To check an off-plan project in USA, match what the developer tells you against the official record before each payment. Start with the 3 official registers listed below, then ask the questions that the 36 projects we track in USA most often leave open.
The check most often missing in USA: deposit protection (not public for 32 of 36 projects).
- Official registers
- What projects here leave out
- Questions to ask the developer
- What our live lookup reads
- Free check
- Questions and answers
Step 1: official registers in USA#
County and city permit portals (United States)
- What it proves
- Building permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy for the address.
- What it does not prove
- Ownership or the developer’s finances.
- How to search
- Find the building department of the city or county and search by address or parcel number. There is no single national site.
No public online search; ask the authority directly.
From our register guide.
Florida DBPR condominium filings (United States)
- What it proves
- Condominium projects filed with the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes, with status. Florida law (Chapter 718) requires buyer deposits on new condos to be held in escrow.
- What it does not prove
- That the escrow agent named in your contract holds your money: confirm with the agent directly.
- How to search
- Download the condominium files for the county from DBPR public records and search for the project name.
Open the official register (opens in a new tab) www2.myfloridalicense.com
From our register guide.
County recorder and Secretary of State (United States)
- What it proves
- Recorded deeds and mortgages (county recorder or clerk), and that the developer company exists and is active (Secretary of State; in Florida, Sunbiz).
- What it does not prove
- Permits or progress.
- How to search
- Search the county official records by owner or parcel, and the state business register by company name.
No public online search; ask the authority directly.
From our register guide.
Step 2: what off-plan projects in USA leave out#
Share of the 36 tracked projects that make each check public, and how many are confirmed by an official register or independent source.
| Check | Public | Not public | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permit or licence number | 20 (56%) | 16 | 23 |
| Deposit protection | 4 (11%) | 32 | 2 |
| Construction progress | 23 (64%) | 13 | 29 |
| Site or floor plans | 11 (31%) | 25 | 0 |
| Developer track record | 15 (42%) | 21 | 13 |
| No guaranteed-return language | 35 (97%) | 1 | 0 |
Step 3: questions to ask the developer#
The questions our research agent raised most often for projects in USA, with how many projects they apply to. Each one points at a gap in what the developer publishes.
- Completion advertised for 2027: does progress on site match? (32 of 36 projects)
- No deposit protection published: will your payments go into an escrow or trust account in your name? (32 of 36 projects)
- No building permit mentioned: ask for the number before paying. (31 of 36 projects)
- A permit number is published: does it exist in the official register and match this plot? (20 of 36 projects)
- A building permit is claimed: does it exist in the official system and match this plot? (5 of 36 projects)
- Legal dispute reported in public sources: ask the developer for the current status, in writing. (4 of 36 projects)
- Regulator action reported in public sources: ask the developer for the current status, in writing. (1 of 36 projects)
- "Guaranteed" returns: who guarantees them, and what happens if they can't pay? (1 of 36 projects)
Send them in writing: ask the developer with our template.
What our live lookup reads in USA#
United States (New York City, Miami-Dade). Online means our lookup queries the official source itself; manual means a person checks it.
Read online, automatically
- NYC address to tax lot (BBL) and building (BIN): NYC Planning GeoSearch
- NYC tax lot: floors, building area, use, year built, owner company: NYC PLUTO (NYC Open Data)
- NYC building permits by address or job number: NYC DOB Permit Issuance and DOB NOW approved permits (NYC Open Data)
- Miami-Dade County building permits by address or permit number: Miami-Dade County open data (ArcGIS)
Checked by hand
- City of Miami and Miami Beach permits (own building departments): City of Miami iBuild
- Condo developer filings in Florida: Florida DBPR, Division of Condominiums
Needs a site visit
- Construction progress against the permit
- Sales office and escrow agent identity
Step 4: run a free check#
Paste the project page into the free desk review: our agent reads it, quotes every claim and looks it up in the registers above where it can. Then see all projects we track in USA.
Questions and answers#
What should I check before buying off-plan in USA?
The permit or licence number, deposit protection, construction progress, plans, the developer's track record and any guaranteed-return promise. In USA the check most often missing is deposit protection (32 of 36 tracked projects do not publish it).
Is there an official register to check an off-plan project in USA?
Yes: County and city permit portals; Florida DBPR condominium filings; County recorder and Secretary of State.
What do developers in USA most often leave unanswered?
Completion advertised for 2027: does progress on site match? (32 of 36 projects).
Are you the developer, or did we get something wrong? Send documents and we add your reply or correct the record: right of reply · corrections. Every figure here is computed from the open dataset (/data/bali-cases.json, CC BY 4.0) and changes when the data changes.