AAI Environmental Corporation

About AAI Environmental Corporation

AAI Environmental Corporation, legally All Appropriate Inquiries Environmental Corporation, is an environmental consulting firm headquartered in the Nashville area of Tennessee. Its office is in Ashland City, northwest of the city. The firm says it has completed more than 7,000 projects since 1995. The name is a nod to the EPA’s All Appropriate Inquiries rule, which a Phase 1 ESA exists to satisfy.

AAI’s pitch rests on its geologists. Every report is managed and certified by a licensed Professional Geologist, and the firm staffs Tennessee-licensed Professional Geologists for work in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Jackson. It carries $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance. It says it has never been sued or had an insurance claim over one of its reports.

The firm also works well outside Tennessee. Its case studies include multi-site portfolios: twelve beverage plants in twelve states, eighteen truck maintenance facilities in sixteen states, and fifteen auto repair properties in fourteen states. AAI also has an oilfield practice covering due diligence, site characterization and remediation on oil and gas properties.

Services Offered

Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment

AAI performs Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments to ASTM E1527-21 and 40 CFR Part 312 for purchases, refinances, business acquisitions, long-term leases and SBA loans. Its stated scope includes historical building records, aerial photographs, Sanborn fire insurance maps, city directories and topographic maps. It also covers environmental agency file reviews, government database review, groundwater conditions, a site inspection, an owner or occupant questionnaire, a site plan and photographs. A third-party reliance letter with proof of insurance is available on request.

For SBA loans, AAI includes the SBA reliance letter at no charge. One paragraph on its homepage still cites the older E1527-13 standard and SBA SOP 50 10 5(G). Ask AAI to confirm the report will be issued to E1527-21 and to the SBA SOP version in force when you close.

For lower-risk properties, AAI offers an environmental screen desktop review as a cheaper alternative to a full Phase 1. Check first that your lender will accept one.

Phase 2 and Phase 3

When a Phase 1 identifies a Recognized Environmental Condition, AAI performs the Phase 2 soil and groundwater sampling. Where needed it continues into Phase 3 site characterization and remediation. AAI says that in its experience fewer than 10% of properties show RECs in a Phase 1. It argues that less experienced firms over-call RECs to generate follow-on work.

Other Services

• NEPA environmental assessments
• Oil and gas field Phase I, II and III environmental services
• Groundwater well design and installation

Pricing

AAI publishes ranges for both phases:

Service	Published price	Source
Phase 1 ESA	Typically $1,500 to $5,000; most commercial properties $1,500 to $3,000	Phase 1 page
Phase 2 ESA	Typical due diligence studies $6,000 to $25,000	Phase 2 page

AAI names location (travel time and mileage), current and past use, and property size as the main Phase 1 price drivers. Undeveloped land is quicker to research than a site with decades of prior uses. On Phase 2, AAI says its past projects have run from $2,500 to $250,000. Lab analyses, drilling method, subsurface access and whether groundwater must be tested set the number.

For typical market prices in AAI’s home state, see our Tennessee Phase 1 ESA cost page and Tennessee Phase 2 cost page.

Service Area

AAI is based in Tennessee and describes its services as nationwide. Its Phase 1 page names Tennessee, Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, Colorado, Alabama and Ohio as the states where it has completed thousands of projects. Its busiest markets include Seattle, Denver, Atlanta and Orlando. In Tennessee it names Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Jackson. Outside those markets, ask who will perform the site visit and who will sign the report.

What to Provide for a Quote

• Property address, acreage and building size
• Current use and any known past uses such as fuel sales, dry cleaning or manufacturing
• Your lender, loan program (SBA 7(a), 504, conventional) and reliance parties
• Any prior environmental reports on the property
• Your closing date

Best For

• Middle Tennessee transactions, with Tennessee-licensed Professional Geologists on staff
• Multi-site portfolios spread across several states, where AAI has done coordinated rush work
• SBA borrowers who want the SBA reliance letter included at no charge
• Oil and gas properties, given AAI’s oilfield assessment practice

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Phase 1 ESA from AAI Environmental cost?

AAI says its Phase 1 reports typically cost $1,500 to $5,000, and most commercial properties fall between $1,500 and $3,000. Site location, use history and size set the price.

How much does a Phase 2 from AAI cost?

AAI says typical due diligence Phase 2 studies run $6,000 to $25,000.

Where is AAI Environmental based?

AAI’s headquarters is at 3030 River Road, Ashland City, TN 37015, in the Nashville area. The firm says it works nationwide.

Who signs AAI’s Phase 1 reports?

AAI says every report is managed and certified by a licensed Professional Geologist.

Request a Quote

AAI Environmental Corporation is at aaienvcorp.com, on 615-208-4370 or toll free on 888-970-1371.

To compare against other firms, use our free quote request or browse Phase 1 ESA providers in Tennessee.

Related Pages

• Phase 1 ESA Cost in Tennessee
• Phase 1 ESA Cost in Nashville, TN
• Phase 1 ESA Cost in Knoxville, TN
• Phase 1 ESA Cost in Memphis, TN
• ALTA Survey Cost in Tennessee
• Phase 1 ESA Providers Compared