What we check
Every PeckCheck report runs your parcel through federal, state, and county public data sources — then turns complex land records into a plain-English buildability snapshot. The analysis itself runs on official records; any listing text you paste is used only to find the right parcel.
Parcel & boundary
We pull the exact parcel boundary, address, and acreage straight from the county assessor's official GIS — and, where a county doesn't publish its own, from the statewide parcel system. That's the official county parcel record, not an approximate pin.
Flood risk
FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer — we flag Special Flood Hazard Areas, the regulatory floodway (where building is effectively prohibited), and coastal high-hazard zones, so you know the insurance and elevation requirements before you commit.
Terrain & slope
USGS 3DEP elevation — we sample the grade across the parcel to surface steep ground that drives up foundation, driveway, and septic costs (or makes a site unbuildable).
Wetlands
U.S. Fish & Wildlife National Wetlands Inventory — mapped wetlands trigger federal Section 404 permits and protective buffers. We tell you if any sit on your parcel.
Soil & septic suitability
USDA NRCS SSURGO soils — a preliminary read on whether the ground can support a conventional septic drainfield (critical for any parcel without public sewer).
Wildfire
USDA Forest Service Wildland-Urban Interface data — your parcel's wildfire-risk classification and whether it falls inside a WUI zone.
Conservation & coastal barriers
USGS PAD-US protected areas and the USFWS Coastal Barrier Resources System — land where private development is restricted or where federal flood insurance and loans are barred.
Buildable envelope
We compute how much usable area actually remains after setbacks — and whether there's room for both a house pad and a septic field — using the real parcel geometry.
Zoning, permits, utilities & HOA — AI deep research
An AI research layer searches county zoning resolutions, environmental-health and septic-permit records, registers of deeds, utility districts, and fire departments to answer the questions raw GIS can't: Is this use allowed by right? Is there legal access? Public sewer or septic? Any HOA/CC&R restrictions?
Home types & animals
Beyond a stick-built house, we assess the alternative ways to live on the land — manufactured, modular, tiny home, shipping-container, barndominium, full-time RV, and multi-family — and whether the parcel suits animals and livestock such as chickens, goats, horses, and more. Each gets its own friction status based on zoning, deed/HOA rules, and site conditions.
Buildability snapshot
We combine it all into one buildability audit — with hard blockers (floodway, mapped wetlands, unbuildable slope, protected land) called out clearly, and cost/insurance concerns flagged honestly.