Masonry and sidewalk work in Montgomery County, PA: housing, township rules and permits
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What should Montgomery County homeowners know about masonry work?
The county mixes pre-war houses with steady newer building. For masonry and concrete, the rules that bite most often are local ones, and sidewalks are a clear example: in Lower Merion the township code spells out exactly when a sidewalk counts as defective and what happens if the owner does not fix it.
How old is the housing?
The Census Bureau counts 350,351 housing units in the county. It estimates that 16.0 percent were first built in 1939 or earlier, against 25.0 percent statewide, and that 8.1 percent were built since 2010, against 6.1 percent. The older group predates the period the National Park Service identifies as the end of lime mortar, when portland cement all but replaced lime after the Second World War. On those houses, the new mortar should be no harder than the old. On newer ones, the questions are more often about driveways, walks, steps, patios and foundation walls.
The county's median owner-occupied home is valued at $436,700, and 71.4 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Who must repair the sidewalk?
Your township sets the duty, so read its code. Lower Merion's is specific. The owner of the abutting property must keep the adjacent sidewalk and curb in good repair and free of obstructions, and the code treats a sidewalk as an obstruction to safe passage when there is:
- A difference in level of more than 1/4 inch between blocks or across a crack.
- A crack within a block 1/2 inch or more wide.
- A block whose surface is spalling, flaking or crumbling enough to cause slipping or tripping.
If an owner does not act within 30 days of written notice, the township may make the repairs and charge the cost plus a 10 percent penalty, collectible by suit or as a lien on the property. Fines can reach $600 per offense, and each day counts as a new one.
Does replacing a sidewalk need a permit?
In Lower Merion, yes. The township requires a Highway Permit before work begins on replacing an existing sidewalk. The fee is a $37 administrative charge plus $28 for the first 10 feet and $8 for each further 10 feet, and the replacement must be at least 36 inches wide. Before any concrete is poured, the township's Public Works Inspector must be called to inspect the forms, and a final inspection closes the permit. Public Works is at 75 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-645-6150.
That is a township rule. Under the state's building code regulation, a private sidewalk or driveway no more than 30 inches above the adjacent ground and not over a basement needs no building permit, but a municipality's street or highway rules can still apply to a public sidewalk. Ask your own township or borough, since each writes its own street rules.
For price comparison, Angi's national figures put a 100-square-foot sidewalk at $800 to $1,200 at 4 inches thick. National ranges for other jobs are in the cost guide.
Who issues building permits?
Usually your municipality. The Department of Labor and Industry says over 90 percent of the state's municipalities enforce the building code locally, either with their own staff or through a certified third-party agency they have retained. Retaining walls are a common case: the state exemption stops at 4 feet, measured from the lowest grade, and at walls that support a surcharge.
How do you check a contractor here?
No county consumer office was found on Montgomery County's website, so the checks are the state's. The Attorney General's contractor search can be filtered to Montgomery County and to masonry or concrete work, and a call to 1-888-520-6680 confirms a registration. The state rules are in what Pennsylvania requires, and businesses serving the county are on the Montgomery County masonry contractors page.
Sources
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- Streets and Sidewalks, Article IV: Defective Sidewalks and Curbs, Lower Merion Township
- Sidewalk Installation and Replacement Guide, Lower Merion Township
- Mortar, Unsung Hero of History, U.S. National Park Service
- 34 Pa. Code § 403.62. Permit requirements and exemptions., Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Code)
- Uniform Construction Code, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
- Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
- 2026 Concrete Walkway and Sidewalk Cost, Angi