Review a property before closing
Confirm the zoning
The district at the property, and whether its current use is permitted.
Find open permits
The permits on the property, with their status, dates and value.
Find conditions of approval
Variances and special use permits on the parcel, with each condition.
Example questions
Is the current use permitted in this district?
The district at the property, every use it lists with the result, and the ordinance section to cite in your report.
OX-5Raleigh, NC3 usesExample
| Use | Result | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Office | Permitted | § 6.1.4 |
| Medical office | Permitted | § 6.1.4 |
| Warehouse | Prohibited | § 6.1.4 |
Are there open or expired permits?
The permits on the property, with the status, dates and value the building office records.
2210 Example Blvd4 permitsExample
| Permit | Work | Status | Applied |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLDNR-23-0412 | Tenant fit-up, 3rd floor | Issued, not finaled | 2023-02-14 |
| MEC-21-1108 | HVAC replacement | Completed | 2021-07-09 |
| BLDNR-18-0277 | Roof replacement | Completed | 2018-04-30 |
Do any variances or special use permits apply?
Variances, special use permits and rezonings on the parcel, with the decision and each condition of approval.
2210 Example Blvd1 case · 2 conditionsExample
| Case | Condition | When |
|---|---|---|
| BOA-16-022, variance | Parking reduced to 3.2 spaces per 1,000 sq ft | Ongoing |
| BOA-16-022, variance | Shared parking agreement recorded with the deed | Before permit |
Can I check a whole portfolio at once?
Send up to 500 addresses or parcel numbers in one request, then check zoning, permits and cases for each.
Portfolio500 addressesbatchExample
| Address | Zoning | Open permits | Pending cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2210 Example Blvd, Raleigh NC | OX-5 | 1 | 0 |
| 940 Example St, Durham NC | CG | 0 | 1 |
| 18 Example Ct, Cary NC | ORD | 0 | 0 |
Data for due diligence
- Parcels
- Owners of record, legal description, assessed and market value, most recent sale, building, lot size
- Zoning
- District and overlays, permitted uses, dimensional standards, ordinance citations, pending amendments
- Permits
- Building and trade permits with status, issue and completion dates, value and contractor
- Zoning decisions
- Variances, special use permits, rezonings and site plans, with conditions of approval
- Monitoring
- New permits and zoning cases on properties in your portfolio
How diligence teams use Placestack
01
Screen the deal
Look up the address and see zoning, permits, cases and ownership on one card.
02
Check the details
Read the district's rules and each permit and case, with links to the published records.
03
Run the portfolio
Resolve a list of addresses in one batch and check each property.
04
Watch the collateral
Monitor properties for new permits and zoning cases after closing.
Frequently asked questions
- What is zoning due diligence?
- Zoning due diligence confirms that a property's current use and structures comply with its zoning, and finds any variances, conditions, open permits or pending cases that affect its value or financing.
- Does Placestack replace a zoning report or a zoning verification letter?
- No. A zoning verification letter is issued by the city or county. Placestack gives you the zoning, rules, permits and case history to review before you order one, and to screen many properties at once.
- Can I check a whole loan portfolio?
- Yes. The API resolves up to 500 addresses or parcel numbers per request, and Explorer imports a spreadsheet of up to 500 addresses.
- How current is the data?
- Each parcel shows the date it was last updated. Permits and cases link to their published records.
- Can I monitor properties after closing?
- Yes. Add properties to a list and monitor it. New permits and zoning cases arrive as events and webhooks within a day of being published.
Related
- Zoning dataThe district, permitted uses and setbacks at an address.
- Building permit dataBuilding and trade permits, with status, value and the names on them.
- Zoning decisionsRezonings, variances, special uses, subdivisions and site plans.
- Parcel dataOwners, values, sales and boundaries for every parcel.
- Property data APIOne REST API for parcels, zoning, permits and decisions.
- ExplorerAI property search, maps and monitoring in your browser.
Check a property's zoning and permits
Start free. No credit card required. Contact sales for higher volumes.