Land Due Diligence Study

Before you buy industrial land, find out whether it can build what you need. Our land due-diligence study gives you a clear answer, with the cost and time implications spelled out, before you sign anything binding.

Industrial land holds many hidden traps for inexperienced buyers. A site can look well priced and well located, yet be unable to fit your production, need costly upgrades, or face a long approval route. There is nothing worse than owning a site that cannot build what you need.

Questions to answer before you sign

Most problems with industrial land are not visible on a site visit or in a sales brochure. The study answers questions like these:

• Is your exact type of production permitted here, along with the offices, canteen, dormitory or showroom you plan?
• After setbacks, coverage limits and floor-area ratio, how much can you actually build?
• Does it fit your programme now and in the future?
• Which codes and approvals apply, and how long will they take?
• Can the largest trucks you use get in, turn and load safely?
• Is there enough power and water at the boundary, and where can wastewater go?
• Is the site at risk of flooding, is it near an active fault, and what will the ground conditions mean for foundations?
• Are there height limits, easements, pipelines or environmental restrictions?
• What are the likely total cost and time to opening, beyond the land price?

What the study covers

• Site analysis: zoning, permitted uses, floor-area ratio, coverage, setbacks, height limits and easements
• Code review: the building, fire and industry-specific codes that apply, and the approvals your project will need in Taiwan
• Traffic and logistics: access, truck movement and how goods and people would flow across the site
• Utilities: power, water and wastewater connection points, and any upgrades needed
• Ground and environment: flood risk, earthquake and fault-line risk, environmental constraints, and ground conditions based on past borehole drilling reports from the site. If more information is needed, a drilling report for your site can be commissioned
• Test fit: a quick layout showing whether your programme fits, now and with future expansion
• Feasibility, timeline and budget: an order-of-magnitude cost and a realistic schedule to opening

What you receive

A concise report with a clear recommendation: go, go with conditions, or walk away. It sets out what the site allows, the risks we found and what they would cost to resolve, a test-fit layout, and an outline of the approvals, budget and timeline.

When you are choosing between several sites, we compare them side by side on the same criteria, so you can see which is the better buy on total cost, risk and time, not just land price.

Case example: a logistics centre in Taiwan

A multinational online retailer appointed WZWX to assess potential sites for a new logistics centre in Taiwan. Our land due-diligence study began with a review of the regional logistics market, benchmarked against five comparable facilities nearby. We then tested the preferred site against zoning and planning controls, floor-area bonus incentives, building regulations, local ordinances and the specific requirements for logistics facilities. We also assessed the permitting route, utility capacity, surrounding obstructions, ground conditions, traffic access and the optimal location of the main entrance.

The study concluded with a masterplan for a logistics centre of 112,200 m² gross floor area on a 41,000 m² site, supported by a schematic design, project programme and cost estimate, giving the client a sound basis for its investment decision.

When to commission it

• Before you sign a purchase agreement, deposit or lease
• When choosing between sites, to compare them on the same basis
• Before expanding on land you already own, to confirm what more you can build
• When entering a new market in Taiwan, where the rules and approval routes may be unfamiliar

Fee and timing

The study is quoted as a fixed fee per site, once we know the site and your requirements. For a single site with available documents, it takes about 4 weeks, excluding national holidays. Facing a purchase deadline? A faster priority service is available at additional cost.

The cost is small compared with the land price, and far smaller than the cost of buying the wrong site. If you go ahead, the study’s findings carry straight into masterplanning and design.

Why WZWX

• Industrial specialists. Factories, laboratories and logistics buildings are our core work, so we know what production needs from a site.
• Local knowledge. Our Taipei studio works across Taiwan’s industrial parks and industrial zones.
• Integrated services, from site to opening. The findings of your site study carry straight into masterplanning, design and construction supervision, so every stage builds on what the study found.
• Proven projects. Our work includes the T-HAM factory in the Pingtung Agricultural & Biotech Park and the Quest Composite factory in Taichung.

Frequently asked questions

Can’t the seller, agent or industrial park tell me this?

They can tell you the zoning and basic rules. They are not responsible for whether your specific production, logistics and expansion plans fit the site.

Do I need to have chosen an architect already?

No. You can commission the study on its own, before deciding anything else.

What do you need from me to start?

The site location, land plot number, any documents from the seller or park, and a short description of your production, staff numbers, warehouse needs and growth plans.