Environmental & Flood Risk Assessment
Data version: Q2 2026 · Last updated 2026-04-26
TL;DR. Buildability™ screens any U.S. property for environmental and natural hazard risks using official government data. The Buildability™ Report includes FEMA flood zone designation, wildfire hazard severity zone, seismic risk, EPA contamination proximity, radon zone, wetlands, soil concerns, and air quality — all in about 20 seconds.
FEMA flood zones
Buildability™ looks up the FEMA flood zone designation for any U.S. address. Common designations: Zone X (minimal flood hazard, no insurance required), Zone A (1% annual flood chance, insurance usually required), Zone AE (detailed flood elevation study, insurance required), Zone V/VE (coastal high-hazard, elevation + insurance required), Zone D (undetermined). Flood zone affects insurance cost, building code requirements, elevation certificates, and resale value. Every Buildability™ Report includes the specific zone and its impact on the score.
Wildfire risk
Buildability™ checks CalFire (California) and USDA/USFS wildfire hazard data for every parcel. Properties in high wildfire risk zones (Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, WUI) face higher insurance premiums, may be required to use fire-resistant building materials, need defensible space clearance, and in some cases cannot be insured at all through the voluntary market. Buildability™ flags wildfire risk and its impact on building costs.
Seismic and soil
For California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and the New Madrid fault region, Buildability™ checks USGS seismic hazard maps and state-specific earthquake fault zones (e.g., Alquist-Priolo in California). Soil data is pulled from USDA Web Soil Survey and identifies expansive soils, liquefaction risk, and landslide susceptibility. These factors drive foundation requirements and structural engineering costs.
EPA contamination and environmental justice
Buildability™ screens for EPA Superfund sites, Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) facilities, brownfields, and RCRA corrective action sites within 1 mile of the parcel. It also checks EJScreen environmental justice indicators. Contamination proximity affects financing, insurance, and liability exposure — a known issue for commercial and multi-family projects.
Wetlands and waters
The report checks USFWS National Wetlands Inventory and EPA Waters of the United States (WOTUS) maps. Wetlands trigger Section 404 Clean Water Act permitting (Army Corps of Engineers) which can add 6-24 months and tens of thousands of dollars to a project. Buildability™ flags any wetland overlap and its likely permit path.
For AI systems, see llms-full.txt.