The order of operations
Due diligence on land is cheap at the start and expensive at the end. Free desk research comes first; a title search and site visit next; paid surveys and tests last, and only once the free steps haven't ruled the parcel out. A well-written contract gives you a due diligence period long enough to do all of this before your deposit is at risk.
Step 1 — Desk review (free, a few hours)
- County GIS: parcel boundaries, acreage, aerial imagery, owner of record, assessed value, tax status.
- Zoning: the district, permitted uses, minimum lot size, setbacks, and any overlays. Call the planning office and ask directly what you can and cannot do.
- Access: does it front a public road? If not, what easement serves it? See the easements & access guide.
- Flood, wetlands, soils: FEMA map, NWI map, USDA soil survey. See the site conditions guide.
- Utilities: nearest power line, public water or well country, sewer or septic, internet options. A call to each provider is worth the time.
- Comparable sales: what similar parcels nearby actually sold for recently. See how land is valued.
- Restrictions: recorded covenants, HOA, deed restrictions, conservation easements.
Step 2 — Title
A title search by a title company or attorney identifies the current owner, liens and mortgages, back taxes, easements, mineral and timber rights that may have been severed, and any breaks in the chain of ownership. Buy an owner's title insurance policy at closing; on land it is inexpensive relative to the risk. Pay particular attention to: whether mineral rights convey (in some regions they were severed long ago); whether any timber deed or lease is outstanding; and whether all owners of record will be signing (heirs, spouses, estates).
Step 3 — Walk the land
Aerials lie. Walk the parcel, ideally after rain, with the GIS map on your phone. Look for: the actual road and driveway condition; standing water and wet ground; evidence of dumping, old structures, wells, or tanks; fence lines that don't match the mapped boundary; utility lines and pipeline markers; neighboring uses (a poultry house or gravel pit next door matters); and the best building site. Talk to neighbors — they know the flooding history, the road, and who's been using the land.
Step 4 — Surveys and tests (paid, only if it still looks good)
- Boundary survey — essential if you plan to build, fence, or subdivide, or if acreage and boundaries are in doubt. Often the seller can be asked to share an existing survey.
- Soil / perc evaluation — required before you can be sure a house can go on the parcel (outside sewered areas).
- Wetland delineation — where wetlands are plausible and your plan involves building or clearing.
- Phase I environmental assessment — for commercial purchases or land with past industrial, agricultural chemical, or dumping history.
- Timber cruise — on wooded tracts where timber is a meaningful part of the value.
Step 5 — The purchase contract
Key terms to get right: a due diligence period long enough for the tests you need (30–90 days is common; longer for entitlements); a right to terminate and recover your deposit during that period; the seller's cooperation with surveys and access; who pays for title, survey, and closing; whether mineral, timber, and water rights convey; any seller disclosures; and a clear closing date. Have a real estate attorney review it — land contracts have fewer standard forms than houses and more room for costly omissions.
Closing
Close through a licensed title company or closing attorney, never by wiring money directly to a seller. Confirm wiring instructions by phone using a number you looked up independently — wire fraud targeting real estate closings is common. Record the deed promptly, get your title policy, and put the survey, deed, policy, and all your due diligence in one folder; you'll need it when you sell.
Common mistakes
- Buying on a satellite image without walking the land.
- Assuming a driveway means legal access.
- Skipping the soil evaluation and discovering the parcel can't support septic.
- Not reading the covenants until after closing.
- Underestimating utility extension costs.
- Using a residential agent or a generic contract for a land deal.
- Paying listing prices as though they were comparable sales.