Step one: get the tree inspected
Report the lifted sidewalk through Philly311 or the City’s street tree maintenance request, or call Parks & Rec’s Street Tree Management office at (215) 685-4363 or (215) 685-4362 (weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Give the closest street address, describe which sidewalk blocks are raised and by how much, and attach photos of the tree pit and the uneven pavement. Save the request number.
The FAQ says staff will come out within 7–10 working days and decide case by case. If the tree is healthy, it stays. If it’s unhealthy, it may be listed for removal or replacement, which can take a while; you can have it removed sooner by a Parks & Rec-approved contractor at your own cost. Parks & Rec won’t take down a living, healthy tree just because its roots are in the way.
If a tree or large branch falls and blocks the sidewalk or street, or lands on your house or car, call 911. If it’s on electrical wires, call PECO at (800) 841-4141, per the City’s downed tree page.
Step two: don’t let anyone cut roots without a permit
Most street tree roots sit in the top 12–24 inches of soil right under the sidewalk slab, which is exactly where a paving crew digs. The FAQ says you can replace a sidewalk block without removing the tree only if the roots aren’t damaged.
Parks & Rec’s regulations list root pruning as street-tree work, and anyone doing work on a street tree, including a certified arborist you hire, has to get a tree work permit from the department first. The same regulations bar laying pavement within a 3-by-4-foot area around the base of a street tree’s trunk. If a paving quote says “grind roots as needed,” ask who is getting the tree permit before you sign, and if its plan runs new concrete right up to the trunk, ask them to redraw it.
Step three: the sidewalk repair needs its own permit
The City’s development checklist says any alteration, reconstruction or repair of a sidewalk needs a Curb and Footway Permit from the Streets Department Highway District where the work is. The application has to come from a contractor with a valid Curb Setter License from L&I and include a plot plan. That license is required for sidewalk and curb work in the public right-of-way, but not for paving on private property, so a driveway contractor may not have it.
Before you hire anyone, ask to see the contractor’s Curb Setter License and confirm they’ll apply for the Curb and Footway Permit. Ask which sidewalk blocks they’re replacing and how the new slab will sit level with your neighbors’, how they’ll work around the tree pit, who gets the Parks & Rec permit if roots are in the way, and what happens to the schedule and price if they hit large roots mid-job.
Keep the 311 request number, Parks & Rec’s decision, both permits and the contractor’s written scope together. If you’ve received a code violation notice from L&I, our guide to handling an L&I violation notice explains how to respond. For a similar who-pays question underground, see who pays to fix a leaking water service line, and use the contractor hiring checklist to vet whoever does the paving.