STRUCTURAL SERVICES · SIDEWALKS
Sidewalk, curb and vault repairs
We repair the sidewalk out front and the vault under it, then follow the violation through to its dismissal inspection.
In New York, the sidewalk next to your property is your responsibility under Admin Code §19-152. When DOT finds a defect, it issues a Notice of Sidewalk Violation, and you have 75 days to make the repair before DOT can do it and bill you. Banu Construction repairs sidewalks, curbs and the vaults beneath them, with the permits in place before the first flag comes up.
The sidewalk rules in plain English
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who's responsible? | The property owner, for installing, repairing and maintaining the sidewalk next to the property (Admin Code §19-152). Owners can also be liable for injuries caused by a failure to keep it free of defects (Admin Code §7-210). |
| What gets cited? | The defects listed in §19-152. DOT's common examples: collapsed sidewalk, trip hazards, improper slope, patchwork repairs and hardware that sticks up. |
| How long to repair? | 75 days after you receive a Notice of Sidewalk Violation. After that, DOT may have its contractor do the work and bill you through the Department of Finance. |
| Permits? | Required before work starts. Contractors apply to DOT online. |
| Over a vault? | If the defective sidewalk is over a vault, the owner must repair it privately. |
| Curbs? | Owners are encouraged to repair missing or defective curbs. DOT may repair them itself when it's doing violation-related work or has an active curb contract. |
| Clearing the violation? | When the work is done, request a Sidewalk Violation Dismissal Inspection through 311. |
Sources: NYC DOT, Sidewalks (nyc.gov/html/dot/html/infrastructure/sidewalkintro.shtml); NYC Administrative Code §§19-152 and 7-210.
What we deliver
-
The violation cleared.
We build the repair to DOT's specifications, then request the dismissal inspection and follow it until it's done.
-
Vaults fixed from below first.
We repair the steel, slab and waterproofing before any new sidewalk goes on top.
-
The sidewalk put back after the shed.
When the shed or scaffold comes down, we repair the bolt holes, cracked flags and chipped curbs it left behind.
-
Permits handled.
DOT sidewalk permits in place, plus DOB permits where the vault work needs them.
Services and capabilities
01 Investigate
- Your DOT violation reviewed and your 75-day clock mapped out
- Vault inspection from below: slab, steel beams and waterproofing
- Your engineer brought in when the vault roof needs a structural design
02 Repair
- Sidewalk flags replaced, or the whole sidewalk rebuilt
- Trip hazards and bad slopes corrected
- Curb repair and replacement
- Vault roof repairs: steel beams, concrete slab and waterproofing
- Vault lights repaired, replaced or filled in, as approved
- Cellar doors and sidewalk hardware reset flush
- The sidewalk restored after sheds and scaffolds come down (sidewalk shed removal)
03 Close out
- Dismissal inspection requested through 311 and followed until it's cleared
- Photos of the finished work for your records and your insurer
Signs your sidewalk needs work
- A Notice of Sidewalk Violation in the mail or posted on the building
- Raised or sunken flags someone could trip on
- Cracked, loose or missing flags
- A sidewalk that sags or sounds hollow over the vault
- Water dripping into the vault after rain
- Bolt holes and broken flags where a shed used to stand
Questions about sidewalks and vaults
We got a sidewalk violation. What happens now?
A clock starts. You have 75 days from receiving the Notice of Sidewalk Violation to make the repair, and a permit has to be in place before work begins. Once the repair is finished, request a dismissal inspection through 311. If the 75 days run out with nothing done, DOT may send its own contractor and bill you.
What's a vault, and why does it make the repair harder?
A vault is basement space that runs out under the sidewalk. Many older commercial and apartment buildings have one. The sidewalk is its roof, often a concrete slab on steel beams, and once the waterproofing fails, the steel rusts and the slab cracks and settles. DOT says that when the defect is over a vault, the owner must repair it privately, and that the fix may take considerable structural work.
What are vault lights?
They're the small glass lenses set into some older sidewalks to bring daylight into the vault below. Over time the frames rust and the glass cracks, and water gets through. Depending on their condition, they can be repaired, replaced or filled in. On a landmark or in a historic district, LPC requirements may apply, so we check before anything is changed.
Our shed is coming down. Will the sidewalk need work?
Often, yes. Shed posts, bolt holes and deliveries crack flags and chip curbs. Where we can, we photograph the sidewalk before the shed goes up and repair the damage when it comes down, so the end of one project isn't the start of a violation.
Can sidewalk work happen over the holidays?
On some streets, no. DOT's holiday construction embargo runs from November 15, 2026 to January 2, 2027 and suspends routine street work on designated streets in all five boroughs, including most of Midtown and Lower Manhattan, unless DOT approves it. If your 75 days overlap the embargo, tell us early and we'll plan around it.
Sidewalks across the boroughs
- Manhattan: Vaults and vault lights under older blocks, including the cast iron districts of SoHo and Tribeca.
- Brooklyn: About 1,700 buildings with active shed permits, and a sidewalk to check at each one when the shed comes down.
- Queens: Long frontages at co-op complexes, where a single violation can cover a long stretch of walk.
- The Bronx: Older apartment houses with cellar doors and hatches set into the sidewalk.
- Staten Island: Storefront corridors, where customers come in straight off the walk out front.
Let's talk about your building
Send us the violation
A photo of the sidewalk works too. We'll tell you what the repair takes and how it fits inside your 75 days.
