The construction industry’s version of “appearances can be deceiving.”

A piece of land can appear beautiful and ready to go, but what’s below the surface determines whether you start digging or looking elsewhere to build. 

In order to find out the condition of the land, you need to complete a site assessment. Regardless if it’s required for the permit process or not, site evaluations are valuable because they make you aware of situations that could lead to unexpected and costly complications in the future.

You may think you’ve found the perfect piece of property for your new building but an examination of the land may change your mind. 

A site evaluator will look for:

Appropriate zoning of the land in reference to your plans for the site whether it be for commercial, residential, or industrial purposes. Compass Group is highly experienced in the permit process. This is required if construction needs to change the zone for the site.

Environmental issues such as contaminated soils or polluted water sources. These could significantly impact the financial investment or cause an inconvenience in the long run on your end. 

The site’s capabilities to handle the infrastructure of your desired facility. If you think expansion is a possibility down the road, can that land be feasible for that addition?

On some occasions, there might already be a building on the land. Its existing systems and structure will be inspected to ensure it’s a safe and desirable potential option for the client. 

For example, if the Champlain Towers South building in Miami had been evaluated properly prior to its tragic collapse, the assessment would have revealed all of the architectural issues, such as the distress and fatigue in the concrete and columns, which are now coming to light after its downfall on June 24. 

Authorities have yet to confirm if structural concerns were the cause behind the building’s collapse. Nevertheless, this incident has led to surrounding buildings being evaluated and evacuated after some were deemed unsafe.

It’s important to understand and evaluate the land's limits and possibilities before finalizing your building plans. This unfortunate event has put into perspective how crucial it is to conduct site and building evaluations as well as further examinations after construction.