How it works

From signed contract to closing-ready report.

A clear mental model of how a Phase I ESA actually moves through our office. Four client-facing steps. Six technical tasks behind them. No surprises on day eight.

Home·How It Works

For the client

The four steps you experience.

What you see, in plain language. The technical work happens between steps two and four.

  1. Step 01

    Submit your project details

    Send us the property address or parcel number, your closing window, and any context we should know.

  2. Step 02

    We review and respond

    Within one business day you get back a scope, fee, and target delivery date. No haggle. No bait pricing.

  3. Step 03

    We get to work

    Sign the contract and the six-task workflow below begins. You stay informed at the questionnaire stage and the site-visit scheduling stage.

  4. Step 04

    You close with confidence

    Final ASTM E1527-21 report delivered with maps, photos, regulatory pulls, and clear conclusions. Ship it to the lender or counsel as is.

Inside step three

Six technical tasks. ASTM E1527-21 across all of them.

This is the workflow SAGE runs once the contract is signed. Each task has a deliverable that feeds the next.

SAGE site reconnaissance in the Boise foothills

Standard

ASTM E1527-21

Each task below cites back to a specific section of the current Phase I ESA standard. Every report ships under one signature.

  • 6 technical tasks
  • 3 ASTM questionnaires
  • 50-yr chain-of-title
  • 1 signed owner
Request a Quote Full Phase I scope
  1. 01

    Signed contract.

    Engagement begins when SAGE receives the signed contract and project specifics. Scope is fixed. Timeline starts on the clock.

  2. 02

    Environmental questionnaires.

    Three short ASTM-required questionnaires go out to the parties who know the property best. Returned answers seed the records review and shape on-site interview prompts.

    • Pre-Inspection Questionnaire for property owner. General property and ownership context.
    • Environmental Questionnaire for property owner. ASTM-required disclosure questions.
    • Environmental Questionnaire for client or end user of the report.
    • 50-year chain-of-title review, when the client provides title work.
  3. 03

    Site visit scheduled.

    SAGE coordinates the on-site reconnaissance window with the property contact, accounting for site access, weather, and any operational constraints flagged in the questionnaire.

  4. 04

    Historical and regulatory review.

    Records-based research happens in parallel with the site visit window. We pull what the standard requires and what the property specifically warrants.

    • Environmental databases and local regulatory status review. Facility permits, outstanding compliance orders, notices of deficiency, underground storage tanks, environmental cleanups, and other reported environmental concerns.
    • Site information review for geologic and hydrologic characteristics for vulnerability and other possible areas of concern.
    • Historical records review: city directories, historical maps, geological maps, historic and current aerial photographs, and other records to evaluate past property uses and occupancy.
    • Adjacent-site historical-use evaluation.
    • Contacting electric utilities to determine PCB content of utility-owned transformers or other electrical equipment, when necessary.
  5. 05

    On-site inspection.

    In-person property reconnaissance. Documented systematically and photographed throughout. Every observation that informs the final REC determination originates here.

    • Inspection of transformers and electrical equipment for PCB indicators.
    • Visual review for stained soil, stressed vegetation, and other contamination evidence.
    • Adjacent-property classification for off-site contamination potential.
    • Photographic documentation of findings and site conditions.
  6. 06

    Report generation.

    Findings consolidated into a single ASTM-compliant report. Everything a lender, counsel, or buyer needs in one document, with supporting documentation attached.

    • Purpose, scope, methods, and findings.
    • Evaluation of known or potential contamination.
    • Recommendations for additional investigation with cost estimates, when warranted.
    • Summary and conclusions.
    • Attached: maps, aerial and site photographs, regulatory correspondence, title history, legal descriptions, sampling documentation, and lab reports when applicable.

Ready to start the clock?

Send the property and timeline. We’ll reply within one business day with scope, fee, and a delivery date.

Request a Quote Call the office