Buy the lot, not the problems.
A licensed civil engineer checks access, flood, wetlands, soils, septic, slope, utilities and zoning on the lot you're considering, then gives you a clear verdict and an estimated site-work cost range in 3–5 business days.
The Dirt Report: know the dirt before you buy.
The answers before the offer.
The Dirt Report is our residential lot screening: seven pages, prepared by a licensed PE, covering the same ground in the same order so you can compare lots side by side. Page one gives the verdict, the scorecard and the estimated cost to make the lot buildable. The rest shows the site layout, the costs line by line, the findings, the maps and what to check before you buy.
Can you get a driveway in?
Road frontage, legal access, who issues the driveway permit, and whether a culvert is needed.
Where does the water go?
FEMA flood zone, mapped wetlands and wet soils, which way the lot drains, where stormwater can discharge, and any county drains.
Will a septic system work?
Soil series and drainage class, the likely system type, and what the health department will require.
How much of the lot is usable?
Lidar-based slope, low spots, and the building area left after setbacks and constraints.
Power, water, and is a home allowed?
Distance to power, where public water, sanitary and storm sewer lines are mapped (or whether you'll need a well and septic), gas and internet availability, and the zoning rules for a single-family home.
How would a house fit?
A sketch of where the house, septic, well, drive and drainage likely go, with the key facts about the lot.
Ready to build, needs some work, or not recommended
Set by how much more this lot costs to make buildable than a typical one, with the key findings behind it.
Low end, expected and high end
Planning-level estimates for driveway, fill, septic, well, power and drainage, plus allowances for survey and permits, and a clear list of what isn't included. Not contractor quotes.
A checklist of what to confirm
The specific calls and checks this lot still needs, so you can write them into your offer.
The listing price is only the start.
This sample is a 3.66-acre farm-field lot in Van Wert County, Ohio, priced like an affordable homesite. The screening shows why it isn't so easy. Address and listing details are left out.
A house can go here. Expect about $27,600 more in site work than a typical lot, mostly for the septic and drainage.
Key findings
- The soil is very poorly drained clay with a seasonal water table at the surface, so a conventional septic system won't work.
- A mound system with a perimeter drain is the likely path, and the drain needs a year-round outlet.
- The lot fronts a four-lane divided highway, so the driveway should come off the side road.
| Item | Low end | Expected | High end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Septic: evaluation, design, mound, permit | $19,100 | $26,950 | $38,100 |
| Water: drilled well and permit | $8,200 | $12,300 | $18,400 |
| Driveway, 150 ft gravel | $5,400 | $9,000 | $14,400 |
| House pad fill, ~250 cu yd | $4,500 | $7,000 | $10,000 |
| Power extension and service | $3,250 | $5,750 | $9,000 |
| Perimeter drain | $2,000 | $4,000 | $7,000 |
| Culvert and drive permit | $1,600 | $3,300 | $5,800 |
| Contingency | $4,405 | $10,245 | $20,540 |
| Estimated site work | $48,455 | $78,545 | $123,240 |
| Allowances: survey and permits | $2,000 | $4,000 | $7,000 |
| Total with allowances | $50,455 | $82,545 | $130,240 |
Planning-level estimates from typical regional unit costs, for comparing lots. Not included: the house, basement and garage, gas and internet service, landscaping, and financing. Actual costs depend on contractor bids and permit requirements.
Built for the people who buy, sell and build on land
Lot buyers
Find out what a lot will really cost before you make an offer, and write the right contingencies into it.
Realtors listing land
Attach a screening to the listing. It answers "can I build here?" before a buyer walks away.
Builders and home dealers
Get an estimate of the site-work cost before you quote the house, so the deal doesn't fall apart over the septic system.
One report per use, one flat price
Every residential report includes everything: the verdict, every site check, a site-work cost estimate and a before-you-buy checklist. Each report includes up to three revisions to correct clerical errors.
Single-family homesites up to 40 acres, in Indiana and Ohio.
- Verdict, scorecard and key findings
- Access, flood, wetlands, drainage, soils, septic, slope, utilities, zoning
- Site layout sketch
- Cost estimate with survey and permit allowances
- Before-you-buy checklist
- 3–5 business days; rush in 2 for +$50
Retail, office, storage and small commercial pads, up to 25 acres. Larger sites priced by quote.
- Location of public water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer near the site
- Stormwater and drainage outlets
- Access, curb cuts and truck movements
- Allowed uses, parking, lot coverage
- Constraints and red flags
- Cost estimate by quote ($750)
- 5–10 business days
Warehouse, manufacturing and heavy-use sites, up to 50 acres. Larger sites priced by quote.
