If a tree stands inside Idaho Power’s recorded easement on your lot, the company can trim or remove it for line clearance without asking your permission, and it won’t send you a bill for that work. Anything outside the easement, or any cleanup the crew leaves behind, is yours to pay for.
That split confuses a lot of Ada and Canyon County homeowners, because a utility easement tree removal in Idaho looks like someone showed up and cut down “your” tree. Legally, the tree is still yours. The right to clear it, inside a mapped strip of your own yard, belongs to the utility. Here’s where that line actually falls.
Not sure whether a tree on your property sits inside an easement, or what a cut like that is going to cost you afterward? Talk to us before you plan around it.
The Quick Answer
| Situation | Who can cut it | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Branch touching or growing into a distribution line | Idaho Power only | Free, no cost to you |
| Same tree’s canopy, sections away from the wire | A tree service, once the wire side is clear | You |
| Stump left after Idaho Power’s clearance cut | Not Idaho Power’s job | You (stump grinding) |
| A tree you planted inside the mapped easement | Idaho Power may remove it during any project | No compensation |
| Dead or hazard tree entirely outside the easement | A tree service handles the whole job | You |
What Is a Utility Easement, and Why Is One Running Through Your Yard?
A utility easement is a strip of your property, usually recorded on the plat map when the subdivision was built, where a utility company keeps the legal right to install, inspect, and maintain its lines. You own the ground and the trees on it. Idaho Power owns the right to get in there and keep its equipment clear.
Around Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Eagle, and Garden City, these easements typically run 10 to 15 feet wide, centered on the power line path. Check your property’s plat map or deed, on file with the county recorder, to see exactly where yours sits and how wide it is. Ada County records are searchable through Ada County’s government offices; Canyon County properties file through Canyon County’s recorder instead.
An easement is not the same thing as Boise’s street-tree rules. A tree in the city right-of-way along the curb still falls under the street-tree permit process even if it also happens to sit near a utility line. The two systems overlap sometimes, and neither one cancels the other out.
What Idaho Power May Cut Inside the Easement, No Permission Needed
Inside the mapped corridor, Idaho Power’s vegetation management program can trim or remove anything that threatens a distribution line, on a rotating cycle that typically comes through every three to five years per area. They don’t need your sign-off first, though routine cycle work usually comes with advance notice. Emergency hazard cuts don’t wait for that.
What this covers:
- Branches growing into or within a few feet of the distribution wires
- An entire tree, if it’s judged an imminent threat to the line
- Growth that would interfere with pole or transformer access
What it does not cover: your service drop, the lower-voltage line running from the pole to your house. Idaho Power owns that wire but clearing vegetation around it is the homeowner’s job, not theirs. If a branch is contacting the service drop instead of the main line, this whole article is the wrong one to be reading. Go to our guide on what to do about a tree near power lines and call Idaho Power’s line at (208) 388-2323 first.
What You Still Owe After a Utility Easement Tree Removal
The clearance cut itself is free. Almost everything after it is not.
Stumps. Idaho Power’s crews take down the hazard and leave. Grinding the stump is on you. Depending on the diameter, that typically runs $75 to $150 for anything under 12 inches, $150 to $300 for 12 to 24 inches, and $250 to $600 or more for anything larger. Multiple stumps in one visit usually earn a volume discount.
Corrective shaping. A clearance cut is aimed at keeping wires clear, not at how the tree looks afterward. If a hard clearance prune leaves a lopsided canopy, an ISA-certified arborist can do corrective structural pruning on the parts of the tree away from the wire. That work runs in the normal trimming range, generally $150 to $2,000 or more depending on the tree’s size.
Debris and hauling. Idaho Power removes what threatens the line. What happens to the wood and chips afterward is between you and whoever you hire to clear it.
Anything outside the easement footprint entirely. If the tree sits even a few feet outside the mapped corridor, none of the free-clearance rules apply. That’s a standard tree removal or trimming job, priced the same as any other tree on your lot. Run rough numbers for your situation with our tree service cost calculator before you call anyone.
A scenario from Meridian: A homeowner off Ustick Road had a mature silver maple growing along the back fence line, straight through Idaho Power’s easement. The rotation crew came through on their scheduled cycle and cut the crown back hard on the side facing the wire, at no cost. The result looked noticeably one-sided from the yard. The homeowner later paid $650 for an arborist to do corrective structural pruning on the lower and side canopy, well away from the conductor, to even the tree back out.
