How the score works
Each answer carries a risk weight drawn from what actually costs land buyers money. Legal access is weighted heaviest because a parcel you cannot lawfully reach fails at any price — it is the one flaw with no workaround and no discount that makes it worthwhile. Septic feasibility comes next: a failed perc on build-intent ground turns a homesite into a campsite, and it is discoverable for a few hundred dollars before you buy.
The scorecard is a screen, not a substitute for diligence. It tells you which parcels deserve the full 21-point checklist and which deserve a pass. Nothing here replaces a survey, a title commitment, or a conversation with the county.
What each red flag actually costs
Landlocked parcel: an easement negotiated after purchase costs whatever the neighbour decides it costs, and sometimes it is not for sale at any price. Verify access in recorded documents before offering — the easement guide covers what counts.
Failed or absent perc: a perc test runs $150–$500 and answers whether the ground will take a septic system. Engineered or mound systems can rescue marginal soil at $15,000–$30,000; some ground cannot be rescued at all. Full protocol here.
Severed minerals: someone else may hold the right to extract beneath you, and in producing regions that includes the right to reach it. Search before buying — how to check.
Power distance: utility extension is quoted per foot and runs into five figures fast beyond a quarter mile. Get the quote from the utility, not the seller.
Flood zone: changes insurance, buildability, and resale simultaneously. The FEMA map is free and takes two minutes.
No survey: $1,000–$3,500 depending on acreage and terrain, and the only way to know what you are actually buying. Pricing detail here.
Using this before you offer
Run the scorecard on every parcel you are considering, before spending a dollar on professionals. Most of the answers come from a county GIS site and a listing sheet in under ten minutes. Parcels that score well earn the paid checks; parcels that score badly have just saved you the cost of finding out the hard way.
Free to use, free to share. If you are a land broker or agent and want to hand this to buyers, you are welcome to link it — a buyer who has screened the parcel is a smoother closing for everyone.