Can I use this to price a job?

Use it to frame the early conversation and to decide whether to pursue the job. Actual pricing should come from your own subcontractor and material numbers; the ranges here are regional benchmarks.

Does it produce plans I can submit for permit?

No. It produces conceptual layouts for discussion. Permit submittals require drawings prepared by a qualified designer or architect for your jurisdiction.

Is it useful for remodels and additions, not just new builds?

Yes. Setbacks, lot coverage and height standards are usually what decides an addition or an ADU, and those are central to the report.

Will it tell me whether the city will approve the work?

No. It shows the standards published for the parcel so you know what to confirm. Approval is the jurisdiction's decision.

Can I share the report with the homeowner?

Yes, and many builders do — it makes the early feasibility conversation concrete. Present it as preliminary analysis.

What does it cost to check a site?

Reports start at $9.99. If you check sites regularly, the plans on the pricing page cover repeat use.

Property Analysis Software for Builders

Builders get asked to price work on ground they have not read yet. Buildora IQ is the pre-bid check: enter the address or APN and one report comes back with the parcel data available, preliminary zoning and site considerations, buildable scenarios, regional cost estimate ranges, comparable-property insights and the risks that tend to show up as change orders later.

It is written for the two conversations builders have most: telling an owner early whether what they are describing fits their lot, and deciding whether a lot is worth your own time before you chase the job.

The pre-bid read

The costly surprises on a residential job are usually site facts, not construction facts: the addition that crosses a rear setback, the ADU that pushes the lot over its coverage limit, the flat-looking backyard that grades hard enough to change the foundation, the hazard overlay nobody mentioned. Reading the parcel first turns those from mid-project problems into early conversations. It also lets you decline a lot politely before you have invested a day in it.

Client conversations backed by something

Owners often arrive with a plan the lot cannot carry. Saying so is easier with the published standards, the lot geometry and a conceptual layout in front of you than from memory. The conceptual layouts are for discussion, not construction. They are not permit-ready plans and not a substitute for a designer or architect — they exist so a client can see the shape of what fits before anyone is paid to draw it.

Where your own numbers take over

The cost ranges here are regional benchmarks by scenario. They are for the first conversation and for deciding whether to pursue the job — your bid comes from your subs, your schedule and your margins. Zoning readings are preliminary and should be confirmed with the building or planning department, and structural questions belong to an engineer. The report is a starting position, not a determination.

What the Report Includes

• Parcel identity and lot dimensions as published • Zoning designation with setback, coverage and height standards to verify locally • Buildable footprint considerations based on the actual lot shape • Slope category and the site-work implications it suggests • Mapped flood, wildfire and wetland proximity • Access and frontage context • Buildable scenarios with conceptual layouts for client conversations • Regional cost estimate ranges by scenario and by square foot • Comparable-property insights to frame the finished-value discussion • Risk flags and confidence notes on any thin data

How It Works

Pull the site before the site visit — Enter the address or APN and read the lot's zoning posture, slope and mapped constraints before you drive out.
Check the scenario the client is describing — See whether the addition, ADU or new build being discussed sits inside the setback, coverage and height standards published for the parcel.
Ground the early cost conversation — Use the regional cost ranges and risk flags to set expectations, then price the work properly with your own numbers and subs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use this to price a job?: Use it to frame the early conversation and to decide whether to pursue the job. Actual pricing should come from your own subcontractor and material numbers; the ranges here are regional benchmarks.
Does it produce plans I can submit for permit?: No. It produces conceptual layouts for discussion. Permit submittals require drawings prepared by a qualified designer or architect for your jurisdiction.
Is it useful for remodels and additions, not just new builds?: Yes. Setbacks, lot coverage and height standards are usually what decides an addition or an ADU, and those are central to the report.
Will it tell me whether the city will approve the work?: No. It shows the standards published for the parcel so you know what to confirm. Approval is the jurisdiction's decision.
Can I share the report with the homeowner?: Yes, and many builders do — it makes the early feasibility conversation concrete. Present it as preliminary analysis.
What does it cost to check a site?: Reports start at $9.99. If you check sites regularly, the plans on the pricing page cover repeat use.

Related Resources

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