Easements in Maricopa County, AZ
Fast subdivision growth around Phoenix means most Maricopa lots carry platted utility and drainage easements along every lot line, plus irrigation rights that predate the subdivision.
Maricopa County Recorder
The county publishes a free public parcel viewer showing platted easement strips.
About 10 years of open, continuous, adverse use is generally required.
Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-526
Read the Arizona rulesEasements you'll see most often here
- Public utility easements along front and rear lot lines
- Drainage and retention easements on desert subdivisions
- Irrigation district ditch and canal easements
- Shared driveway and access easements on flag lots
Local things to watch for
- Older parcels often carry irrigation easements that never appear on the subdivision plat — check the deed chain, not just the plat.
- Retention basin easements can cover a large share of a corner lot's rear yard.
Check your own lot
Upload your title commitment and we'll translate Schedule B into plain English, then map the easements against your parcel boundary — free.
Common questions
How do I find out if my Maricopa County property has an easement?
Start with the title commitment or owner's policy from your purchase — easements are listed in Schedule B. Recorded easements are also indexed by the Maricopa County Recorder, and the county's free public parcel viewer usually shows platted easement strips. A current survey catches anything used on the ground but never recorded.
What easements are most common in Maricopa County?
Public utility easements along front and rear lot lines, Drainage and retention easements on desert subdivisions, Irrigation district ditch and canal easements, among others. Older parcels often carry irrigation easements that never appear on the subdivision plat — check the deed chain, not just the plat.
Can a neighbor gain a permanent right to cross my Maricopa County land?
In Arizona, open, continuous, and adverse use generally has to run for about 10 years before a prescriptive easement can be claimed. Permission given in writing usually stops the clock, because the use is then no longer adverse.
Does an easement lower property value in Phoenix?
It depends on where it sits and what it prohibits. A narrow utility strip along a rear lot line rarely affects value. An easement that crosses the buildable area, bars fences and structures, or gives someone else a driveway through the yard can meaningfully limit what the property can become.
Know your easements before you close
Upload your title commitment and get a plain-English easement audit in minutes.
General educational reference only. Prescription periods and their exceptions change, and several states set the period by case law rather than by statute. Read the linked official code and consult a licensed attorney in that state before relying on any of it.