Pipeline companies often need more than a pipeline easement. During construction, a company may ask a Pennsylvania landowner to sign an agreement allowing the company to use part of the property as a storage yard, pipe yard, laydown yard, staging area, contractor yard, or temporary work area. These agreements can create major property impacts. A… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Blog
What Pennsylvania Landowners Should Know About Above-Ground Pipeline Facilities
When Pennsylvania landowners think about pipeline agreements, they often focus on the buried pipeline itself. That is understandable, but it can be incomplete. Many pipeline agreements involve more than an underground line. They may also authorize above-ground facilities such as gas valves, meters, pig launchers, pig receivers, fencing, signs, access roads, communication equipment, compressor-related equipment,… Read more »
What Pennsylvania Landowners Should Know About Pipeline Depth Requirements and Burial Clauses
When Pennsylvania landowners negotiate Pipeline Right-of-Way Agreements, much of the attention focuses on: compensation, easement width, temporary work space, and restoration obligations. One issue that is often overlooked—but can create major long-term problems—is: Pipeline depth. The depth at which a pipeline is buried can significantly affect: Before signing any Pipeline Agreement, Pennsylvania landowners should carefully… Read more »
What Pennsylvania Landowners Should Know About Pipeline Easement Width and “Additional Rights” Clauses
When a Pennsylvania landowner receives a Pipeline Right-of-Way Agreement, one of the first things usually reviewed is the width of the proposed easement. The landowner may see language such as: Many landowners assume that this number defines the full scope of the company’s rights. That assumption can be dangerous. In many pipeline agreements, the stated… Read more »
What Pennsylvania Landowners Should Know Before Signing a Pipeline Addendum
When a pipeline company presents a Pipeline Right-of-Way Agreement, the landowner is often told the agreement is “standard.” In many respects, that is true. The agreement is usually a standard company-drafted form designed to protect the pipeline company—not the landowner. That is why one of the most important parts of any pipeline negotiation is the… Read more »
Can a Pennsylvania Landowner Say No to a Pipeline Right-of-Way Agreement?
When a pipeline company contacts a Pennsylvania landowner, the company representative may make the proposed agreement sound inevitable. The landowner may be told that the company needs the right-of-way, that the route has already been selected, that neighbors are signing, or that the company has the authority to proceed. That leads to one of the… Read more »
How Much Should Pennsylvania Landowners Be Paid for a Pipeline Easement or Right-of-Way Agreement?
When a pipeline company approaches a Pennsylvania landowner, one of the first questions is usually: How much should I be paid? That is the right question, but it is only the beginning. Pipeline easement compensation is not just about a price per foot, price per acre, or one-time payment. A pipeline agreement can affect a… Read more »
PA Pipeline Temporary Easement & Work Space Agreements Explained
When a pipeline company approaches a Pennsylvania landowner, most of the focus tends to be on the permanent easement—the strip of land where the pipeline will ultimately be buried. However, in many cases, the temporary easement area and work space rights may have an equal—or even greater—impact on the property. These areas are often significantly… Read more »
What Pennsylvania Landowners Should Do Before Signing a Pipeline Option Agreement
When a Pennsylvania landowner is approached by a gas or pipeline company, the paperwork is often described as a simple pipeline right-of-way agreement. But in many cases, that is not really what the company is offering. Very often, the document is actually a Pipeline Option Agreement. That distinction matters. A Pipeline Option Agreement is not… Read more »
Pipeline Survey Requests in Pennsylvania: Do You Have to Allow Access to Your Property?
Many Pennsylvania landowners first learn about a pipeline project when they receive a letter requesting permission to enter their property for a survey. These requests are often presented as routine—but they are not insignificant. Survey access is typically the first step toward a permanent pipeline easement, and how you respond can directly impact your rights,… Read more »
