North Carolina is currently experiencing one of the fastest-growing housing markets in the US, fueled by a robust economy, an influx of new residents, and significant investment activity. This rapid growth, however, comes with its own set of challenges—particularly for homebuilders who face extended entitlement timelines, rising site costs, and complex site constraints. As Juan Montes, a Director of Land Entitlements in NC, highlighted in a recent TraceAir webinar, "Builders are having a hard time betting on a piece of property or taking the risk to move forward due to entitlement uncertainty." The pressure is mounting to make smarter, quicker decisions to keep projects viable and profitable.
Watch On-Demand: Solving the Housing Shortage: Real-World Perspectives from NC Builders
In the webinar, we explored these unique challenges and discussed how innovative site intelligence tools are helping North Carolina builders navigate these hurdles effectively.
Navigating site feasibility challenges
Before a single permit is filed or a rezoning hearing is scheduled, builders must understand a site to know if it’s viable. This includes knowledge about topographic challenges such as steep slopes and rocky terrain, environmental constraints like floodplains and wetlands, and local tree preservation and stream buffer requirements.
Even more complication to assessing site viability comes from outdated or misaligned Unified Development Ordinances (UDOs). The precision and speed required to remain competitive have significantly increased, and traditional CAD drawings and survey delays end up being costly and inefficient.
TraceAir addresses these challenges by providing rapid, visual assessments of sites using drone topography, LiDAR scans, and real-time scenario planning tools.
The real cost of entitlement delays
Entitlement delays can be particularly costly in regions such as Raleigh, Durham, and Cary, where it can take three to four years from concept to permit-ready status. Juan emphasized that these delays stem from "political resistance to density, staff turnover, slow municipal processes, and public objections."
For builders, that timeline increases holding costs and delays revenue. For buyers, it drives up home prices and limits access.
Leveraging technology to overcome challenges and gain competitive advantage
Tech-forward builders are getting ahead by using advanced technology early—often before survey data is even available. Juan reinforced the importance of this approach: "Creating a strong team and integrating technology at the start significantly reduces costs and enhances affordability." For example, drone scans and LiDAR help builders quickly understand site conditions. Overlaying zoning, environmental, and utility data onto 3D models supports rapid, accurate conceptual layouts and lot yield estimations. Overall, this significantly reduces surprises in grading and helps avoid costly rework.
An integrated approach to surveys—including licensed surveyor-stamped topographic and ALTA surveys—further streamlines this process. It provides the formal data required by municipalities along with real-time analysis needed for confident, timely decisions. Juan also mentioned that "Having this combination of formal and real-time data is crucial for maintaining momentum and avoiding costly delays."
Data-driven insights also empower smarter advocacy. With precise data in hand, builders can better anticipate and navigate potential resistance from municipalities and public stakeholders, making the entitlement process smoother and minimizing revisions.
Read More: How TraceAir Is Modernizing Survey Workflows
Moving forward with confidence
North Carolina's land development challenges aren't disappearing anytime soon, but builders who get ahead of the curve with smart technology are still winning. The key is having tools that give you real-time visibility into site constraints, lot yields, and environmental impacts—so your team can make confident decisions faster, whether you're evaluating a new site or prepping for a public hearing.
That's exactly what TraceAir aims to deliver. "What I love about our survey workflow is that it's more than just a CAD map," says TraceAir BDR Mary Urban. "You get a licensed surveyor's stamp, an ortho image, and full access to TraceAir's interactive platform—so teams can move faster without waiting around for a third-party surveyor."
Ready to see how these strategies can help your projects? Watch the full webinar for an in-depth discussion and request a demo to learn more!