Strategy
Pre-Purchase Property Assessment
Know what you can build on a parcel before you commit to buying it.
Strategy
Pre-Purchase Property Assessment
We assess a property's development potential and permit complexity before the purchase closes. The report covers zoning and entitlement analysis, permit history review, proposed scope feasibility, and a clear summary of risks and opportunities. Designed to be delivered before the inspection contingency expires.
Zoning Exposure
Is the intended use permitted by right?
Permit History
Are there open permits or unpermitted work on record?
Development Constraints
Do setbacks, FAR, or easements limit the scope?
What buyers discover too late
The surprises that kill deals.
Each of these scenarios is preventable. None of them show up in a standard inspection report.
Zoning does not allow the intended use. The buyer closes, then discovers a variance is required or the use is prohibited outright.
A prior addition was built without permits. The city requires full documentation or partial demolition before any new permit will be issued.
Setback violations prevent the planned expansion. The footprint cannot grow in the direction the project required.
Discretionary review is triggered. What looked like a 90-day permit process becomes a six-month public hearing timeline.
Variances were not in the budget. The project proceeds on incorrect assumptions and carries costs that were never modeled.
The Assessment Process
Five areas.
One written report.
The assessment works through a defined sequence. Every area is documented in writing and delivered as a single report before your inspection contingency expires.
Parcel and Title Review
We review the parcel dimensions, legal description, easements, and any title encumbrances that affect what can be built on the property.
Zoning and Entitlement Analysis
We confirm the zoning designation, permitted uses, development standards, and any overlay requirements that apply to the parcel and your intended project scope.
Permit History Review
We pull the available permit history for the property to identify unpermitted additions, open permits, expired permits, or prior plan check issues that could affect your project.
Proposed Scope Feasibility Check
We evaluate whether your intended project scope is feasible under the current zoning, development standards, and permit requirements for the parcel.
Risk and Opportunity Summary
All findings are synthesized into a written summary of risks (conditions that could cost money or delay the project) and opportunities (conditions that support your intended use or add development potential).
Deliverables
What the report contains.
Parcel Analysis Report
A written summary covering parcel dimensions, easements, encumbrances, and any conditions affecting buildable area.
Zoning and Entitlement Summary
Confirmed zoning designation, permitted uses, development standards, overlay requirements, and ADU eligibility if applicable.
Permit History Summary
A review of available permit records with notes on unpermitted conditions, open permits, and any prior plan check issues.
Proposed Scope Feasibility Notes
An assessment of whether your intended project is feasible as described, including any scope adjustments required for zoning or code conformance.
Risk and Opportunity Matrix
A clear summary of conditions that represent risk (cost, delay, or complexity) and conditions that support the investment thesis.
Consultant Referral List
A list of consultants your team will need to engage once the purchase closes, with notes on engagement timing.
Who This Is For
Before you close, not after.
Real Estate Investors
Verify development potential and assess permit complexity before committing to an acquisition.
Property Developers
Confirm entitlement assumptions and identify risk exposure before the purchase agreement is executed.
General Contractors
Evaluate a property you are considering purchasing or advising a client on before work is scoped.
Individual Buyers
Understand exactly what your intended renovation or addition project requires before the purchase closes.
Continue Exploring
Related services.
- Strategy
Zoning and Code Research Report
Know exactly what your parcel allows before a single drawing is made.
- Strategy
Feasibility Study
A written site analysis that answers one question before you commit: can this project be built?
- Strategy
Permit Pathway Analysis
Every permit required. Every agency involved. Every timeline, written down.
Order a pre-purchase assessment.
Provide the property address and your intended project scope. We deliver the written report before your inspection contingency expires.