How long does an ALTA survey or Phase 1 ESA take?

Standard turnaround for a Phase 1 ESA is 2-3 weeks; for an ALTA survey, 2-3 weeks for fieldwork plus 1-2 weeks for the final plat. Rush turnarounds (typically 5-7 business days or faster) are available from most providers at a 30-50% premium. Confirm timeline expectations with AEI Consultants during the quote process.

What documents should I have ready when requesting a quote?

For an ALTA survey: a copy of the title commitment (Schedule B is needed for the surveyor to plot exception items), the legal description, prior surveys if available, and your lender's required Table A items list. For a Phase 1 ESA: the property address, parcel ID, current and historical use information, lender-required scope, and any prior environmental reports.

What if the assessment identifies an issue?

For Phase 1 ESAs, identifying a Recognized Environmental Condition (REC) typically triggers a recommendation for Phase 2 ESA sampling, which costs $5,000-$25,000+ depending on scope. For ALTA surveys, identifying an encroachment, easement issue, or boundary discrepancy typically opens negotiation with the seller or title company. The 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards' new Table A Item 20 (encroachment summary table) makes these findings clearer and easier to act on.

How do I verify a provider is licensed?

Cross-check the provider's state license number with the appropriate state regulatory body. For land surveyors, this is the state's Board of Professional Land Surveyors. For environmental consultants, most states do not require a specific Phase 1 ESA license but the consultant should have a relevant credential (P.G., P.E., or CIH) and the firm should be on lender pre-approved lists where applicable.

AEI Consultants | ALTA Survey & Phase 1 ESA Provider

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About AEI Consultants

AEI Consultants is an employee-owned firm providing building, environmental, land, energy and sustainability consulting, as well as property valuation and appraisal services throughout North America. The company is recognized by clients for consistent excellence and has built a reputation as a multi-disciplinary, client-focused organization with dedicated client teams managing projects across the nation. AEI’s licensed staff includes Professional Engineers (PE), Registered Architects (RA), Professional Geologists (PG), Registered Environmental Property Assessors (REPA), Certified Environmental Managers (CEM), and Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIH). AEI delivers reliable information through its national footprint, responsive service within client time constraints, and resourceful solutions that overcome complex challenges.

Company History

AEI Consultants was founded in 1992 as All Environmental, Inc. (dba AEI Consultants) by Craig Hertz in his garage in the San Francisco Bay Area. Craig Hertz remains the firm’s Chairman and majority owner today; CEO duties have transitioned to Paul Hinkston. The company grew from its environmental consulting roots into a full-service multi-disciplinary organization with offices across the United States. In 2014, AEI converted a portion of the company to an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP).

Services Offered

Delivery model note

AEI Consultants performs Phase 1 ESAs in-house via its Environmental Consulting practice — the firm’s heritage business and core competency. AEI’s ALTA Survey practice operates as a coordination model: AEI provides CAD support, lender coordination, project management, and quality review while fieldwork is typically performed by AEI’s network of licensed land surveyors. (Public job listings reference “Senior CAD Technician - ALTA Survey Specialist” and “ALTA surveys, lender coordination, and development-related documentation” — supporting roles rather than licensed-surveyor roles.) For CRE buyers, this means Phase 1 ESA quality flows directly from AEI’s CEM/REPA/CIH-credentialed staff, while ALTA Survey quality depends on the specific subcontracted surveyor AEI assigns.

ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey (coordinated)

AEI Consultants coordinates ALTA surveys for commercial real estate transactions via a network of licensed surveyors.

Pricing: $2,500 - $15,000

Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment

AEI Consultants provides Phase 1 ESA services compliant with ASTM E1527-21 standards.

Pricing: $2,500 - $5,000

Service Area

AEI Consultants is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with offices across the United States. The company provides a national presence with a regional focus, offering local solutions through dedicated client teams in markets throughout North America.

AEI Consultants provides nationwide coverage across all 50 states.