Planted a Tree Inside the Easement? You May Not Get a Say, or a Check
Nothing stops a homeowner from planting inside a utility easement. Nothing obligates Idaho Power to work around it, either. If your tree, however established, sits in the mapped corridor and later interferes with a line upgrade, a transformer swap, or a hazard cut, it can come out with no compensation for the loss of the tree itself.
This is why the planting-distance guidance matters before anything goes in the ground, not after. Our guide on planting distance from property lines and fences covers the setback thinking that applies here too. If you’re unsure whether a spot on your lot is inside the corridor, that’s a five-minute question to ask before you dig, not a multi-year tree you might lose for nothing.
A scenario from Caldwell: A property off Can-Ada Road had a dead cottonwood standing inside the distribution easement along the side yard. Idaho Power flagged it as an imminent hazard during a routine inspection and removed the top-heavy trunk section at no charge. Their crew doesn’t grind stumps, so the stump sat in the yard until the homeowner paid $220 to have it ground out and the area cleaned up.
This Isn’t a Power-Line Emergency, and That’s a Different Guide
Everything above assumes you’re planning, not reacting to a branch that’s already down on a wire right now. If that’s your situation, stop reading this and go straight to tree near power lines: what to do and who to call, and call Idaho Power at (208) 388-2323 immediately. Idaho Power handles all vegetation touching or threatening a distribution line. We never trim those lines ourselves, and neither should you.
Where the two topics do connect: if an easement tree comes down in a storm and lands on a structure instead of a wire, that’s an emergency we do handle, with a same-day response on our 24/7 line. Idaho Power still gets the call first for anything touching their equipment. Once the site is safe, we can assess the rest of the damage.
A tree in the easement that hasn’t failed yet, but you’re worried about it? Request a free on-site assessment or call (509) 351-8404. We’ll tell you plainly whether it’s Idaho Power’s problem, your problem, or both.
When to Call Which Number
A short rule covers most of this. If a tree is touching, or close enough to touch, a bare distribution wire at the top of the pole, that call goes to Idaho Power, every time, no exceptions. If it’s anywhere else on your property, including inside the easement footprint but clear of the conductor, that’s a normal removal or trimming job for a licensed and insured tree crew.
Some situations are genuinely gray, especially on a tangled lot with multiple lines. When you can’t tell which category you’re in, don’t guess. Also don’t do chainsaw work above shoulder height, don’t climb, and don’t take on anything within reach of a wire yourself. Call Idaho Power to sort out jurisdiction, or call us and we’ll make that call with you standing there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Idaho Power have to notify me before cutting a tree in the easement?
For routine rotation-cycle trimming, yes, they typically notify property owners in advance. For an imminent hazard, such as a dead limb about to fail onto a line, they can act without advance notice since the safety risk doesn’t wait.
Can I stop Idaho Power from cutting a tree inside the easement?
No. The recorded easement gives them the legal right to clear vegetation that threatens their equipment, regardless of how you feel about the tree. You can ask questions and request to be present, but you can’t block the work.
Am I compensated if Idaho Power removes an entire tree, not just a branch?
Generally no, if the tree sits inside the recorded easement and the removal was for line safety. The easement exists specifically so the utility doesn’t need to negotiate or pay for that access every time.
How do I find out if a tree on my property is inside the utility easement?
Pull your property’s plat map or deed, which shows the easement’s location and width, usually 10 to 15 feet centered on the line. Ada and Canyon County records are held by each county’s recorder’s office, and a licensed and insured arborist can also do a visual read of where the corridor likely runs.
What if the tree is inside the easement but nowhere near the actual wire?
Idaho Power’s authority in the easement is tied to protecting their equipment, not general yard maintenance. A tree well clear of the conductor, even inside the mapped strip, is typically treated like any other tree on your property for removal or trimming purposes.
Utility easements are one of the few property lines most homeowners never think about until a crew shows up with a bucket truck. Knowing the boundary ahead of time, what’s free, what you still pay for, and who to call, turns a confusing morning into a five-minute phone call.
Questions about a specific tree on your lot? Call (509) 351-8404 or request a free assessment online.