What is a utility easement on my property?
A utility easement gives a power, water, gas, telecom, or sewer company the legal right to enter, use, and maintain a defined strip of your land for infrastructure.
Utility easements are the most common type of easement on residential lots. They let public and private utilities install, inspect, repair, and replace lines, poles, transformers, manholes, and other equipment. The easement is usually recorded on the plat or in a separate deed.
The easement typically limits what you can build, plant, or store inside the corridor. Structures, permanent fences, deep-rooted trees, and pools are often prohibited because they interfere with maintenance access.
Some utility easements are blanket easements, meaning they cover the entire parcel until the utility actually locates facilities. Blanket easements can be hard to spot on a survey because there may be no visible corridor.
What to look for
- The recorded width and location on the plat or in a utility deed.
- Whether the mapped corridor matches the location of poles, pedestals, transformers, or manholes.
- Blanket easements that encumber the whole parcel until facilities are built.
- Maintenance clauses that allow crews to clear vegetation or remove obstructions.
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.
Know your easements before you close
Upload your title commitment and get a plain-English easement audit in minutes.