Pillar field notes
Practical guides to sourcing land, screening sites, and deciding what to investigate next.
Land sourcing
6 min read
Build a parcel and ownership record for a proposed land assemblage, identify which parcels the concept depends on, and keep alternative configurations separate.
Read guide: Land assemblage: check the parcels behind a proposed housing siteSite screening
6 min read
Separate road frontage, access documents, driveway permission and site design before advancing a housing site. Includes an access evidence worksheet.
Read guide: Road frontage vs legal access: a homebuilder's checklistSite screening
5 min read
Use USDA soil survey records to document mapped limitations, preserve map-unit and report settings, and prepare questions for site-specific investigation.
Read guide: Soil surveys for land development: prepare the site investigation briefSite screening
6 min read
A builder's method for separating current zoning, future land-use policy and pending changes, with a parcel-by-parcel worksheet and fictional example.
Read guide: Zoning vs. future land use: check a housing proposal against both mapsSite screening
5 min read
A homebuilder's method for checking water and sewer will-serve responses against the proposed project, conditions, capacity reservation and remaining work.
Read guide: Will-serve letters for land development: what does the response cover?Site screening
7 min read
A homebuilder's guide to testing land development assumptions, organizing planning and site questions, and handing off a feasibility review with a worksheet.
Read guide: Land feasibility study: from a desktop screen to a reviewable planSite screening
4 min read
Reconcile gas volume, therms and billing rates before comparing commercial property expenses. Includes a worked example and a copyable review worksheet.
Read guide: CCF vs. therms: checking commercial property gas billsSite screening
4 min read
Keep parcel fields understandable when sharing a shapefile. Check shortened names, missing values and companion files with a copyable handoff worksheet.
Read guide: Sharing property data as a shapefile: an export checklistSite screening
4 min read
Check a geocoded address against parcel records before screening a site. Includes a live Census example and a copyable location-review worksheet.
Read guide: Address geocoding vs. parcel boundaries: checking a site before you map itSite screening
3 min read
Review the parcel match, citations, dates, calculations, and unresolved questions before an AI-generated report informs a site decision.
Read guide: How to check an AI-generated property research reportOwner outreach
3 min read
A California example for connecting parcel records, recorded documents, and business filings while keeping unverified ownership and contact claims separate.
Read guide: How to research an LLC property owner without confusing the recordsSite screening
3 min read
Choose the right OnTheMap analysis, preserve its geography and job settings, and avoid turning workforce counts into a customer or commute forecast.
Read guide: Using Census OnTheMap for site selection: jobs, workers, and the study area