TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Tucson homeowner says a small sidewalk issue outside her house quickly escalated into a much bigger and more expensive problem.
“It kind of just popped up overnight,” Annie Bailey explains, who contacted the City of Tucson as soon as she noticed the issue.
She expected to take care of a small section of sidewalk that was cracking right by her driveway.
“Somebody came out pretty quickly. I mean within a few days they had somebody out here,” she explains.
But after a city inspector marked the sidewalk, Bailey says she was shocked to learn the work required would extend far beyond what she anticipated. “The first one quoted me $3,200 for just that section. And so immediately I knew, oh my gosh, this is not going to be simple.”
In addition to the growing cost, Bailey says her contractor was also charged a permit fee, despite a letter from the city stating one wasn’t necessary.
“I'm already very frustrated and annoyed with the whole situation, and then on top of it they charged the permit fee,” she says.
The city confirmed to KGUN 9 that the fee was a mistake. They sent a link for Bailey to request a refund.
Under Tucson city code, property owners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalks that border their property. If the city determines a sidewalk needs repair, the owner has 10 days to complete the work under the city’s supervision. If the owner doesn’t make the repair, the city can do it and charge the property owner for the cost. The ordinance also states that permit fees are not required for these types of sidewalk fixes.
When asked why more panels of her sidewalk were marked for repair than expected, the city pointed to federal compliance. Sidewalk repairs must meet ADA guidelines, and inspectors may mark additional panels if they have excessive slope or connect to raised sections.
“If you're talking thousands of dollars, most people don't have, you know, extra $2,000 to $3,000 lying around to prepare a sidewalk,” Bailey says.
She feels it's an overwhelming burden to place on homeowners, especially for sidewalks they don’t technically own. The city says homeowners can dispute repairs with inspectors and try to find more affordable options. Still, Bailey says she’s been doing everything by the book.
“But yeah, it's just been a very stressful, frustrating process altogether.”
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
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