Right-of-Way 101: The Pipeline Inspector’s Role With Landowners, Utilities, and Public Agencies

​Right-of-way coordination keeps pipeline projects moving, prevents damage, and protects relationships that matter long after crews leave. Pipeline inspectors and field coordinators sit at the center of that work. This guide gives you practical etiquette, clear notification timing, and damage-prevention habits you can use on your next job.

What “right-of-way” means for pipeline inspection
A right-of-way is permission to access, build, and maintain infrastructure on someone else’s land. The Pipeline Inspector’s job is to keep the work inside the permission that was granted, document what happens, and raise issues before they become conflicts or damages.

Working with landowners, etiquette that earns trust

• Show up prepared. Know the parcel, contact names, access route, and any special conditions in the agreement before you arrive.
• Introduce yourself, then purpose. Name, company, role, and why you are there. Keep it short and clear.
• Ask, then act. Confirm gates, livestock, crops, irrigation timing, and any avoidance areas.
• Keep the footprint tight. Stay inside the temporary work space and the agreed access path.
• Protect improvements. Flag fences, wells, culverts, driveways, and landscaping. Photograph before and after.
• Close the loop. Leave the property as found or better, and confirm that with the owner when work wraps.

​Useful script for a first call
“Hi, this is [Name], the pipeline inspection contact for the [Project]. We plan to enter your property on [date] between [time window]. Our access will be through [location]. If that timing or route creates a problem, please let me know. My number is [phone].”

Utilities, coordination that prevents strikes

• Call one-call early. File the locate request before mobilization, then refresh it if the window expires.
• Verify in the field. Do not rely only on paint or flags. Use potholing or soft excavation where required.
• Read the crossing agreement. Follow separation, support, cover, and monitoring that the owner requires.
• Assign a watcher. Use a dedicated spotter when working near utilities, and stop if marks do not match what you see.
• Document any exposure. Photos, depth, alignment, protective measures, and a utility representative sign-off when needed.

Public agencies, permits first, then work

• Know the owner. County road, state DOT, railroad, city water, or federal land each have different conditions.
• Carry the permit on site. Keep a copy, digital or paper, with special conditions highlighted.
• Follow time-of-day limits. Some roads restrict lane closures to specific hours.
• Mind environmental windows. Seasonal or weather restrictions may apply, for example fish windows or wetland buffers.
• Report changes. If the plan shifts, notify the agency contact before the change occurs.

​Notification timing that keeps pipeline inspection out of trouble

• Landowners. Give at least 48 to 72 hours notice before entry, more for heavy activity. Confirm in writing.
• Utilities. Submit one-call with enough lead time for all owners to respond, then verify marks on site.
• Agencies. Follow the permit for advance notice, pre-activity meetings, traffic control approvals, and lane closure requests.

Simple timeline

1. Two weeks out, confirm permits, crossing agreements, and one-call calendars
2. One week out, send owner notices, schedule pre-cons with utilities and agencies
3. 72 to 48 hours out, verify locates, confirm landowner access instructions, stage signage and controls
4. Day of work, brief the crew on constraints, verify markings and buffers, log start conditions with photos

Damage prevention wins for pipeline inspection

• White line the dig area, then verify marks. Close the gap between drawings and ground truth.
• Expose where required. Vacuum or hand dig to confirm location and depth before heavy equipment crosses or digs.
• Hold to buffers. Respect standoff distances for utilities, wetlands, cultural resources, and property limits.
• Protect surfaces. Use mats on soft ground, protect driveways and culverts, control sediment at ditches.
• Record everything. Photos with date and location, stake or flag IDs, measurements, and names of people you coordinated with.

​What the Pipeline Inspector should log in a daily report

• Who you notified, when, and how, call, text, email
• One-call ticket numbers and expiration dates
• Utility owner names on site and any sign-offs
• Permit numbers, conditions used, and agency contacts
• Landowner requests or constraints and how you handled them
• Pre-work and post-work photos from the same vantage points

Common friction points, and how to defuse them

• Access window disputes. Offer an alternate time or route, and document the change.
• Markings that do not make sense. Stop, call the utility owner, and verify before digging.
• Permit condition missed in planning. Pause the work, notify the agency, and correct the plan rather than risking a violation.
• Weather or crop damage concerns. Add mats or shift timing. Confirm in writing with the owner.

​Quick simple knowledge checks

1. When should you refresh a one-call ticket?
   A) Only after a strike
   B) When the original validity window is about to expire
   C) At the end of the project
   D) Never
   Answer, B
2. What is the right first step when markings do not match what you uncover?
   A) Continue, the map is probably right
   B) Stop, contact the utility owner, and verify
   C) Move the dig 10 feet
   D) Cover it and return tomorrow
   Answer, B

Key takeaways

• Respect for landowners, utilities, and public agencies is not just courtesy, it is a pipeline inspection control that prevents delays and claims.
• Written notices, clear timelines, and photo-rich reports protect the crew and the company.
• When in doubt, pause, verify, and document the path forward.

​Train on right-of-way coordination scenarios and build these habits into daily pipeline inspection work.
API 1169 training, https://www.velocitytrained.com/api-1169
API 1184 training, https://www.velocitytrained.com/api-1184-exam-prep