Due diligence
What to Check Before Buying Land in Texas
A practical due-diligence checklist: title, access, utilities, flood, easements, minerals and taxes.
Updated Sep 1, 2026 · 7 min read
Land deals move quickly in Greater Houston, but raw land carries risks a finished building does not. This checklist covers the items buyers most often overlook.
Title and survey
- Title commitment with copies of all exceptions
- A current survey showing boundaries, easements, encroachments and flood zone
- Confirmation that acreage matches the survey
Access
Make sure the tract has legal access — recorded frontage on a public road or a recorded easement — not just a path that has been used informally.
Utilities
- Water: city, utility district or well; who holds the service area
- Wastewater: sewer availability or on-site septic permitting
- Electric: provider and the cost of any line extension
Environmental and physical
- Floodplain and wetlands (wetlands may involve U.S. Army Corps of Engineers review)
- Pipelines and transmission easements, common across the Houston region
- Soil conditions and fill history
- A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment for commercial or industrial sites
Minerals and taxes
In Texas, mineral rights are often severed from the surface. Ask what the seller owns and conveys. If the land has an agricultural or open-space valuation, a change in use can trigger rollback taxes — ask the appraisal district for an estimate.
This checklist is not exhaustive and is not legal advice. Work with a Texas real estate attorney, title company, surveyor and civil engineer.
This article is general information, not legal, tax, engineering or financial advice. Requirements change and vary by jurisdiction — consult qualified professionals and the applicable authorities.