City of Wichita Sidewalk and Drive Approach Rules

Three zones in front of most houses

1. Your driveway and front walk. Private concrete on your lot.
2. The public sidewalk. The walk parallel to the street, usually in the public right-of-way.
3. The drive approach. The concrete from the street, across the curb line, to the sidewalk or driveway. Also in the right-of-way.

Each zone has different rules, so the first question on any project at the front of the house is where your lot line is. A plat or survey shows it; the curb is not the property line.

Who maintains the public sidewalk

Kansas statute K.S.A. 12-1808 says it is the duty of the owner of the abutting property to keep the sidewalk in repair. In cities of the first and second class, the city engineer or clerk may, after five days' notice to the owner, make necessary repairs, and the city then levies a special assessment against the lot for the cost. If the owner does not pay, the amount can be certified to the county to be collected with property taxes (K.S.A. 12-1808, sidewalk repairs by owner or city). Wichita is a city of the first class, so the sidewalk along your frontage is generally yours to keep in repair.

What the City requires in the right-of-way

A City of Wichita ordinance amending Code sections 10.12.010 and 10.12.020 requires that all public sidewalks, wheelchair ramps, curbs, gutters and private drive approaches built in the city be made of concrete, unless the City Council orders otherwise, and built to specifications on file with the City Engineer. Sidewalks, ramps, curbs, gutters and drive approaches must also be repaired or reconstructed to those official plans and specifications (City of Wichita ordinance amending Code sections 10.12.010 and 10.12.020 (sidewalks, curbs and drive approaches)).

The City's Traffic, Street and Construction Permitting office handles permits for sidewalk and drive approach work in the right-of-way. That work is done under a permit by a contractor who holds a current City concrete contractor license, and the City inspects it (City of Wichita, Traffic, Street and Construction Permitting). Before scheduling an approach or public sidewalk replacement, ask the estimator to confirm they hold that City license and will pull the permit.

Private driveways and walks

On your own lot, the Wichita-Sedgwick County Unified Building and Trade Code lists sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade, and not over any basement or story below, among work exempt from a building permit (Wichita-Sedgwick County Unified Building and Trade Code (MABCD)). That covers a typical driveway or front walk. A permit exemption does not mean anything goes: easements, drainage, setbacks and HOA rules may still apply.

Contractor licensing in the metro

The Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department (MABCD) licenses building trades for Wichita and unincorporated Sedgwick County, and its licensing office lists the license types and requirements (Sedgwick County MABCD, contractor licensing). The City concrete contractor license for right-of-way work is a separate City requirement. For private flatwork, ask what licenses a contractor holds and verify them with the issuing office.

Other cities are different

Derby, Andover, Haysville, Park City, Bel Aire, Maize and the other cities around Wichita set their own right-of-way rules, permit processes and specifications. Some contract with Sedgwick County for building inspection; others run their own. Before any work at the curb outside Wichita, call that city's public works or building office.

Joints where zones meet

The places where driveway meets approach, approach meets sidewalk and sidewalk meets curb are natural lines for movement. NRMCA recommends isolation joints at junctions of driveways with walks, curbs and other obstructions so each piece can move without cracking the next (NRMCA, CIP 6: Joints in Concrete Slabs on Grade). It is also where one owner's work ends and the City's specifications begin, so clean saw cuts and planned joints make future repairs simpler.

If you get a sidewalk notice

• Read which panels are listed and why: trip edges, broken panels or missing sections.
• Note the deadline and who to contact with questions.
• Take photos before any work.
• Ask estimators to confirm their City concrete license and that the work will meet City specifications.
• Keep the permit and inspection records with your house papers.

Trees in the parkway

Street trees often sit between the sidewalk and the curb, and their roots are a leading cause of lifted panels. Rules for trees in the right-of-way may differ from trees on private property, so ask the City before removing or cutting roots of a street tree.

Planning a new approach or a wider one

Widening a driveway at the street, adding a second approach or moving one involves the curb as well as the approach, and it happens in the right-of-way. Expect the City's specifications and permit to control the width, thickness and how the curb is cut or rebuilt.

See sidewalks, walkways and drive approaches for the service side and the estimate factors page for what changes the scope.

For the private side of the lot line, see concrete driveways and how walk and approach scopes vary.

Sources: K.S.A. 12-1808, sidewalk repairs by owner or city; City of Wichita ordinance amending Code sections 10.12.010 and 10.12.020 (sidewalks, curbs and drive approaches); City of Wichita, Traffic, Street and Construction Permitting; Wichita-Sedgwick County Unified Building and Trade Code (MABCD); Sedgwick County MABCD, contractor licensing; NRMCA, CIP 6: Joints in Concrete Slabs on Grade.