Planning and Delivery Services
Site Selection and Due Diligence Overview
Commercial Contractors of Dallas provides construction-led site selection and due diligence for developers, owner-occupants, and institutional investors evaluating Dallas commercial, industrial, and mixed-use parcels. Dallas is one of the most active commercial land markets in the United States, and site selection decisions here are made quickly. That pace creates pressure to compress or skip due diligence steps that directly determine whether a project comes in on budget, on schedule, and without post-closing construction surprises. We provide the contractor perspective on site evaluation — the questions a developer's acquisition team or a broker may not ask because they are not the ones who have to build on the site. What is the utility service capacity at the parcel edge, and what will it cost to get adequate service to the building pad? Is the flood zone designation consistent with the FEMA mapping, or does the site have elevation issues that trigger LOMA processes or expensive fill requirements? What does the geotechnical character look like based on available subsurface data in the vicinity, and does the proposed building program match the foundation system that the soil will actually support? Dallas's submarket geography matters enormously to due diligence outcomes. A Tier-1 Class A office site in Uptown or Preston Center has completely different access, utility, and entitlement dynamics than a Tier-2 industrial tilt-wall site along the Stemmons Corridor or a Tier-3 standalone pad in a suburban commercial node off the Sam Rayburn Tollway. We evaluate each site against the actual construction program, not a generic checklist. Blackland Prairie clay dominates the soil profile across most of inner and north Dallas. Sites with heavy clay and significant moisture variation from surface drainage or shallow groundwater conditions require deeper foundation systems, soil treatment, and drainage management that add meaningful cost relative to sites with more favorable subsurface conditions. We identify those variables in due diligence so acquisition pricing and project budgets reflect the actual ground conditions. Entitlement complexity in Dallas has increased as the city's development pressure has grown. Planned Development overlay districts, Urban Design Studio design review requirements, Historic Preservation Office coordination for conservation district adjacency, and Tax Increment Financing District restrictions all affect what can be built where. We map those layers against the proposed program early in due diligence so ownership teams understand the entitlement path before they are committed to a purchase contract.
Why Choose Commercial Contractors of Dallas for Site Selection and Due Diligence?
As a Dallas-based commercial contractor, we understand the local permitting requirements, subcontractor networks, and construction logistics specific to the DFW metroplex. Our site selection and due diligence services are built around the unique demands of North Texas commercial development — from soil conditions and weather patterns to municipal code requirements across Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding jurisdictions. We coordinate directly with local inspectors, utility providers, and trade partners to keep your project on track.
Scope Coverage
- Parcel constructability screening against proposed building program and operational requirements
- Blackland Prairie clay and geotechnical character review based on available subsurface and boring data
- Utility service capacity evaluation with Oncor, Dallas Water Utilities, and Atmos for the specific parcel
- FEMA flood zone, stormwater, and site drainage risk assessment
- Zoning, Planned Development overlay, and entitlement path review
- Urban Design Studio, Historic Preservation, and conservation district impact screening
- TIF district, PID, and management district obligation and eligibility assessment
- Preliminary access and logistics planning for construction and long-term operations
- Order-of-magnitude schedule and cost study for the proposed program on each short-listed site
- Go-forward recommendation package with ranked site evaluation and risk documentation