What can I do with an overgrown utility easement on my property?
Utility easements restrict what you can build or plant, leaving strips of land choked with trees and brush that previous owners neglected. Because the electric company typically only clears for power lines rather than landscaping, homeowners are left trying to figure out if they are responsible for maintenance and how to safely use the space.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
What can I do with an overgrown utility easement on my property?
- 1Leaving the land as an unused, overgrown forest area.Did this help you?
- 2Trimming the weeds and bushes on the ground while leaving the vines near the wires for the utility company.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I have a utility easement that cuts across my property so I have about 50 ft of my land unused with just a bunch of trees.”source ↗
“the previous owner just let it become over grown and unused.”source ↗
“Curious if anyone else has utility easement and what they do with the land”source ↗
“Am I responsible for this or the electric company?”source ↗