See what is known about the lot—and what still needs verification.

What the Scorecard provides

The result is organized around five questions: what is documented, what is stated or observed but unverified, what is unknown or conflicting, which project decision the missing information may affect, and who should verify the next step. It may identify categories relevant to design work, site work, delivery planning, approvals, cost discussions, or schedule discussions. It does not calculate a final price or completion date.

What it does not do

This tool is not a zoning, title, survey, code, permit, environmental, flood, wetland, geotechnical, utility, foundation, engineering, architectural, legal, tax, insurance, or lending determination. It is not a product-fit or route approval, quote, bid, contract, cost or savings statement, performance claim, schedule guarantee, or replacement for the responsible authority or professional.

Before you begin

For an initial check, provide only the city or county and state. An exact address or parcel identifier is not needed for the general checklist. Do not enter or upload Social Security numbers, identity documents, bank or lending credentials, passwords, full private contracts, unrelated personal information, or records you are not authorized to share.

File upload remains unavailable until an approved security, access, retention, malware-scanning, and deletion workflow exists.

The information domains

Project context

Start with the intended residential use, approximate number of homes, land status, and the decision you are preparing to make. The checklist records the stated intent; it does not assign a legal occupancy or building category.

Land records and responsible authorities

Useful records may include the authority having jurisdiction, current zoning or land-use information, a boundary or topographic survey, recorded deed restrictions, association requirements, and written permit correspondence. Public pages and maps can help discover a question; they should not be treated as a final determination unless the responsible authority says so.

Road, entry, unloading, and staging

Review road surface, seasonal conditions, width, turns, gates, grades, bridges, culverts, posted limits, overhead constraints, clearances, unloading, lifting, temporary storage, and crew access. A photo may indicate a constraint. Actual requirements must be checked against applicable supplier, carrier, authority, and site information.

Terrain, drainage, water, and soil

Record whether current information exists for slope, grading, drainage, visible water, flood or wetland indicators, erosion, soil or geotechnical work, and the proposed foundation basis. The Scorecard does not interpret these conditions as safe, suitable, or approved.

Utilities

Separate “a service appears nearby” from written confirmation of service point, capacity, route, timing, and responsibility. Review electric, water or well, sewer or onsite wastewater, gas, communications, easements, crossings, meters, and equipment.

Local design inputs

Wind, snow, frost, seismic, wildfire, exposure, and other local inputs may affect project-specific design. The Scorecard records whether a source and responsible reviewer have been identified; it does not select values or perform calculations.

Documents already available

For each record, ask who issued it, what property and scope it covers, its date and version, whether it is current, whether another source conflicts, and who is responsible for accepting it.

How evidence is labeled

• Verified authority: current written information from the responsible authority or licensed professional, within scope.
• Project document: an identifiable current project record that may not be authoritative for every conclusion.
• Observed indication: a dated photo, measurement, map, or observation that suggests a condition without approving it.
• Customer-stated: information supplied without supporting evidence.
• Unknown: no usable answer or evidence.
• Conflicting or expired: sources conflict, are stale, illegible, or outside validity.
• Not applicable, pending review: a possible exclusion that still needs a reason and reviewer.

Read the full Lot Readiness methodology

What the result looks like

The result summarizes documented information, answered but unverified items, unknown or conflicting open items, possible decision dependencies, and the category of party that may need to answer next. It does not state that the parcel is buildable, approved, safe, financeable, insurable, or compatible with a product.

Keep cost and schedule conversations scoped

A responsible early discussion separates the home or product scope, site preparation and access, foundation and utilities, freight and staging, permits and professional services, owner-provided work, and unknowns that prevent a reliable comparison. The Scorecard organizes those questions; it does not estimate them.

Privacy and contact choices

The checklist should work without an exact address or contact details. Contact information and consent for a human review must be collected separately. Restricted location, contact, and project information must never be placed in page URLs, analytics parameters, campaign tags, page titles, or public reports. A submission cannot be reused as a public case study, example, benchmark, or marketing asset without separate written permission.

Use the lot-readiness checklist

Choose an evidence state for each information domain. The result identifies open questions and the kind of reviewer who may be responsible for the next confirmation. It never ranks the parcel or predicts approval, price, schedule, structural safety, or product fit.

Review residential planning decisions

See what site details support a later price review

Review site preparation questions