Leadership and Authority Signals

AEI operates under the legal name All Environmental, Inc. dba AEI Consultants, headquartered in Walnut Creek / Richmond, California (SF Bay Area). Current leadership:

Paul Hinkston — CEO
Adam Bennett — Executive Vice President, Due Diligence Services
Nathan Sorensen — Executive Vice President, Strategic Account Development (recently joined)

AEI’s work shows up in regulatory and lender records nationwide:

Bank of America, KeyBank, Wells Fargo — AEI conducts Phase 1 ESAs for major commercial lenders. The firm’s reports appear in NY DEC remedial action records (e.g., 2021 Pilgrim Avenue Buffalo, NY work for KeyBank National)
EPA SEMS site reports — AEI’s name appears in EPA Superfund records for environmental due-diligence work on closed and active sites
Municipal and state housing programs — referenced in City of Dallas Comprehensive Housing amendments and Richmond, CA city filings
Property Resilience reporting — AEI publishes industry thought leadership including a 2025 white paper on property resilience and climate-confronting CRE practices
2026 ALTA/NSPS Standards content — AEI published a detailed breakdown of the 2026 standards (Section 7 certification subcategory, Table A Items 15/20/21 updates), an authority signal that the firm is current on the new rules

GSE & Agency Pre-Approval (a significant differentiator)

AEI is publicly pre-approved by an unusually broad set of agencies and federal lenders:

Fannie Mae
Freddie Mac
HUD (Housing and Urban Development)
SBA (Small Business Administration)
USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) — rare and valuable for rural / agricultural CRE deals
CMBS-specific lender scopes
Fortune 500 and REIT prospective-purchaser scopes

AEI maintains 50+ customized scopes of work, meaning the firm has pre-built report templates aligned with each major lender’s requirements rather than adapting a generic Phase 1 ESA format. For agency-financed deals, this typically eliminates one round of underwriter pushback on report formatting.

Full Service Line

AEI organizes services into five practice lines:

Environmental Consulting

Phase I Environmental Site Assessments — ASTM E1527-21 / AAI
Environmental Transaction Screens (ASTM E1528) — lower-cost, lower-scope
Peer & Desktop Reviews
Phase II ESAs — soil, soil-vapor, indoor air, groundwater investigations
Vapor Intrusion Assessments & Mitigation
Human Health & Ecological Risk Assessments
Opinion of Probable “Cost to Cure” — for liability quantification
Regulatory Compliance Audits
Remedial Investigations, Feasibility Studies, Design, O&M
AST/UST Permitting & Removal
NPDES Permitting, SPCC, SWPPP
Demolition Management & Pre-Construction Oversight

Industrial Hygiene

Asbestos / lead / mold / radon surveys, IAQ investigations, noise assessments, turn-key remediation oversight.

Building Consulting

Property Condition Assessments, Capital Planning, Facility Condition Assessments, Seismic Risk Assessments, Construction Risk Management.

Land Consulting

ALTA/NSPS Surveys, Zoning Analysis Reports, Development Services, Natural & Cultural Resource Management.

Sustainability Consulting

Energy Audits, Property Resilience Assessments, Natural Hazard & Climate Risk, ESG Memos & Checklists, Solar Feasibility Studies.

Valuation Consulting

Evaluations, Appraisal Consulting & Reports, Market Studies.

New Radon Division

AEI launched a dedicated Radon Division with NRPP-certified staff — useful for buyers in radon-impacted regions (Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky) where lender-required radon testing is becoming standard for multifamily.

Best For

Agency multifamily deals (Fannie/Freddie/HUD) — pre-approved + 50+ scope templates
USDA-financed rural/agricultural CRE — uncommon pre-approval status
SBA 7(a)/504 deals — SBA pre-approval
Major bank-financed deals — established lender relationships (BoA, KeyBank, Wells Fargo, etc.)
California, Bay Area, and West Coast transactions — headquarters market depth
Bundled Phase 1 ESA + PCA + valuation + survey engagements — single-firm scope
Fortune 500 and REIT prospective-purchaser scopes — established institutional templates
Radon-required multifamily — new dedicated Radon Division
2026 ALTA/NSPS standards compliance — published thought leadership on the new rules
Climate-resilience and ESG-focused investors — property-resilience research practice
Multi-state institutional portfolios — consistent national delivery

Request a Quote

Contact AEI Consultants directly:

Visit: aeiconsultants.com

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