Land · Free Tool
8 items that determine whether a piece of raw land is buildable. Check each one before you sign anything. Based on my real 10-acre development.
Determines what you can build.
Why it matters
Determines what you can build. Residential, agricultural, commercial, mixed-use — the zone dictates your options. If the land is zoned agricultural and you want to build a house, you may need a variance or rezone, which can take months or get denied.
How to check
Call the county planning department directly. Do not trust the listing description or the seller. Ask for the exact zoning designation, the permitted uses, the setback requirements, and whether any rezoning applications are pending nearby.
Tips
Your notes
You must have a legal right to drive to your land.
Why it matters
You must have a legal right to drive to your land. Sounds obvious until you find out the 'road' on the plat map is a neighbor's driveway and they can gate it tomorrow. Deeded access, recorded easement, or a public road — nothing else counts.
How to check
Review the deed and title report for any recorded easements. Check whether the road is public (maintained by the county) or private. If private, get the easement document and confirm it runs with the land, not with a specific owner.
Tips
Your notes
If you cannot get water on the land, you cannot build on it.
Why it matters
If you cannot get water on the land, you cannot build on it. In rural areas this usually means drilling a well. Wells are expensive, and there is no guarantee of hitting water. You need to know what the aquifer looks like before you buy.
How to check
Talk to a local well driller (not a general contractor — a well driller). Ask them: how deep are wells in this area, what are the typical flow rates, and have they ever drilled a dry hole nearby. Also check the state well logs database — most states have public records of every permitted well with depth and flow data.
Tips
Your notes
The perc test determines whether the soil can absorb water from a septic system.
Why it matters
The perc test determines whether the soil can absorb water from a septic system. If the soil doesn't perc, you either need an expensive alternative system (mound, ATU) or the land is unbuildable. This is the single most common deal-killer on raw land.
How to check
Hire a licensed septic designer or soil scientist to perform the perc test. They dig test holes, pour water in, and measure how fast it drains. Results determine which type of septic system is allowed. Your county health department sets the rules.
Tips
Your notes
How far is the nearest utility pole? The utility company charges per foot to trench power to your building site.
Why it matters
How far is the nearest utility pole? The utility company charges per foot to trench power to your building site. 500 feet is affordable ($4,000-$6,000). 2,000 feet starts hurting ($24,000+). 5,000 feet might justify off-grid solar instead.
How to check
Call the local utility company. Give them the parcel number and ask for an estimate to run service. They will tell you the distance, the cost per foot, and whether a new transformer is needed (transformers add $5,000-$15,000).
Tips
Your notes
If the land is in a FEMA flood zone, your insurance costs explode, your permit requirements change dramatically, and your buildable area may shrink to a fraction of the parcel.
Why it matters
If the land is in a FEMA flood zone, your insurance costs explode, your permit requirements change dramatically, and your buildable area may shrink to a fraction of the parcel. Not a guaranteed deal-killer, but a massive cost multiplier.
How to check
Check FEMA's Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov). Enter the address or coordinates. Zones A and AE are high-risk. Zone X is low-risk. Zone D means not studied — you are on your own.
Tips
Your notes
Wetlands are federally protected under the Clean Water Act.
Why it matters
Wetlands are federally protected under the Clean Water Act. If the Army Corps of Engineers has designated any part of your land as wetlands, you cannot fill, grade, or build on that area without a permit that is extremely difficult (and sometimes impossible) to get. This can kill a project permanently.
How to check
Check the US Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory (fws.gov/wetlands/). Also check with your state environmental agency. For certainty, hire an environmental consultant to do a formal wetlands delineation.
Tips
Your notes
The plat map is not the property boundary.
Why it matters
The plat map is not the property boundary. Fences are not the property boundary. Only a licensed survey is the property boundary. Without a survey, you might build on your neighbor's land, encroach on an easement, or discover the 'road frontage' is 10 feet narrower than you thought.
How to check
Hire a licensed surveyor in your state. They will locate the corners with GPS, mark them with stakes or pins, and produce a certified survey plat. This document is your legal proof of the property boundaries.
Tips
Your notes
Export
Plain text file with all 8 items, your status marks, and your notes. Share it with your attorney, your lender, or yourself in 6 months.
Stay updated
The blog post behind this tool covers every item in depth — plus well costs, septic systems, and the full math on a real 10-acre development.
Eight critical due diligence items: zoning, legal access, water viability, perc test for septic, power distance, flood zone status, wetlands designation, and boundary survey.
Typically 4 to 8 weeks. The perc test and survey are the longest lead-time items. Start all items in parallel.
Depends on which one. A failed perc test means a more expensive septic system. A wetlands designation could kill the project. The checklist flags severity per item.
The 8 items are universal across all US states. Specific requirements vary by county. Call your county planning office for local details.