Shovel your sidewalk or face a fine: What Chicago residents need to know

With the snow piling up you may want nothing more than to stay inside where its warm.

But there’s one good reason why you might want to bundle up and grab your shovel.

It's an important reminder for Chicago residents and business owners to safely get outside and clear sidewalks- otherwise you could face fines between $50 and $500 dollars for homeowners, and up to $1,000 for business owners.

According to a city ordinance, you must shovel a path at least five feet wide on all sides of the sidewalks adjacent to your property. This includes any crosswalk ramps. 

There’s also another good reason to clear your sidewalks, according to Bob Passmore, with the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

“If you don't clean your sidewalk, or the walkways in front of your house, you could be held responsible and someone could make a claim against you,” said Passmore.

Here’s an important detail: do not shovel the snow into the right-of way: including parking spaces, bike lanes, bike racks, and any other space where snow impedes traffic of any kind.

The city of Chicago says if the snow falls between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., you must shovel it by no later than 10 p.m.

For snow that falls between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.,  it has to be removed by 10 a.m. And yes, the rules still apply on the weekend.

Now, let's talk about the inside homes. 

According to  State Farm Insurance, Illinois ranks second-highest in the nation when it comes to the number of claims involving frozen pipes. Heather Paul with State Farm Insurance shares how you can keep your pipes at a safe temperature.

“Things like opening up your cabinet doors to make sure warm air is getting to your pipes, making sure your thermostat in your home is at least 55 degrees, and keeping a steady stream of water -- doesn’t have to be on full, but keeping your faucet open so it is dripping -- a small stream of water so you have movement in your pipes,” said Paul.

If your pipes do freeze, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will burst. Experts say you can try to warm them up with a hairdryer, but avoid an open flame.

“It is important to know where your water shut off valve is. In the midst of all the choas of ‘It’s cold. My pipes are frozen,’ you want to make sure you’re turning off the water, so your pipes don’t burst and you suddenly have a stream of water all over,” said Paul.

Accumulations of ice on trees and powerlines can cause a lot of damage to your home as well, especially the roof.

“Sometimes what's called an ice dam will build up like in your gutters and things like that. Snow and ice can accumulate there and sort of back up under the shingles and leak into your home,” said Passmore.

To prevent that kind of damage, it’s a good idea to get your gutters cleaned before the next big storm.

In the meantime, if you do get any storm damage, make sure you report it to your insurance company as soon as you can. But you have up to one year to make a claim.

“Now with our smartphones, it's easier to do than ever, you know, you can take pictures of damage to your car, you can take pictures of damage to your home or property. A lot of insurers are now using what are called virtual inspection tools,” said Passmore.

Insurance experts say the number one type of damage claim they see during storms like this is on the roadways with auto accidents. So if you’re driving make sure you go slow and watch out for other cars on the road.