Buildable
Cheap land is rarely cheap.
Before anything can be built, a lot has to get a septic system, water, power and a flat place to sit. Those costs are invisible at listing time and they routinely exceed the price of the land. This screens them against federal data — and separates what you're allowed to do from what it'll cost.
What it costs to get ready
How to read this
Permission vs. price
A wetland, a floodway or no legal access are permission problems. Money doesn't fix them — you need a permit, an easement or a different lot. Septic, grading and power are cost problems. Those just have a number, and the number is knowable.
Why the septic call matters most
NRCS rates septic suitability nationwide — but “Very limited” covers 77% of Texas soils, 82% of Florida and 90% of Wisconsin. The rating alone says nothing. What discriminates is why: groundwater points at a mound, bedrock at a mound or ATU, slow percolation at aerobic or drip. Same rating, 3–7× the cost.
Every line is graded
observed a source stated it. inferred we derived it by a stated method that could be wrong. assumed a placeholder with nothing behind it. unknown we won't guess.
What this isn't
The dollar figures are unverified placeholder bands. The soil, slope, flood, wetland and road readings are real and come straight from federal sources. The pricing hasn't been checked against installer quotes. A screening tool, not a feasibility study — only a county health department can approve a septic system.
USDA NRCS Soil Data Access · USGS 3DEP · FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer · USFWS National Wetlands Inventory · US Census TIGER — all public domain, no API keys.