- An SIR is jurisdictional research, not an engineering or environmental determination.
- Order it during site selection or due diligence — before design is locked and before closing where the schedule allows.
- The output is a documented permit path: agencies, approvals, sequencing, utility considerations and known constraints.
- Its purpose is decision support: proceed, proceed with conditions, or walk away.
What a Site Investigation Report actually is
An SIR is a written research product that answers one question for a specific site and a specific scope: what will it take to get this project approved, and what could stop it? LPG researches the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), applicable zoning and allowable use, the reviewing agencies involved, required approvals, anticipated review sequencing, utility considerations, published or agency-confirmed fee information, and constraints visible in agency records. It is a predevelopment due-diligence document — not a permit application, and not a licensed professional's technical opinion.
When to order an SIR
- Site selection — comparing two or three candidate sites for the same use
- Due diligence period — before a purchase or lease commitment is firm
- Franchise development — a new market or a jurisdiction the brand has not built in
- Change of use — an existing building repurposed to a different occupancy
- Before design fees — so the architect designs to real local requirements
- Underwriting — when timing and fee exposure affect the pro forma
What the research covers
Scope is tailored to the project, but SIR research typically spans four areas: land use, permit path, cost and timing intelligence, and risk.
- Zoning district, allowable use, and whether a conditional or special use approval applies
- Setbacks, height, lot coverage, parking and landscaping requirements
- Permit and approval matrix — which permits, from which agencies, in what order
- Building, fire and health review paths, plus any planning or design review board step
- Entitlement and site-development requirements that precede a building permit
- Utility provider requirements, capacity questions and right-of-way considerations
- Published or agency-confirmed review information and jurisdictional fees where available
- Required pre-application meetings and agency contact research
How teams use the findings
The value of an SIR is what happens after it is delivered. Owners use it for go / no-go and to negotiate due-diligence timelines. Architects use it to design to the correct local amendments and submittal standards. Contractors and franchise development teams use the sequencing to build realistic schedules. When the report surfaces a hard constraint — a use that is not permitted by right, a required rezoning, a utility capacity issue — the team learns it in weeks, not after the first plan review comes back.
What an SIR is not
An SIR does not replace a survey, a geotechnical report, an environmental assessment, a title opinion or engineered drawings. Where those are required, LPG identifies the requirement and coordinates with or refers you to appropriately licensed professionals. LPG is a permitting and project-management firm, not an architectural or engineering firm.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does an SIR take?
- It depends on the jurisdiction's responsiveness and the depth of scope. Research that relies on published code and portals moves quickly; research that requires agency confirmation or a pre-application meeting depends on agency availability. We set expectations at kickoff and report as findings come in.
- Can you confirm review timelines?
- We report published or agency-confirmed review information and flag known dependencies. Jurisdictions and utility providers control actual review and approval durations, so we do not represent approval dates as guaranteed.
- We already have an architect. Is an SIR redundant?
- No. Design teams focus on design and code compliance. An SIR focuses on the jurisdictional process surrounding the design — who reviews it, in what order, with what documents, and at what cost.
Final SIR scope depends on the project and jurisdiction. Technical engineering, architectural, environmental, survey or legal determinations that require licensed professionals are coordinated with or referred to appropriately qualified professionals.
Considering a site? Start with the research.
Send us the address and the intended use. We'll walk you through what an SIR would cover for that jurisdiction — free consultation, no obligation.