As far as the Uniform Building Code is concerned, The maximum height that you can build a fence without a permit is..

We just moved into a new housing development and we are having problems with the contractor fixing some large cracks in the driveway and sidewalk.  The cracks were caused by trucks and heavy equipment crossing our lot to finish up work on the house next door.  The builder keeps saying that the city will fix the sidewalk when the development is done at the end of the year.  I called the city and they say that it is the builder’s responsibility.  Who is responsible for repairing our driveway ?

I live in an older neighborhood, and for years the tree the city planted in the sidewalk area has been causing the sidewalk to crack and lift.  It has gotten so bad, that last week one of the neighbors tripped on the sidewalk and injured their hip.  I called the city and they said that the maintenance and repair of the sidewalk is the responsibility of the home owner.  They stated that I needed to get a permit if I take out a section of the sidewalk.  Isn’t the city was responsible for the maintenance of the sidewalks?

In order to understand who is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the sidewalk, it helps to know that most people’s property line stops somewhere on the house’s side of the sidewalk.  In some municipalities, the property line goes right up to the sidewalk, in others it can stop a few inches or feet before the sidewalk begins.  This raises the question, “If a home owner’s property line stops short of the sidewalk, is the property owner responsible for its maintenance and repair?”

For the past two years I’ve noticed small hairline cracks forming in the exterior stucco and in some of the walls and ceilings of the interior rooms. At first I wasn’t concerned, but the cracking seems to be getting worse. Some of the cracks run up the corners of walls and are 1/4 inch wide.  The house is only 5 years old and on a fairly level lot.  How do you tell if the cracks are normal or if they are something to be concerned about? Does this have something to do with the foundation or soil? Someone told me the soil around here has adobe in it.  

B. P., Dublin

I own a four year old house with dual-pane windows.  Last week when I was washing the windows I noticed that some moisture had gotten between the glass panels on a couple of the windows.  I thought it was from using the hose, but when I went inside to check the glass panels they were absolutely dry.  I also saw dry water stains on the sheet rock around the top and sides of the windows.  Obviously, this has been going on for some time.  Any ideas about where the moisture is coming in from?     T. Butler, Castro Valley