Sidewalk trip hazards: grind, replace, or mark?

A raised sidewalk joint is a trip hazard the day an inspector walks it, and paint does not fix a height difference. Grinding buys time on small lifts; replacement is the real cure for heaved panels. What is your threshold for grind versus replace, and how do you document the ones you are watching?

Paint is the option that does nothing except announce that you saw the hazard and chose the cosmetic answer — inspectors read it that way too. Grinding is honest work for small lifts with sound concrete around them; heaved, cracked, or settled panels are replacement work, and the photo log of the ones under watch is what turns 'we knew' from a liability into a management record. What's your lift threshold for grinding versus replacing a panel — and how do you document the ones you're watching?