Common environmental due-diligence questions, answered plainly.

A Phase I ESA is a records-based environmental due-diligence report on a property. It identifies recognized environmental conditions through historical land-use research, regulatory database review, on-site reconnaissance, and stakeholder interviews. No physical sampling is done.

Phase I is the standard report a commercial real estate lender, buyer, or counsel asks for to satisfy due diligence and to qualify for landowner liability protection under CERCLA. The current standard is ASTM E1527-21.

SAGE writes every Phase I to that standard. More on Phase I ESA.

SAGE delivers most Phase I ESAs in roughly ten business days from signed contract to final report. The window is driven by the questionnaire response time, the site-visit window, and the regulatory database query.

Tight closing timelines get prioritized. Tell us the closing date when you submit the request. See the full process.

Phase I is records and reconnaissance. It identifies whether contamination is possible. Phase II is sampling. It measures whether contamination is actually present. Most properties only need a Phase I. A subset of properties have a recognized environmental condition flagged on the Phase I that requires a Phase II to investigate further.

If your Phase I came back clean, you typically do not need a Phase II. If your Phase I flagged an REC, the Phase II answers the question. More on Phase II.

Most commercial real estate transactions do, especially when financing is involved. Banks and credit unions almost always require a current Phase I as a closing condition for commercial loans secured by real estate. CRE attorneys typically recommend Phase I to qualify for landowner liability protection regardless of lender requirements.

Owner-occupied transactions, small recapitalizations, and some refinances may have lender-driven exceptions. The cleanest answer: ask your lender, then ask us.

Phase I ESAs at SAGE are scoped to the property. Pricing factors include site size, complexity of historic uses, distance from Boise, and the regulatory pulls required.

Send the address and your timeline through the request form. We’ll come back inside one business day with a fixed-fee proposal. We do not bait price or upsell during the engagement.

Federal NESHAP regulations require an asbestos survey before any commercial demolition regardless of building age. Renovation work in pre-1990 buildings that disturbs building materials almost always warrants a survey to keep the project OSHA and EPA compliant.

For acquisition due diligence, asbestos sampling is typically layered with a Phase I when the building is pre-1990 and renovation or demolition is anticipated. More on asbestos sampling.

The radon field distinguishes between screening, which is a short-term snapshot to flag whether further work is warranted, and diagnostic testing, which involves long-term measurement, multi-zone investigation, and mitigation system design.

SAGE’s scope is the screening tier. We place the canisters, retrieve them, run the lab analysis, and report against the EPA action level. If the numbers warrant it, we point you to a radon specialist for diagnostic work and mitigation. More on radon screening.

Idaho, Northern Utah, Eastern Oregon, and Western Montana are our primary coverage areas. Eastern Washington (Spokane region) is a growth market we serve case-by-case. Properties outside these markets get the same scoping conversation. We’ll tell you up front whether SAGE is the right fit or if you should be working with a closer firm.

Brenda. SAGE is owner-led. The Environmental Professional on the cover page of your report is the same person who scoped the project, walked the site, and answered your questions. No outsourced authorship. No regional cubicle in another state. Same number, same standard, same person every time you call.

More on Brenda and the firm.

Both. Sellers commonly engage SAGE for pre-listing Phase Is so the property goes to market with documented environmental due diligence already in hand. This shortens buyer-side review, gives sellers leverage on price, and reduces last-minute surprises during the buyer’s due-diligence window.

Buyers, lenders, counsel, and CRE agents are also direct clients depending on the deal structure.