Land due diligence checklist: the 47-point guide for buyers.
Every item we verify before telling a client a parcel is safe to buy. Read it here in full, or take the PDF with you to the county office.
Why a land buying checklist matters
Houses get inspections. Raw land gets a photo and an asking price. Most of what decides whether a parcel is buildable, financeable and worth the money sits in county records, FEMA maps and soil surveys that never appear in a listing.
This is the working checklist behind every Landisle report — 47 checks across seven areas. Nothing here is proprietary. Work through it yourself, or hire us to do it and hand you a written report with sources.
- Ownership & title8
- Parcel identity & boundaries6
- Zoning & land use8
- Access & road frontage5
- Water, flood & environment8
- Utilities & services6
- Money & closing6
- Total checks47
Ownership & title
Before anything else, confirm the seller can actually convey what they are advertising.
- Confirm the seller of record matches the current recorded deed owner
- Pull the deed history back at least two transfers for breaks in the chain
- Check for recorded liens, judgments and mechanic's liens against the parcel
- Look for unpaid property taxes or an active tax-sale certificate
- Identify recorded easements crossing the parcel and who benefits from them
- Read any deed restrictions, covenants or HOA documents in full
- Verify whether mineral, timber or water rights were previously severed
- Check for life estates, heirs' property or probate issues on inherited land
Parcel identity & boundaries
A surprising share of listings describe a parcel that does not match the record.
- Match the APN / parcel ID to the county assessor record
- Compare the legal description against the county GIS boundary
- Confirm the deeded acreage against the assessor's acreage
- Note whether a recorded survey or plat exists, and its date
- Look for evidence of encroachments: fences, drives, outbuildings, crops
- Check whether the parcel is landlocked or split by a road or waterway
Zoning & land use
Zoning decides whether your plan is legal before it decides whether it is affordable.
- Record the current zoning designation and its permitted uses
- Confirm your intended use is permitted by right, not just by variance
- Check minimum lot size, setbacks and maximum lot coverage
- Verify whether the parcel can be subdivided, and to what density
- Look for overlay districts: historic, agricultural, conservation, airport
- Check for an agricultural or forestry tax exemption and its rollback penalty
- Review the county comprehensive plan for pending rezoning in the area
- Confirm whether short-term rentals, RVs or mobile homes are allowed
Access & road frontage
Legal access and physical access are two different questions. Ask both.
- Confirm legal access: public road frontage or a recorded access easement
- Confirm physical access: is there an existing drivable route today?
- Identify who maintains the access road and whether an agreement exists
- Check driveway permit requirements and culvert or apron costs
- Note distance from the parcel to the nearest county-maintained paved road
Water, flood & environment
This is where the most expensive surprises live.
- Look up the FEMA flood zone and the effective FIRM panel date
- Identify mapped wetlands via the National Wetlands Inventory
- Check for streams, ponds, springs and their regulatory buffers
- Review the NRCS soil survey for septic suitability and building limitations
- Check the topography and slope for usable buildable area
- Search for known contamination, landfills or storage tanks nearby
- Check for protected species or habitat designations on or near the parcel
- Look at wildfire, sinkhole, subsidence or erosion risk for the region
Utilities & services
Price the connection, not the proximity.
- Locate the nearest electric service and get a run-cost estimate per foot
- Determine water source: public tap, shared well, or new well and its depth
- Confirm septic feasibility, and whether a perc test has been done
- Check natural gas, propane delivery and internet or fixed-wireless coverage
- Identify the fire district, response distance and its ISO rating
- Confirm the school district and emergency services serving the address
Money & closing
Finally, the numbers that decide whether the parcel is worth it.
- Review the current assessed value and the last three years of tax bills
- Estimate the reassessed tax bill after a sale at your purchase price
- Pull comparable vacant-land sales within a defensible radius
- Estimate total site-prep cost: clearing, drive, well, septic, power
- Confirm financing options — most lenders treat raw land differently
- Budget for survey, title insurance, closing costs and recording fees
Land due diligence checklist FAQs
Is the land due diligence checklist free to download?
Yes. The full 47-point checklist is printed on this page and the PDF is a free download — no payment and no account required. Leaving your email also gets you a full redacted sample report.
What does a land due diligence checklist cover?
Seven areas: ownership and title, parcel identity and boundaries, zoning and land use, access and road frontage, water and flood and environment, utilities and services, and money and closing. Together that is 47 individual checks.
How long does it take to work through the checklist yourself?
Most buyers need one to three weeks for a single parcel. County record access is the main variable — some counties publish deeds and GIS online, others require an in-person records request.
Do I need this checklist if I am buying land with a real estate agent?
Yes. An agent represents a transaction, not the parcel's buildability. Nothing on this checklist is produced automatically for raw land the way an inspection and appraisal are for a house.
What if I want someone else to run the checklist?
We run all 47 checks and deliver a written report with sources and a plain-English recommendation. Every report is quoted flat-fee per parcel — no commission and no percentage of the sale price.
Take the 47-point checklist with you
Enter your email and we'll send the printable PDF plus a full redacted sample report. One email, no newsletter.
One email with the file. No newsletter, no spam.
Land due diligence: the complete guide — our full hub of land research guides, from title and access to soils, zoning and cost.
Rather not spend three weeks in county records? We run all 47 checks and deliver a written report with sources and a plain-English recommendation. See pricing or read a sample report.
Related guides: land due diligence explained, how to buy land and running a land title search.