You bought an infill lot in an established neighborhood. You worked with your builder on plans, secured financing, signed contracts. Construction started. Then three weeks in, your builder hands you a change order for $9,600 to install sidewalks nobody saw coming.
Your loan is closed. Your budget is maxed. And now you need ten grand you don’t have. I’ve seen this happen three times in the past two months.
The Anatomy of a Missing Requirement
Here’s how it plays out. A homeowner buys an infill lot within city limits. They hire an on-your-lot builder. Neither checks local sidewalk requirements.
They both look at neighboring properties without sidewalks and assume they won’t need them either. Plans get drawn, permits submitted, financing secured, contracts signed. During permit review, the city flags the missing sidewalks. The builder issues a change order for $10,000 or more.
The homeowner scrambles to find money after their loan is already closed. The project stalls while everyone figures out how to pay for it.
The Math Behind the Bill
For a typical corner lot measuring 60ft by 100ft, you need 160 linear feet of sidewalk at 5 feet wide. That’s 800 square feet at roughly $12 per square foot for prep, gravel, concrete, and labor. Total: $9,600. Ten thousand dollars you didn’t budget for, hitting you when your money is already committed to the build.
Why Neighboring Lots Are Decieving
Garden City shows how this happens. Their municipal code states sidewalks are required along public rights of way intended for vehicular travel. This applies to any new construction, addition, expansion, grading, alteration, or any new or more intense use of property. Even if neighboring properties lack sidewalks, new development must include them.
Garden City views these as required on-site improvements for pedestrian safety, not impact fees. Their official policy says properties without sidewalk contain an existing deficiency that may pose a threat to the health, safety and welfare of pedestrians. The development process often requires right-of-way permits too, adding another layer.
Hidden Costs and ADA Complexity
The costs go beyond installation. Right-of-way permits mean additional fees and processing time. Sidewalks usually can’t go in alone. They need proper curb and gutter systems for drainage.
Modern sidewalks must meet ADA standards with curb cuts, tactile warning surfaces, specific slopes. Sometimes utility poles or fire hydrants need relocating. In Garden City, sidewalks must be at least five feet wide, four feet if detached in residential subdivisions. Detached sidewalks are required unless there’s an existing attached sidewalk on both sides adjacent to the property.
Why Professional Builders Miss It
The timing makes it worse. This requirement often surfaces after construction has started, causing delays while the change order gets processed and the work scheduled. Both homeowners and professional builders miss this requirement for similar reasons. They look at neighboring lots without sidewalks and make the wrong assumption.
Many on-your-lot builders focus on the structure itself and have less experience with jurisdiction-specific site requirements. Requirements vary between municipalities, so it’s easy to assume one city’s rules apply elsewhere. The sidewalk requirement might get flagged during a separate review, public works or engineering, after the initial building permit submission.
Due Diligence: How to Protect Your Budget
Check requirements before you buy the lot. Ask the local jurisdiction about sidewalk requirements before finalizing your purchase. Don’t assume based on neighboring properties. Ask directly: Will I be required to install sidewalks on this infill lot even though adjacent properties don’t have them? Most municipalities, including Garden City, offer due diligence meetings where you can discuss requirements before purchasing property or finalizing plans.
Building in a Safety Buffer
If you’re building on an infill lot, include contingencies in your contracts for unexpected municipal requirements. Set aside a buffer fund for unexpected site development costs. Work with builders who handle urban infill and know local jurisdiction requirements. In some jurisdictions like Garden City, there may be provisions for waivers or alternatives in cases of undue hardship, but these are decided case-by-case and need documentation.
The SiteFacts Advantage
A SiteFacts Report during the land purchase process highlights the sidewalk requirement before you finalize your lot purchase. You can factor sidewalk costs into your overall budget from the start. Negotiate the purchase price with this requirement in mind. Plan your home design knowing all site development requirements.
Secure financing that covers all necessary improvements. Even if your builder had got a SiteFacts Report before contracts were signed, you could have adjusted your budget and funding strategy. Instead of scrambling for additional financing, you could have included these costs in your construction loan from the start.
The Big Picture: Building Community Networks
Sidewalks to nowhere might seem frustrating, but they reflect how communities gradually build complete pedestrian networks. Each new home contributes a segment to what will eventually become a connected system. Cities rarely have the resources to install full sidewalk networks all at once. They rely on requiring each new development to add their piece. In Garden City’s case, this isn’t considered an impact fee, but an on-site improvement.
Get a SiteFacts Report during your due diligence period to uncover all jurisdiction requirements before they become expensive surprises. It’s a small step that can save you thousands of dollars and prevent a financial surprise after your construction loan has closed.
