A point, a set of radii, and the public record
1. You choose the point
Enter coordinates, or an address. Addresses are matched with the US Census geocoder, which interpolates along streets and can be a few kilometres off in rural areas. We show the matched point on a map so you can confirm it before anything else happens. For raw land, use coordinates for the spot that matters most, such as the house site.
2. We check coverage first
Before any purchase, the free preview tells you how many checks returned a value at that point, how many found nothing mapped, and which sources had no data. For example, California fire-hazard maps only cover California, and some rural counties have no digital FEMA flood map. If too much core data is missing, we say so rather than sell a thin report.
3. The checks
Each check is either at the point itself, or a search within a stated radius. A "nothing found" result means nothing was mapped within that radius in that dataset. It doesn't mean nothing is there.
| Search area | Checks |
|---|---|
| At the point | Flood zone, slope, elevation, soils, wetland and stream at the pin, protected area, critical habitat, CAL FIRE zone, landslide and karst, seismic and wind design values |
| Census tract | FEMA National Risk Index wildfire, tornado and hail frequency (a tract-wide average) |
| 500 m | Nearest mapped road, mapped wetlands |
| 1 km | Open leaking underground storage tank sites |
| 2 km | Nearest named waterbody |
| 8 km | Superfund sites, EPA brownfields, underground storage tank facilities |
| 10 km | Dams and high-hazard dams, substations, EPA risk-management facilities, USGS groundwater wells |
| 50 km | Fire station, hospital, school, grocery store, water and sewer service areas, documented orphaned wells |
| No limit | Nearest high-voltage transmission line, major road, interstate gas pipeline, airport and Census urban area |
4. The report
Findings are grouped into Hazards, Terrain & soils, Infrastructure & access, and Environment. Each one is labelled Look closer, Context, No flag or No data. Where we use a cut-off, such as 8° and 15° for slope, the report says it's a rule of thumb. Below each section, an evidence table lists every value with its source, dataset version, date retrieved and a confidence label. The report ends with what we checked, what we didn't, and what data was missing. See the sample report.
5. Where the data comes from
Federal datasets from FEMA, USGS, USDA, EPA, USFWS, the Census Bureau, FCC and others, plus OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps. The full list and licences are on the data sources page. None of these agencies or projects endorses this product.
What the screen doesn't do
- It doesn't look at the whole parcel, its boundaries, title, easements, zoning or permits.
- It isn't a Phase I environmental site assessment, survey, appraisal, elevation certificate, soil test or perc test.
- It can't see local distribution power lines, driveways, legal access, wells or mineral rights.
- Maps lag behind the ground. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
Price
The preview is free. The full report will be $29 per location. That's an initial test price and full reports aren't on sale yet. Pricing.
Looking at a piece of land?
Drop a pin or enter an address. The preview is free and shows what we can and can't see there.