What to Know About Sidewalk Requirements for Your Building Project

A Message from Austin Transportation and Public Works 

Under Austin’s Land Development Code (LDC 25‑6‑353), certain building projects must include sidewalks. This applies to new buildings, large additions, or moving a building to a new location. If your project doesn’t qualify for a sidewalk waiver, you must either build the sidewalk or request to pay a Sidewalk Fee in Lieu (SFIL). 

You can request SFIL when you submit your permit application, prior to submittal, or update it later. The City may approve SFIL if installing a sidewalk isn’t practical — for example, if there are no nearby sidewalks, a protected tree or major utility is in the way, drainage features prevent installation, or other unusual circumstances that make the sidewalk installation requirement unreasonable or inappropriate. 

Follow this link Residential Driveway/Sidewalk - Waivers/Variances/Approvals  to submit a request for a sidewalk waiver or a Sidewalk Fee in Lieu. To get this process started early, you can leave the permit number field blank if you do not yet have a permit.