Sidewalk repair in Old City

Old City streets and sidewalks

Old City includes Independence National Historical Park and Elfreth’s Alley, which dates to 1703 and is often called the nation’s oldest residential street. The Historical Commission designated the Old City Historic District in 2003. Much of the neighborhood is converted warehouses and storefronts with condos above, so many sidewalks front a building owned by a condo association or a commercial owner, not one household.

What we hear about in Old City

• Heavy foot traffic wearing and cracking slabs
• Cellar doors, vault lights and grates set into the sidewalk
• Damage around café seating, planters and deliveries
• Uneven brick and stone in front of older buildings

What to know before you fix it

The City’s right-of-way standards divide the sidewalk into zones and say all sidewalks should provide at least 5 feet of clear space for wheelchair passage. On busy blocks, the contractor’s Curb and Footway Permit may come with conditions about keeping a path open, so ask how they will stage the job. If a condo association owns the frontage, it, not the unit owner, normally hires the contractor. Old City is a historic district, so sidewalk replacement there needs a Historical Commission project review.

The rules are the same citywide

In every Philadelphia neighborhood, the property owner is responsible for the sidewalk and curb. Work in the right-of-way needs a Curb and Footway Permit pulled by a contractor with a Curb Setter License. If an owner ignores a Streets Department notice, the City can do the work and bill them. Read the City rules guide · See typical costs

Services in Old City

• Sidewalk repair & replacement
• Curb repair & replacement
• Front steps & stoop repair
• Tree-root sidewalk damage
• Driveway aprons & curb cuts

Nearby: Society Hill · Fishtown · Queen Village & Bella Vista · All neighborhoods

We are a free referral service, not a contractor. We pass your request to an independent Philadelphia concrete contractor who quotes and does the work.