Quarterly original data
CRE Due Diligence Cost Index
A quarterly index of what commercial real estate due diligence costs in the United States — the combined price of an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey and a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment, ranked by state, alongside provider market coverage and re-verified provider pricing. The national baseline for the current edition is $4,150 – $15,000, running from $3,320 – $12,000 in the lowest-cost states to $6,018 – $21,750 in the highest.
Editions
Inaugural edition. Combined ALTA + Phase 1 baseline $4,900 – $13,000; 50 states + DC ranked; 70 providers' coverage; 15 published provider prices. Figures fixed at September 30, 2026.
View the Q3 2026 report →What each edition covers
- Total due-diligence cost by state — ALTA survey + Phase 1 ESA baseline scaled by each state's regional cost index, ranked most to least expensive.
- What providers actually charge — published starting prices from firms that post rates, each re-verified against the provider's own website that quarter.
- Provider market coverage — how many tracked firms serve each state, and which markets are thickest and thinnest.
- Property-type risk premium — how environmental risk (gas stations, dry cleaners, heavy industrial) moves Phase 1 ESA cost.
All figures are computed from a national price baseline and state cost indices — a modeled baseline for comparison, not a quote. Because this is a new series, the first edition reports current levels; quarter-over-quarter change begins with the following edition.
The baseline excludes Phase 2. A Phase 2 ESA ($6,000 – $20,000) is contingent, not standard — it is only commissioned when the Phase 1 identifies a Recognized Environmental Condition. Including it would overstate the cost of a clean deal by several multiples, so it is tracked separately rather than folded into the index.