soils and perc tests -

[Derek Carroll]

What are the best ways to determine if a plot of land will have building / sewer issues for a new development PRIOR to having an engineer come out and do the tests?

If i'm negotiating a land deal is there any way for me to pre screen for known or common issues?

My only thought is to actually call an engineer familiar with the area and run it by them to see if any known issues or concerns to watch out for.  Outside of that, any other suggestions?

[Keith Frank]

If you need to know for certain, the best way is to have a core sample made of a few locations around the construction site.  Barring this, the local engineer familiar with the subsurface conditions would be next best.