DocsData & methodology
Accuracy & limits
Buildability reads public records. Records can be wrong or out of date. Verify before you act.
What a finding means
Each finding states what the record says, at the resolution the record has. Read them that way:
| Finding | Establishes | Does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Flood zone | What FEMA’s published map shows for the lot | A survey or an elevation certificate; unmapped flood risk |
| Wetland | That the National Wetlands Inventory maps one here | A wetland delineation; jurisdictional status |
| Slope | Ground slope from USGS elevation data at the lot | Grading cost or a geotechnical finding |
| Soil ratings | The survey’s rating for the mapped soil unit | What a test pit or perc test will find on this lot |
| Utilities | Roads and power lines mapped nearby | Capacity, a right to connect, or connection cost |
| Water service | Whether a community water system’s boundary covers the point | Whether the system will serve this lot |
| Road frontage | That the outline meets a mapped road | Legal access, which is a title question |
| Zoning standards | What the quoted section of the ordinance says | Variances, pending amendments, or an official determination |
| Radon, seismic | The regional or county rating | A reading at this lot |
| Value and rent | An automated estimate from comparable records | An appraisal |
Where the record is thin
- Zoning standards exist only where the Atlas has read the district. Elsewhere the report names the district and says the standards aren’t read yet.
- Rural and unincorporated land often has no zoning layer, coarser parcel data and fewer comparable sales.
- Overlays (historic districts, special plans) can change what a district allows. The report flags the ones on record; it can’t promise it has every one.
- Timing: agencies publish on their own schedule, so a recent rezoning or map revision can take weeks to appear. Every finding shows its read date.
How the Score has been tested
The Score has been backtested against what actually got built in Austin, Texas: lots that were built on against lots that never were. That is one metro and mostly one build type, and the methodology has changed since. Treat the Score as a ranking of how much the record stands in the way, not a prediction that a permit will be issued. The Accuracy page has the study.
Before you act
- Confirm the zoning with the city or county’s zoning office. A zoning verification letter is the official answer.
- Order a survey if lot lines, easements or encroachments matter.
- Get a title report for access, easements and restrictions.
- Ask the utilities about capacity and connection.
- Commission soil or geotechnical tests where the report flags a soil limitation.
Buildability is preliminary information. It is not legal advice, an entitlement, a permit, an appraisal, an engineering opinion or an official zoning determination.
Didn’t find it? The Help Center answers account and billing questions, and Geo answers questions about a specific parcel inside the app.