at the joint. If the concrete itself is in one piece, raising that square back to flush (sidewalk leveling, usually by mudjacking) fixes the hazard without breaking out and repouring it.

National cost data from HomeGuide puts leveling a 100 square foot section of sidewalk, about four standard squares, at roughly $400 to $900 with mudjacking. A single square often costs the contractor's minimum charge, commonly $300 to $700. Compare that with the price in your letter before you decide. The Wichita concrete leveling cost guide has more detail.

Leveling will not work if the squares are shattered, crumbling, or were pushed up by tree roots. Those need replacing, and the city's price may be the easier route. City code does not mention leveling specifically, so confirm with the city that it will accept a leveled square for your letter.

To compare against the city's price, call (316) 688-2584 with your letter in hand. The contractor can look at the marked squares and give you a written price for each one before your 30 days run out.

Cost ranges: HomeGuide, Concrete Leveling Cost.

If you cannot afford the assessment

Wichita has a hardship deferral for special assessments. You apply after you receive the assessment statement, through the city's Debt Management office at (316) 268-4526. The application asks for income documents for every adult in the household. In general you need to:

• Own and live in the home, inside city limits, on a residential lot of two acres or less.
• Have household income at or below HUD's very low income limit for Wichita.
• Owe yearly assessment payments of more than 1% of your adjusted gross income.
• Have a home appraised at or below the Wichita area average home value.

A deferral postpones the bill without erasing it. You agree to a lien on the property, the city reviews the file each year, and the full amount comes due if the home is sold. Assessments that are already delinquent cannot be deferred.

Source: City of Wichita, Special Assessment Hardship Deferral Application (updated January 7, 2025).

Before you hire anyone

• Note the deadline on your letter and the sections it lists.
• Call the number on the letter and ask whether the city will accept leveling for your sections, and what permit and inspection it needs.
• Confirm the contractor holds a current City of Wichita license for concrete work in the right of way and will pull the permit.
• Get an estimate in writing that names each section to be raised.
• Keep the receipt and a before and after photo of each section in case the city asks.

Where we work

We take calls from across Wichita and the surrounding towns in Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties.

• Wichita
• Derby
• Andover
• Haysville
• Maize
• Park City
• Bel Aire
• Valley Center
• Goddard
• Mulvane
• Augusta
• El Dorado
• Newton