California land due diligence.
California parcels rarely fail on title — they fail on entitlement. Whether the lot was legally created, whether groundwater is available, whether a Williamson Act contract is attached, and what a fire hazard severity zone does to construction cost and insurance. We answer those from the record before you commit.
Is the parcel legal? Subdivision Map Act
Plenty of California parcels were split by deed rather than by an approved map, and an illegally created parcel can be denied permits until it is cured — usually by a certificate of compliance. We confirm the parcel's legal status with the county rather than assuming an assessor's parcel number means a building site.
Groundwater, wells and SGMA
Groundwater is managed basin by basin under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, and some basins are adjudicated with pumping allocations. New well permits are restricted in parts of the Central Valley and elsewhere. We identify the basin, its groundwater sustainability agency and current county well-permit practice.
Williamson Act contracts
Land under a Williamson Act contract is taxed on agricultural use value in exchange for a restriction that renews every year. Exiting means a nine- or ten-year non-renewal wind-down, or cancellation at a fee near 12.5% of market value. We confirm enrollment from assessor records and read the contract terms.
Fire hazard severity zones
A CAL FIRE very-high severity zone brings defensible space rules, Chapter 7A ignition-resistant construction, road width and water-supply standards, and an insurance market that may price the parcel out. We pull the mapped zone and state plainly what the county typically requires inside it.
General plan, zoning and CEQA exposure
Density is capped by the less permissive of the zoning district and the general plan designation, and discretionary approvals trigger CEQA review that adds months and cost. We read both designations and the applicable ordinance, and flag when the path to a permit is discretionary rather than ministerial.
Septic, access and recorded encumbrances
On-site wastewater is governed by the state OWTS policy as each county implements it, so an old perc result may be worthless. We confirm septic feasibility rules, then read the recorded easements, road maintenance agreements and any Mello-Roos or assessment district liens against the parcel.
Want the full backstory? Read our guide to what's different about buying land in California, or start with the complete due diligence pillar.
County recorder
Deeds, easements, road maintenance agreements, certificates of compliance, Williamson Act contracts, CC&Rs and assessment district liens, recorded county by county. We pull the instruments and read them in full.
County assessor and tax collector
Parcel maps, assessed value, agricultural preserve enrollment, special assessments and Mello-Roos charges. Because Proposition 13 resets value on transfer, we underwrite taxes at your purchase price, not the seller's bill.
County planning and environmental health
General plan designation, zoning, legal-lot determinations, well permit practice and septic feasibility under the county's OWTS program. In California this office, not the listing, decides what the parcel is.
State and federal mapping
CAL FIRE hazard severity zones, SGMA basin and GSA boundaries, Division of Water Resources well logs, FEMA flood layers, wetlands inventory, Alquist-Priolo earthquake fault zones and landslide mapping.
We work from these records remotely — no site visits, no surveys, no brokerage. Every source is cited in the report so you can verify it yourself. See a sample report for the exact format.
California red flags we find most
The same handful of problems take out deals over and over. Every one of them is visible in public records before you go under contract.
- A parcel created by deed split with no certificate of compliance on file
- A Williamson Act contract nobody mentioned, with a ten-year exit
- A groundwater basin where new well permits are restricted or paused
- A very-high fire hazard severity zone that changes construction cost and insurability
- General plan designation more restrictive than the zoning the listing quotes
- An old perc result that no longer satisfies the county's current OWTS rules
- Mello-Roos or assessment district charges recorded against the parcel
California questions we get
It has its own parcel number — isn't it a legal lot?
Not necessarily. Assessor's parcel numbers exist for taxation, not for land use. If the parcel was created by deed split without an approved map, the county can refuse permits until it is cured. We ask the county for the legal-lot determination and tell you what curing it would take.
Can I drill a well?
That depends on the basin and the county. Under SGMA some basins have restricted or paused new permits, and adjudicated basins carry allocations. We identify the basin, the groundwater sustainability agency and the county's current permitting practice, and say plainly how confident that answer is.
How bad is a very-high fire hazard severity zone?
It is a cost and insurability question more than a build-or-not question. Expect defensible space requirements, Chapter 7A construction standards, road and water-supply conditions, and a narrower insurance market. We put the mapped zone and the county's requirements in the report so the number is in your model early.
Do you do site visits in California?
No. Landisle is a records-based research practice — deeds, parcel maps, general plans, county environmental health records and state mapping, worked remotely. Where a parcel needs a survey, delineation or soil work, the report names the specialist and the exact question to ask them.
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Land due diligence: the complete guide — our full hub of land research guides, from title and access to soils, zoning and cost.