Whether you're relocating, expanding to an existing building, or constructing a brand-new facility, site selection is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make for your business’s long-term success. The location you choose impacts your visibility, operating costs, infrastructure access, and ultimately, your return on investment. Getting the full picture—beyond what’s visible from the street—is essential to protecting your investment.
Today, AI platforms promise quick insights into demographics, market trends, infrastructure availability, environmental red flags, and zoning regulations. They can even predict future property values and pull purchase histories, however, many of these tools are designed for high-volume developers—think chain retailers and franchise operators—who perform frequent property searches and can justify the high subscription costs.
But what about business owners like you, making a once-in-a-decade property decision? That's where Wolgast’s Design-Build program becomes invaluable.
Unlike an AI algorithm that’s built for scale, our approach is tailored, collaborative, and focused solely on your project’s success. We partner with your Realtor and provide site selection consulting as a complementary service as part of our Design-Build program. Our Architect, Business Developer, and Preconstruction Manager will get involved as much—or as little—as you need to ensure the site works for your business model and building goals.
For undeveloped land, we dive into:
- Infrastructure availability (utilities, drainage, access roads)
- Potential environmental issues and need for expense to make it ready for construction
- Zoning codes and building setbacks
- How your facility and parking will fit on the site
- Identifying hidden costs like utility tap fees or easement relocations
- Assisting with rezoning, if necessary, and site plan approval meetings
Even when a site has challenges, we guide you through realistic solutions, helping you understand how those “fixable issues” could affect your project’s total budget and timeline.
For existing buildings, we’ll evaluate:
- The condition and remaining lifespan of MEPs (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing)
- Roof and building envelope integrity
- Code compliance and zoning for your intended use
- Potential upgrade costs for occupancy or aesthetic enhancements
Your Realtor will contribute essential market data—demographics, traffic counts, neighborhood trends, and market value projections—completing the 360° view necessary for a confident decision.
AI may be faster, but it can’t sit face-to-face at table from you to brainstorm solutions or adapt site plans to your unique vision. That’s where we come in. In fact, we can complement any AI reports by physically laying out building and parking configurations, zoning considerations, and infrastructure connections through a collaborative, human-to-human process.
To get started in a site search, building owners needing one-time, low-cost property data, can use the following AI tools:
- Reonomy: Pay-per-property reports ($49–$199)* for ownership, tenants, zoning, and comps.
- PropertyShark: Parcel-level data and zoning maps with day passes ($19.95–$59.95/property)*.
- LandVision: GIS-based feasibility checks (short-term access available).
- Google Earth Pro: Free visual site inspections and basic lot measurements.
To make your process easier, we’ve also created a Commercial Site Selection Checklist for in-depth land evaluations including where to start, critical information to know, and which AI platform to use when. Download it, review it, and bring together your Realtor and Design-Build team to ensure you’re making the smartest investment decision possible.
*Check with the individual app – prices subject to change.
