Check these 4 things before you buy land

Photo: Jamie Hawkesworth | atmos

When you are buying land to develop, you do not need to go into the process blind. Understand who you need to hire early so that you can feel confident in the plan going forward.

1. Land Surveyor

For an empty plot of land, it starts with hiring a Land Surveyor. Their job is to mark the legal boundaries of your land so that you can understand the constraints of your project. They will also map the topography so you can communicate the complexity of the slope to your designer.

Horror story: You didn't get an up-to-date land survey, so you didn't know there was a new setback introduced by your local municipality. The designer used the old plans you provided, and now your drawings have been rejected by the government. That is on you for not having up-to-date documentation.

2. Soil Engineer or Geotechnical Engineer

Along with the Land Surveyor, hire a Soil Engineer or Geotechnical Engineer. A Soil Engineer drills holes into the ground so that you know what you’re building on. Is it solid rock, loose sand, or expansive clay? If the Soil Engineer finds bad soil, your foundation costs could double, so you should know this as soon as possible. Anything that helps you be certain about your foundation is key; it’s the hardest thing to change once it’s already poured.

3. Civil Engineer

Next is the utility audit to see if you can connect water and power. You can either do this yourself by checking with the municipality or utility company, or, if not, hire a Civil Engineer.

Start by calling your municipality or utility provider and asking, “Is this lot serviced?” If the lot is not serviced, or if the city lines are too far away, a Civil Engineer will walk you through your options. They will create a plan for how you can connect your utilities, either by installing a septic system or by creating an extension. This is the person who will design your septic and water systems.

4. Environmental Consultant

The last one is for specific cases: if you are building on a lot that could be contaminated, hire an Environmental Consultant.

This is rare and often optional. You only need to get an Environmental Consultant if you are building in an area that may be toxic. Check the public directory for all contaminated sites; each municipality will have a map where you can type in your address or lot number to see if you need a consultant.

All of these experts can be hired before you purchase the land. You can’t go around boring holes into people’s property, so usually how this works is that you make an offer conditional on the land being up to your standards in buildability, soil content, serviceability, and contamination status.

If you need a hand finding these experts in your local municipality, see Bucky's explore page or contact us for assistance.