Utility easement
A strip of land reserved so a utility can install and maintain its lines.
Utility easements cover overhead power, buried electric and fiber, gas mains, water and sewer lines, and the access needed to repair them. Widths are commonly 5 to 20 feet, though transmission corridors can be far wider.
Inside the strip, the utility can dig, trim vegetation, and bring in equipment. Fences, sheds, pools, and mature trees planted there may be removed at your cost.
Why it matters when you buy
A utility corridor across the buildable part of a lot can quietly remove the spot you were planning to build on.
Related terms
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.
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