Before You Buy Land.

Buyer's checklist

The documents to ask a land seller for

Before you make an offer, request these documents. Each one lets you verify a claim — ownership, access, septic, utilities, title — against the record instead of the listing.

See the checklist Order a Parcel Pre-Screen

Direct answer

Request the deed, survey, easements, septic/well records, title, tax, and flood docs

Ask the seller for the recorded deed, legal description and parcel ID, any survey, recorded easements and access documents, deed restrictions or HOA documents, septic or soil evaluation records, well logs, utility service letters, tax statements, a title report, and a flood determination.

Most are public records you can also pull yourself. The point is to verify each listing claim against a document before you commit money.

Last updated: 2026-07-09. General guidance — your county and licensed professionals confirm the specifics for your parcel.

The checklist

Documents to request — and why

Recorded deed

Confirms the seller actually owns the parcel and shows the legal description you’ll verify everything else against.

Legal description & parcel ID (APN)

The exact identifier you use to pull county records; make sure the listing acreage matches the deed.

Recent survey (if any)

Shows boundaries, encroachments, and access; ask when it was done and by whom.

Recorded easements & access documents

Confirms legal, recorded access to the parcel — frontage alone is not access.

Deed restrictions / CC&Rs / HOA docs

Reveals restrictions a listing may call "unrestricted"; covers use, structures, and dues.

Septic / soil evaluation or permit

Confirms whether "perc tested" or "septic approved" is on file, not just spoken.

Well log / water records

Shows depth, yield, and quality history if a well exists; signals water availability nearby.

Utility service letters or extension estimates

Confirms whether "utilities available" means service actually reaches the site and at what cost.

Property tax statements

Shows the real tax burden and flags unpaid taxes or special assessments.

Title report / preliminary title

Surfaces liens, judgments, and ownership clouds before you commit.

FEMA flood map / flood determination

Confirms whether any of the parcel sits in a special flood hazard area.

Any zoning or permit correspondence

Shows prior county communication about what can be built or done on the parcel.

How to use it

Turn each document into a verification

  • Match every listing claim to the document that would prove it.
  • If the seller can’t provide a document, pull the public-record version yourself.
  • Make your offer contingent on anything you can’t verify before closing.
  • Confirm final determinations (zoning, septic, access) with the county, not the seller.

Before you make an offer

Have the records pulled and organized for your parcel

A Parcel Pre-Screen Report gathers the public records behind these documents for your specific parcel and organizes the questions to ask — with source paths — so you’re not chasing paperwork blind.

Order a Parcel Pre-Screen · $149 How to verify seller claims

FAQ

What documents should I ask a land seller for?

Ask for the recorded deed, legal description and parcel ID, any survey, recorded easements and access documents, deed restrictions/HOA docs, septic or soil evaluation records, well logs, utility service letters, tax statements, a title report, and a flood determination. Each one lets you verify a specific claim before you buy.

What if the seller doesn’t have these documents?

Most are public records you can pull yourself from the county recorder, tax assessor, environmental health office, or FEMA. A seller not having them isn’t a dealbreaker — but it means you do the verification, and you can make your offer contingent on it.

Which document matters most?

For rural land, recorded legal access and the septic/soil record cause the most expensive surprises. Prioritize the easement/access documents and any septic or soil evaluation on file.

Keep going

What Before You Buy Land is

  • A source-cited parcel pre-screen that organizes public-source signals — access, septic/perc records, flood, wetlands, soils, slope, utilities, restrictions, and local authority paths — into plain-English buyer questions.
  • A first-pass screening tool that helps rural land buyers in Texas, Tennessee, and North Carolina decide what to verify before they make an offer.

What it is not

  • Not legal advice, a survey, title opinion, engineering review, or appraisal.
  • Not a septic, permit, zoning, or county approval — and not a guarantee that land is buildable.
  • Not a replacement for county confirmation or a licensed professional. It points you to the right office and question.

Reviewed by the Before You Buy Land research team.