Land purchases are not like buying a house. With a home, most of what you need to know is visible — the roof, the finishes, the condition of the kitchen. With land, the most important things are invisible: who has legal rights to cross it, whether you can use the water on it, what you are actually permitted to build, and whether the ground itself will support what you have planned.

Licensed in both Nevada and Utah, I know these markets operate under different rules, different risk categories, and different questions that need answers before any commitment is made. This post covers what buyers need to know — and why sellers who understand it actually benefit too.

Nevada: What the Desert Does Not Tell You

Nevada has a land reality that surprises most out-of-state buyers. The federal government controls approximately 85% of the state, with the Bureau of Land Management holding roughly 90% of land within the Las Vegas Valley alone. Private land here is genuinely limited — and that scarcity creates both opportunity and the kind of urgency that leads buyers to skip due diligence.

Legal Access & Easements

Does the parcel have legal road access, or are you assuming it does because there is a dirt path leading to it? A dirt path is not a legal right. You need confirmed recorded easements, documented road maintenance responsibility, and verification that access is viable year-round. An easement also affects where you can legally place structures, driveways, and utilities — the specifics matter beyond simply getting to the property.

Zoning & Permitted Uses

Zoning in Nevada varies significantly county by county. What is permitted on one parcel may be completely different on a neighboring one. Before you fall in love with what you plan to build, confirm zoning, minimum lot size, setbacks, and any overlay restrictions in writing directly with the county — not from the listing description, not from the seller. From the county itself.

Mining Claims

Nevada has a deep history of mining, and active or lapsed mining claims can affect parcels in ways that are not immediately obvious. Before purchasing, check with the BLM Nevada office and the county recorder for records of any active, maintained, or lapsed claims that overlap or border the parcel you are considering. This is particularly relevant in rural areas and anything adjacent to known mineral belts.

Water, Soil & Utilities

On rural Nevada land, municipal water and sewer are frequently not available. You may be looking at a private well, a septic system, or in some cases neither exists yet. Soil type and drainage patterns affect whether a septic system can even be installed. Flood zones and grading matter more than most buyers realize — what a parcel looks like in a normal year and what it does after heavy rain can be entirely different situations.

Utah: The Questions Most Buyers Never Think to Ask

Utah has one of the most important distinctions in western real estate, and most buyers from out of state have never encountered it. Owning land in Utah does not automatically give you the right to use the water on or under that property.

Water Rights: First in Time, First in Right

Utah follows the doctrine of prior appropriation. Water is a public resource administered by the Utah Division of Water Rights. To use water, you must hold a water right — and that right may or may not be attached to the land you are buying. A previous owner could have sold the water rights years ago while keeping the land. The land then transferred to new owners without it ever being mentioned. You can purchase a parcel with a stream running through it, a well on the property, and green grass in the yard, and have no legal right to use any of it.

Before you make an offer on Utah land, search the Utah Division of Water Rights database to confirm whether the property has active, approved, or expired rights. Request documentation from the seller including water right numbers. Confirm those rights are registered for use on the specific parcel you are purchasing. And make sure the purchase contract explicitly lists the water right numbers being transferred. If it is not in writing in the contract, it may not be yours at closing.

Agricultural Zoning & Grazing Rights

Much of rural Southern Utah sits under agricultural or grazing zoning. Many buyers assume that means flexibility — in practice it often means restrictions. Some parcels carry existing grazing permits, lease agreements, or conservation easements that limit what a new owner can do with the land. Confirm what encumbrances exist before purchase, not after.

Mineral Rights in Both States

In both Nevada and Utah, mineral rights — the legal ownership of what lies beneath the surface — can be severed from the land and sold separately. This happens frequently, often decades before the parcel you are buying ever came to market. You can purchase land and discover that someone else holds the legal right to extract oil, gas, gold, silver, or other minerals from beneath it. A thorough title search will reveal whether mineral rights were severed, when, and who currently holds them. Do not skip this step.

The Inspections You Actually Need

A general home inspection will not catch what matters most on a land purchase. Land due diligence involves multiple specialists, and which ones you need depends on the parcel, its intended use, and its location. Here is what each inspection covers and why it matters:

Your Due Diligence Period — Use Every Day of It

Unlike a home purchase, land buyers have no built-in protection infrastructure. There is no lender-required appraisal, no standardized inspection checklist, and no one automatically looking out for you. Your due diligence period — the window written into your contract during which you can investigate and exit if needed — is your protection. On land purchases, that window is typically 30 to 90+ days.

Use every day of it. Commission the survey. Order the title search. Run the perc test. Walk the land. Call the county directly about zoning. Search the water rights database. These are not optional steps for cautious buyers — they are the steps that separate a sound investment from an expensive lesson.

Official Resources & Where to Get More Information

These are the official sources you should be working with directly during any land purchase in Nevada or Utah. Bookmark them before you start looking.

These databases are publicly accessible and free to search. Use them early — ideally before you make an offer, not after you are already under contract.

Land in Nevada and Utah can be an exceptional asset. The landscape is extraordinary, the opportunity is real, and both states offer advantages that make them attractive at every price point. But the due diligence required is different from a residential purchase, and the questions that protect you are not always obvious until someone who has been through it walks you through them.

That is exactly what I do.