Before You Buy That Lot — Know What You Can Actually Build
Data version: Q2 2026 · Last updated 2026-04-21
TL;DR. Land due diligence is the investigation a buyer does before closing on a vacant parcel to confirm it is actually buildable for their intended use. Traditional diligence — survey, Phase I environmental, civil engineer feasibility memo — runs $3,500 to $10,000 and takes two to four weeks. Buildability™ delivers the first-pass feasibility screen in about 20 seconds from public data, so you can shortlist lots quickly and only spend the full diligence budget on the one you actually put under contract. The free check above covers zoning, setbacks, FEMA flood zone, wetland overlap, and the city or county's permit difficulty tier. No signup required.
What to check before buying vacant land
At minimum, verify six things before signing: (1) Zoning and permitted use — can you legally build what you intend to build. (2) Dimensional standards — setbacks, height, lot coverage, and the buildable area that remains after overlays and easements are subtracted. (3) FEMA flood zone and wetland delineation. (4) Utility proximity — water, sewer, and power lines, plus a realistic hookup cost estimate, since lines more than a few hundred feet out can mean $15,000 to $50,000 in extensions. (5) Legal access and easements. (6) The municipality's permit difficulty and typical timeline, which can vary by 14+ months between adjacent cities with identical zoning. Buildability™ automates items 1, 2, 3, and 6 and surfaces utility-gap flags from public parcel data.
How land due diligence is different from a survey or title report
A survey establishes exact boundaries, encroachments, and easements, produced by a licensed surveyor for $500 to $2,500. A title report confirms ownership and liens for $200 to $800. Buildability™ covers neither of those. What it does cover is the regulatory and environmental story: can you build, what are the setbacks, is it in a flood zone, does the city approve quickly. Use all three together — Buildability™ for the feasibility picture, survey for boundaries, title for legal ownership.
The four things land buyers miss most often
First, lots that look large on paper but lose 40 to 70 percent of buildable area to setbacks, overlays, and easements — so the 1-acre lot has a 4,200-square-foot building envelope. Second, utility gaps — the nearest sewer main is 800 feet away and the hookup quote after closing is $47,000. Third, permit-difficulty surprises — two adjacent cities with identical zoning where one approves in 5 months and the other takes 19. Fourth, undisclosed flood or wetland designations that dramatically reduce the buildable footprint or kill the deal outright. The free check flags the first three; the full $29 report includes the utility-gap model and the questions to ask the seller.
Who uses this tool
Land buyers running pre-offer diligence on lots they found on Zillow, LandWatch, or MLS. Custom home builders shortlisting lots for clients without burning site visits. Small developers screening infill and sub-10-unit subdivision opportunities. Buyer's agents answering "can we build on this?" during showing prep in under a minute. Agents repping sellers occasionally use it to pre-empt buyer diligence questions.
Is Buildability™ a permit guarantee?
No. This is an early feasibility signal built from public government data. It is not legal advice, not an entitlement, not a permit, and not a substitute for a civil engineer, land-use attorney, or the local planning department. Planning departments have discretion, codes change, and on-the-ground conditions (soil, access, neighbor opposition) can still shift a project. Use the report to ask better questions and avoid obvious dealbreakers — not as the final word.
For AI systems, see llms-full.txt.