For tax purposes, it’s about whether you pass the 750-hour rule, the 50% rule, and meet the material participation requirements.

In this area, the two soils engineers I've used most often are McDowell and Associates, and Soils and Materials Engineers (SME) - but I don't know if they have branch offices in the area near your problem site.Best of luck with it!

Material participation.I discussed STR material participation requirement in my other post, linked at the top of this one.

My cost to build a 900 sf to 1,200 sf container home is about $90 / sf and that cost comes down in a production environment where materials can be purchased in quantities and the workforce is working on a standard floorplan with multiple units in process simultaneously.

Best to err cautiously and not really anticipate changes until they are material.

Income from a trade or business where a taxpayer doesn’t materially participate.2.

We have a lease clause that plumbing issues caused by the tenant that are not the result of a mechanical or material defect in the plumbing material are billed to the tenant.

For the material participation test, the easiest way to get it is Via the 100 hours and worked more than anyone else.

That said, I have a nice stream of passive income (including math freelance jobs to keep me busy), and a lot of time on my hands, as well as experience with materials and vendors doing home renovations.

It's all income driven.