FAQ · East Tennessee first · works nationwide

How we score land in East Tennessee

TerraScore is a first-look habitability and hazard screen. You give us an address. We return a 0–100 score for the use-case you pick, the reasons behind it, and links to the official maps. We are based in Johnson City, Tennessee. Parcel notes are richest in TN, NC, and SC; national layers run everywhere else.

Screening estimates from public data — not a survey, perc test, title opinion, well test, radio-engineering study, or investment advice.

How does TerraScore score land in East Tennessee?

We geocode the address, then pull public layers: FEMA flood, USDA soils, USGS elevation and slope, EPA radon zone, nearby well-chemistry samples, karst and sinkholes, USGS landslide susceptibility (county share of the official 90 m model), mapped towers, the DOT BTS transportation noise map, cell and fiber clues, Superfund/TRI distance, and county parcel / owner notes where the assessor publishes them. Those numbers are weighted into one 0–100 composite for homestead, quiet home, ham site, health-first, solar, or another use-case. Higher is a better / safer fit.

Why is East Tennessee coverage stronger than other states?

Flood, soils, elevation, radon, noise, and towers are national. What is thicker here is parcel and owner detail — Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina county GIS, including statewide fallbacks in many counties. Big-city parcels can still be thin. If you are looking outside TN/NC/SC, ask; we add counties when customers request them.

What does a TerraScore of 81 mean?

81 / 100 is a strong fit for the use-case you selected, not a grade of the land in the abstract. The same Unicoi ridge can look excellent as a homestead and poor as a flip. On layer scores, higher is usually safer: wildfire 0.9 means lower fire concern.

Does TerraScore check flood, radon, and karst in the Appalachian South?

Yes. Flood is the FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer. Radon is the EPA county zone — not a canister in the basement. Karst uses the USGS karst compilation plus mapped sinkholes, which matters on East Tennessee carbonate. Landslide uses the official USGS 90 m slope-relief model at county scale plus FEMA’s National Risk Index.

Does TerraScore measure road noise and radio towers?

Yes — that is the Total Quiet screen. Acoustic quiet blends the official BTS 2020 transportation noise map with distance to mapped highways, rail, and airports. RF/EMI uses mapped towers, HIFLD high-voltage lines, and FCC-licensed AM/FM/TV. It is not a decibel meter or an EMI survey. The ham / RF site use-case flips those weights toward a quiet noise floor and elevation for antennas.

Is TerraScore a survey, perc test, title opinion, or well test?

No. We assemble public maps and tell you what they say. We do not replace a surveyor, soil scientist, attorney, inspector, well lab, or radon test. We also do not list homes for sale or sell anyone’s phone number. Full citations live on the data sources page.

How much does TerraScore cost?

One-time PDFs: $15 Snapshot, $25 Standard, $35 Deep dive (every use-case compared), $55 Deep Diligence. Optional $8 add-ons: well chemistry, Total Quiet / RF+EMI, Superfund/TRI. Buyer is $39/month (~50 addresses). Pro is $119/month (~500 addresses, your logo on PDFs).

Who makes TerraScore and how do I contact you?

Diversified Tech Solutions, Johnson City, Tennessee. [email protected] · (423) 888-0252.

Score an East Tennessee address — from $15

Also: sample report · llms.txt for assistants