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Minnesota homeowner rules by city

25 city rules for Minnesota homeowners in 21 cities and towns, across 7 topics. Each one is tied to an official city or utility source.

Selling a home in Minnesota? See what Minnesota cities require before a sale.

Jump to: Sidewalk repair · Sump pump discharge · Sewer bill credits · Fence height & permits · Snowplow mailbox damage · Sidewalk snow removal · Frozen water lines

Sidewalk repair

City	Rule	What it says
Minneapolis	Owner pays, can be assessed	In Minneapolis, owners pay for the public sidewalk next to their property, including damage from tree roots
Richmond	Cost-share program	Richmond, Minnesota matches half of a homeowner's sidewalk replacement cost, with two bids required and about $25,000 a year available.

Sidewalk repair in other states

Sump pump discharge

City	Rule	What it says
Buffalo	Allowed with conditions	Buffalo prohibits sump pump discharge into the sanitary sewer and treats pump discharge like a downspout: it should drain onto your own yard.
Duluth	Allowed with conditions	Duluth requires sump pumps and foundation drains to be disconnected from the sanitary sewer, and checks them in a point-of-sale inspection
Otsego	Allowed with conditions	Otsego asks for rigid pipe outdoors and recommends discharging at least 6 feet from the home onto the lawn

Sump pump discharge in other states

Sewer bill credits

City	Rule	What it says
Minneapolis	Winter average, no meter needed	Minneapolis bills residential sewer for buildings with three or fewer units on average winter water use, so summer watering does not raise the sewer c

Sewer bill credits in other states

Fence height & permits

City	Rule	What it says
Minneapolis	Height and placement limits	Minneapolis allows front yard fences up to 4 feet when they are open, decorative and no more than 60 percent solid

Fence height & permits in other states

Snowplow mailbox damage

City	Rule	What it says
Blaine	Only if the plow hits it	Blaine repairs, replaces or reimburses up to $50 when city equipment physically hits a standard mailbox
Jackson	Plow hit or plowed snow	Jackson, Minnesota repairs or reimburses a damaged mailbox when city plowing, winging or blowing snow past the curb causes the damage, if the owner fi
Lake Elmo	Only if the plow hits it	Lake Elmo replaces plow-damaged mailboxes at its discretion
Owatonna	Reimbursement available	Owatonna replaces a plow-damaged mailbox and support with a breakaway type that follows USPS recommendations
Stillwater Township	Only if the plow hits it	Stillwater Township reimburses up to $75 for a damaged mailbox, but only when plow contact caused the damage.
Woodbury	Only if the plow hits it	Woodbury repairs or replaces a mailbox that a city snowplow accidentally strikes, as long as it is a standard design that meets USPS height and setbac

Snowplow mailbox damage in other states

Sidewalk snow removal

City	Rule	What it says
Duluth	About 24 hours	Duluth requires owners to clear the whole length of sidewalk along their property, edge to edge or at least 36 inches wide, within 24 hours after snow
Edina	48 hours	Edina gives owners 48 hours after a winter storm to remove snow and ice from the sidewalks next to their property.
Minneapolis	About 24 hours	Minneapolis gives single-family homes and duplexes 24 hours after snow stops to clear the full sidewalk width down to bare pavement
Rochester	About 24 hours	Rochester, Minnesota requires snow and ice removal within 24 hours after a snowfall
Saint Paul	About 24 hours	Saint Paul requires owners to clear the full sidewalk width to bare pavement within 24 hours after snow ends
St. Louis Park	Set time of day	St

Sidewalk snow removal in other states

Frozen water lines

City	Rule	What it says
Aitkin	City side vs. owner side	Aitkin makes the owner responsible when a service line freezes between the curb stop and the building
Columbia Heights	Owner responsible for the whole line	Columbia Heights makes owners responsible for thawing frozen water service lines, from the meter to the main.
Golden Valley	City side vs. owner side	Golden Valley owns and maintains the water service from the corporation stop at the main to the curb stop
Grand Rapids	City side vs. owner side	Grand Rapids Public Utilities first tries to thaw the line between the water main and the curb stop
Hopkins	Owner responsible for the whole line	Hopkins makes property owners responsible for the whole water service, from the house to the main in the street, including the curb stop and the corpo
Lake Park	Owner responsible for the whole line	Lake Park makes thawing a frozen water service lateral the sole responsibility of the property owner, from the building all the way to the main.

Frozen water lines in other states

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