Is a utility easement measured from the property line?

Subdivision plats usually draw utility easements against the lot lines. A note such as "10 foot utility easement along rear lot lines" means the strip is measured inward from that boundary. On many plats the strip along a shared side line is split, with a few feet on each lot adding up to one corridor for the utility.

Easements granted for a specific line or pipe work differently. They are often described as a set number of feet on each side of a centerline, which means the strip moves with the facility rather than with your fence or property line.

The pipe or pole you can see may not sit where the paper says. Lines are sometimes installed off center, and old descriptions can be vague. When it matters, such as before a build, have a surveyor stake the easement from the recorded description instead of measuring from the visible equipment.

What this looks like in practice

On a typical suburban plat, a note reads "5' utility easement on each side of lot lines". Walk the shared side line between two houses and the two strips together form one ten-foot corridor, centered on the boundary. The strip on your lot is five feet, measured inward from the line.

A gas pipeline is the opposite. The grant might say "thirty feet in width, fifteen feet on each side of the centerline of the pipeline as constructed". Here the boundary is irrelevant. The corridor follows the pipe, and the pipe is wherever the crew actually laid it.