Question 1

Can it suggest where to put a pond or swales?

Accepted Answer

The report screens the measured terrain for candidate water-management areas in the permaculture and keyline tradition: contour segments where swale practice applies, candidate pond areas where modeled drainage flattens into a basin, and keypoints with their keylines — each with the average yearly rainfall its catchment receives, plus a micro-hydro screening range for the strongest draw. These are screening patterns with order-of-magnitude figures, not construction documents; pond construction is regulated and mapped wetlands and flood zones are excluded from every suggestion.

Question 2

Who owns the land around the parcel?

Accepted Answer

The report lists every adjoining parcel from the county record — owner of record, acreage, and whether the recorded name reads as an individual, a company, a trust, or a public agency — and calls out when the parcel adjoins public land. Two rings of neighboring parcels are drawn on the map. The ownership type is read from the recorded name, not a title search.

Question 3

How steep is my land?

Accepted Answer

The report measures slope across the whole parcel from bare-earth LiDAR — the ground under the trees, not the canopy — and reports it in percent and degrees, with a slope map and the share of the parcel in each slope class.

Question 4

How much of my land is actually usable?

Accepted Answer

The report separates gross acreage from usable acreage: the acres measured below slope thresholds you can act on, mapped so you can see where they sit on the parcel.

Question 5

Where could a house or cabin go?

Accepted Answer

The report maps candidate building pad areas — flatter ground large enough for a structure — each with an order-of-magnitude earthwork range computed from public elevation data. It is a screening to point your site visit, not a siting decision.

Question 6

Can I get a driveway up there?

Accepted Answer

The report screens candidate driveway corridors from the road to each candidate pad area against the bare-earth grade, and costs them by grade class — so you can see before you visit whether access is gentle, steep, or a switchback problem.

Question 7

Is this a survey or an engineering report?

Accepted Answer

No. It is a screening report built from public elevation and mapping data. It is NOT a soil evaluation, geologic assessment, land survey, or engineering design, and must not be relied upon as such. Boundaries shown are an approximate boundary from public GIS — not a survey. It is made for the step before you spend on site visits and licensed professionals.

Question 8

How much sun does the land get?

Accepted Answer

The report computes terrain-shaded direct-sun hours from the bare-earth elevation model — each part of the parcel tested against its slope, aspect and the surrounding ridgelines — for winter, summer and the equinox, plus an indicative clear-sky solar generation figure for comparing ground. Useful for homesteads, cabins, off-grid and solar planning; tree cover is not modelled. Published tree-canopy mapping adds a wooded-versus-open breakdown and per-pad canopy, and the interactive map includes a winter-sun terrain view.

Question 9

Can I get a well on the land?

Accepted Answer

The report shows the published USGS record of groundwater wells near the parcel — how many are on record within a mile, their published well depths, and the distance to the nearest — quoted as published. It does not predict yield or groundwater conditions; most private wells never enter the public record, and a licensed well driller or the county health department holds the local drilling record.

Question 10

Can I compare several parcels?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Reports you have opened are remembered on your device, and the Compare page lines up their headline measurements side by side — slope, usable acres, pads, access, winter sun and hazards — so parcels can be weighed against each other. Reports can also be shared by link or email with an agent, partner or contractor.

Question 11

How much does a report cost?

Accepted Answer

A report is $20 per US parcel. Every report includes the interactive report, a print-ready version, and GIS exports of the mapped layers.

Terms of service

What Parcel Terrain is

Ordering and delivery

Payment and refunds

Your report

Limitations

Disputes

Changes and contact