Hard to build here. Severe slope (~40%). Check it before anything else.
Next Have a civil engineer check grading, retaining and foundation.
Mixed picture: seismically quiet, low radon, low fire risk. The score is held down by one condition: severe slope (~40%).
Score assumes no flood constraint. FEMA NFHL did not answer.
Score assumes a community water system serves this address. EPA did not answer.
Buildability reads public records. Records can be wrong or out of date. Verify before you act.
D17.04 ac
What limits this score
Severe slope (~40%) · caps this score at 45 Ground this steep routinely forces engineered foundations, retaining structures, and a geotechnical report — and some jurisdictions cap development on slopes near this grade. Budget for site engineering before anything else. (USGS 3DEP (lot-scale slope))
Bedrock within ~0 cm of the surface Shallow bedrock means blasting or rock excavation for foundations, utilities, and any septic field — a cost multiplier the listing photos never show. A geotechnical bore confirms depth at the build site. (USDA SSURGO (brockdepmin))
Septic limitation not applied — servicing unknown USDA rates this soil "Very limited" for septic absorption fields, but OpenStreetMap did not answer, so nothing here establishes whether the lot sits on an established street grid with sewer service. The septic constraint is not applied to the Score. If there is no sewer, it applies in full: a standard septic system likely fails here and an engineered system can cost tens of thousands more. Confirm service with the utility, or re-run when the street read is available. (USDA SSURGO (engstafdcd); OpenStreetMap street density did not answer)
Two or more zoning districts cross this lot The city's zoning layer puts 2 districts across this parcel. Every dimensional standard on this report — height, setbacks, coverage, lot minimum — applies to a PART of the lot, not to all of it, and which part governs a given building is a question for the planning counter. Nothing here is capped for it; the numbers are simply not lot-wide. (Municipal GIS (zoning polygons intersected with the parcel ring))
Score factors & provenance
Each factor is scored 0–100. Higher means fewer constraints.
Zoning
—
not on record
no data
Flood
—
not on record
no data
Seismic
90
Minimal risk
USGS Seismic
Soil
64
Limited
USDA SSURGO
Radon
90
Minimal risk
EPA Radon
Wildfire
85
Minimal risk
USFS WHP
Utilities
—
not on record
no data
Terrain
21
Very steep
USGS 3DEP
Lot shape
52
Irregular
Buildability engine
Computed from public federal sources by the Buildability Score engine (methodology v3) — deterministic and reproducible, not asserted. Records read September 18, 2026. Data sources · Accuracy
Informational only — not a permit, appraisal, or professional engineering opinion. Verify with your local planning department before acting on it. See Terms and data sources.
Questions about this score
What is the Buildability Score™ for 30.23648, -97.81325?
30.23648, -97.81325 carries a Buildability Score of 45 out of 100 (grade D). The score is composed from 4 weighted factors — each cited to its federal or jurisdictional source and re-runnable live on this page.
What does a grade D mean?
Grade D reads as a difficult site where at least one factor materially caps the buildable envelope. The grade is derived from the numeric score (45/100) on the published Buildability™ scale.
Which factor most affects 30.23648, -97.81325?
The weakest factor at this address is terrain — scored 21 out of 100, which reads as very steep (every factor is scored so that higher means fewer constraints). That's the factor most likely to constrain what a design can carry, and the one to inspect first before committing capital.
What's this parcel's strongest attribute?
Seismic scores 90 out of 100 — minimal risk, and the highest of the 6 factors read for this address. Higher scores mean fewer constraints, not more.
Where does the data come from?
Every factor cites the federal or jurisdictional dataset it came from — FEMA (flood), USGS (seismic), USFS (wildfire), EPA (radon), USDA/NRCS (soil), and the local jurisdiction's own zoning record where available. Sources are queried live and re-run on refresh; the score cannot outrun its data.
Does the Buildability Score account for local zoning in Austin?
When Austin's zoning record is on our roster, the score reads the jurisdiction's own dimensional standards for the district this parcel sits in. When it isn't, the zoning factor drops out rather than being estimated — which is why parcels in un-rostered jurisdictions still return a score, just one that doesn't count zoning.
Is this an official determination?
No. The Buildability Score™ is a preliminary due-diligence read, not an entitlement or permit approval. Governing bodies retain sole authority over binding land-use decisions. The score's role is to make the diligence conversation faster and better-grounded, not to replace it.
The Score above is free. The Property Report adds the owner of record, parcel number, zoning standards, value & nearby sales, and watches this parcel for 12 months. One-time, never expires, 7-day refund.Or save this parcel to a free account →
