How Cities Survey and Map Sidewalk Trip Hazards with GIS

A sidewalk GIS inventory is a systematic way to map and manage every sidewalk and curb ramp using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. Precision Concrete Cutting (PCC) builds these inventories for cities. PCC surveys sidewalks with its own BidBoss field software, logs every trip hazard with GPS coordinates, photos, H1/H2 measurements and ADA/PROWAG classification, and delivers the data in GIS-ready formats with a live dashboard called Terminal.

Why cities map sidewalks with GIS

Instead of paper maps or scattered spreadsheets, a GIS inventory gives the city a digital database that shows what it has and what condition it is in.

How PCC surveys a city's sidewalks

Precision Concrete Cutting was established in 2001 and has 25+ years of continuous municipal operations. The company has removed more than 30 million trip hazards since then. It has 70+ franchise and corporate locations in the USA, Canada and Australia, plus 27 corporate crews in Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Washington. PCC serves roughly 500+ municipalities a year.

PCC runs survey and repair under one contract. There is no handoff between a data vendor and a contractor, so the inventory and the field condition do not drift apart. The record the city holds is the record the crews are working from.

What BidBoss records for each hazard

PCC's survey specialists use BidBoss, field software PCC built for sidewalk asset collection and specialized to ADA and PROWAG requirements. For each hazard, BidBoss captures:

• GPS coordinates, so there is no question about what was repaired or where

• HD photos, with before and after photos attached to every repair record

• H1 offset height and H2 secondary measurement

• Hazard classification: ADA deficiency type, severity and recommended treatment code

Hazards are measured to the eighth-inch. Data syncs to Terminal as fieldwork is completed. BidBoss also works offline and syncs when coverage returns. The same survey pass can collect other right-of-way assets, to the client's scope.

Survey data is considered current for one year. If repairs have not been completed inside that window, PCC reviews and updates the record before crews mobilize.

From survey to repair to a closed record

PCC's patented horizontal slicing handles offsets from ¼ inch to 2 inches, with the threshold calibrated per city. Anything beyond cutting range becomes a documented replacement work list. Within range, the offset is sliced away to a 1:12 slope. Each hazard takes 15 to 20 minutes, with no full sidewalk closure, and the walkway is back in service the same visit.

A PCC manager then inspects every cut for ADA compliance and photographs it. Every completed repair closes out its own survey point with the date, measurements and before and after photos.

What the city gets: Terminal and GIS exports

Clients get access to Terminal, PCC's customer portal, where they can view real-time progress on an interactive map. Terminal shows every GPS-located repair, technician check-offs, before and after photos, inspection notes and ADA compliance status per hazard. Users can filter by neighborhood, grid, block face, date, status or severity, and export any view to ArcGIS, PDF or Excel.

PCC delivers survey data in formats such as ArcGIS-compatible shapefiles, Excel and KML files. Data can also come as a custom Google Map, a printable hazard report, or a GIS-ready SHP file that integrates with a city's ESRI system.

BidBoss and Terminal are developed and owned by PCC. They are not licensed, white-labeled or third-party sourced.

How the data helps with budgets and liability

Because every location is georeferenced, a re-survey shows what changed: new hazards, recurrence at repaired panels, and how far panels outside the repair scope have progressed.

On budgets, PCC's average cost savings are about 80% compared with full panel replacement. In San Francisco, the survey data is used by city managers to build overall sidewalk management budgets.

On liability, every repair is date-stamped and photo-verified. That gives the city a documented defense record when a claim arrives.

City program examples

Seattle, WA (SDOT). PCC has worked Seattle's sidewalk program since 2013. The city has 2,100+ miles of sidewalk. PCC has remediated 121,800+ hazards and surveyed and repaired 119 miles, about 6% of the network. It has completed 21 survey grids across Seattle neighborhoods and downtown high-traffic areas. More than 3,832 city work orders have been issued against the contract. Every hazard of ¼ inch and up is GPS-mapped before work begins, and deliverables include GIS shapefiles, ArcGIS layers and Excel exports. An Interlocal Agreement lets neighboring jurisdictions piggyback on Seattle's contract.

San Francisco, CA (Public Works). PCC has worked in San Francisco since 2016, under SF Public Works, Bureau of Urban Forestry. PCC has remediated more than 130,000 hazards and surveyed and repaired 200+ miles, about 20 miles a year on average. Repairs are prioritized near schools, hospitals, senior centers and transit stops. Survey and repair happen in the same field visit, and all work is GPS-tracked and photo-documented for the city's ADA compliance record. The current five-year contract runs through June 2028.

FAQ

Does PCC do sidewalk surveys for cities?

Yes. PCC's customers include municipalities and cities, and survey and repair run under one contract.

Can the data go into our GIS?

Yes. Data is formatted for any city GIS or CMMS platform, and SHP files integrate with ESRI systems.

How long is survey data good for?

One year from collection. After that, PCC refreshes the record before work starts.

Does PCC grind sidewalks?

No. PCC slices the raised edge with a patented cutting process.

What happens to hazards too big to cut?

They go on a documented replacement work list.