- Everything in Commercial
- Test fit: how much building the site can hold
- Heavy truck routes and access
- Larger stormwater and fill needs
- Cost estimate by quote ($1,500)
- At least 5 business days; we confirm the date after the first review
Commercial and industrial sites in Ohio
For buyers and developers sizing up a commercial pad or an industrial site. The Dirt Report comes in Commercial and Industrial editions for Ohio. The Commercial edition is $500 per lot for sites up to 25 acres and takes 5–10 business days. The Industrial edition is $1,000 for sites up to 50 acres and takes at least 5 business days; we confirm the exact date after the first review. Larger sites are priced by quote. Both focus on constraints and red flags. Site-work cost estimates are a separate order: $750 for a commercial site, $1,500 for an industrial site.
What a commercial or industrial screening looks at
- Location of public water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer near the site
- Stormwater needs and drainage outlets
- Truck access, turning movements and curb cuts
- Permitted uses, lot coverage, parking and setbacks
- Flood, wetlands, soils and buildable area
We report where utility lines are, based on public mapping. We don't report connection capacity, which only the utility can confirm.
Questions about a site? Email info@heartlandsitescreening.com with the parcel and what you plan to build.
Common questions
Is this a survey, perc test or site design?
No. It's a desktop screening built from public records: county parcel data, FEMA flood maps, NRCS soil data, wetland inventories, lidar elevation and zoning rules. It tells you what to expect and what still needs to be confirmed in the field. It doesn't replace a survey, soil evaluation or permit.
How fast will I get it?
Residential reports arrive within 3–5 business days after payment and complete parcel information, or within 2 with rush. Commercial reports take 5–10 business days. Industrial reports take at least 5 business days; after the first review we email you the exact delivery date. If we miss a rush deadline, we refund the $50 rush fee.
Where do you work?
Residential lots in Indiana and Ohio, and commercial and industrial sites in Ohio. Commercial and industrial reports screen for constraints and red flags; cost estimates are available by quote for both.
How accurate are the cost estimates?
Residential reports include planning-level estimates built from typical regional prices for driveways, septic systems, wells, power and drainage, adjusted for what the screening finds. Survey and permit fees are shown separately as allowances because they vary by community. The estimates are meant for comparing lots and setting a budget, not as contractor quotes. Get bids before you commit to a purchase.
How do you decide the verdict?
Each factor is rated against a typical homesite in the area, so a well and septic on a rural lot count as normal. A problem that can't reasonably be fixed, like no legal access, makes the lot Not recommended. Otherwise, the verdict comes from how much more the lot costs to make buildable than a typical version of it: under 10% is Ready to build, 10 to 30% is Needs some work, and over 30% is Not recommended. Commercial and industrial sites are automatically Not recommended with no legal access or not enough building area outside the floodplain; otherwise the engineer sets the verdict from the findings.
Do you confirm utility capacity?
No. We report where public water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer lines are, based on public mapping. Whether a line can serve your project depends on information only the utility has, so confirm capacity and tap availability with the utility directly.
How does the partner pack work?
Buy a pack of five residential reports for $995. When you have a lot, choose The Dirt Report on the order form and enter your pack number with the parcel; there's nothing to pay. Rush is available on any pack report for $50. Packs are good for six months.
Can I attach a report to a listing?
Yes. Realtors and sellers can attach a report they ordered to the property's listing, and the partner pack makes that $199 per lot. The report is prepared for the person who ordered it, so a buyer who wants to rely on it should order their own.
What if something in the report is wrong?
Each report includes up to three revisions to correct clerical errors, such as a wrong parcel number or a value copied incorrectly. Email us within 30 days of delivery. Reports are non-refundable once paid.
Order a screening
- Tell us about the lotParcel number or listing link, county, and anything you already know about it.
- Pay securelyYou'll go to a secure checkout page. Payment confirms the order.
- Get your reportA PDF by email within 3–5 business days, or 2 with rush.
Order received
Calvin Tims, PE
I'm a civil site engineer and licensed Professional Engineer in Indiana and Ohio, based out of Van Wert, Ohio. My day-to-day work is site development: grading, drainage, utilities and getting sites through permitting.
I started Heartland Site Screening because most of the questions that sink a development could have been answered from the beginning. Most buyers just don't know where to look. Every Dirt Report is assembled by me personally.