FREE SIDEWALK INSPECTIONS

We do free sidewalk inspections on Tuesdays and Wednesdays of each week.

To schedule a free sidewalk inspection, ( PatrickPLACE LINK HERE)

n July 9, 2019, the City of Oakland published a new ordinance requiring sidewalk inspections and the repair/replacement of damaged sidewalks before the sale of residential properties in Oakland.  Specifically, the ordinance applies to property owners who are selling, buying, or renovating [project value > $100,000] property in Oakland.  

Please Note:  even if your sidewalk does not need repair, the City of Oakland now requires that a sidewalk is certified to be in compliance with the City’s new requirements. Our fee for obtaining the sidewalk certification is $275. If the sidewalk needs repairs in order to become certified, Gen-Tech Construction, Inc. will provide you with an estimate for the repairs. For sidewalks requiring repairs, the inspector will mark the area requiring repairs with white marking paint during their inspection.

For full details regarding the ordinance, please see the city of Oakland’s Sidewalk Certification FAQ.  

To schedule a sidewalk inspection, call us at (510) 671-6150.

SIDEWALK CERTIFICATION  “PATHS”

The Sidewalk Certification procedure takes one of two paths.  Either the sidewalk is “good” — it has no problems and passes the requirements — or the sidewalk is “bad” and the sidewalk needs repairs in order to comply with the ADA standard.

In either case, an inspector (“B-licensed  contractor”) must inspect the sidewalk and issue a report.  Then, either:

1.  The inspection documents that the sidewalk is “Good” (in compliance)
   The initial inspection report with photos, a copy of the invoice and the sidewalk certificate of compliance has to be filed with the Oakland Public Works Department. Our fee to file and obtain the compliance certificate is $275.
   or
2. The inspection documents that the sidewalk is “Bad” (not in compliance)
   In this case, we will mark the area(s) needing repair and provide you with a repair estimate along with the initial inspection report and photos.  The owner can then hire us or another contractor to perform the repairs and proceed with the process of certifying with the city of Oakland that the sidewalk is in compliance.  

Please note that a permit must be obtained  from the City of Oakland Public Works Department to perform any repairs.  Only a B-Licensed General Contractor, an A Licensed Contractor or a C-8 Contractor with an Oakland business license can obtain the permit.

After completion of the sidewalk repair, the contractor must take to the Public Works Department the permit, the original inspection report and additional photos on 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper documenting that the work has been completed and the sidewalk is now in compliance with the Oakland ordinance.  The final Certification form can then be completed and filed with the city.  

TO SCHEDULE A SIDEWALK INSPECTION, PLEASE CALL (510) 671-6150

City of Oakland Sidewalk Certification FAQ