Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (Phase I ESAs)
Protect Your Investment Before You Close.
A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Phase I ESA) is a non-invasive investigation that identifies potential environmental liabilities on a commercial property before a sale, loan, or redevelopment moves forward. It combines historical research, a regulatory database review, and a site visit to detect Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) under ASTM E1527-21.
Why Commercial Real Estate Teams Choose CRB
A Phase I ESA is more than a due diligence requirement—it's a critical step in protecting your investment and keeping your transaction on track.
Since 1992, CRB has delivered defensible, lender-ready Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments for commercial real estate transactions. While national firms optimize for volume and low-cost firms optimize for price, CRB optimizes for the one thing that actually protects a deal: a senior environmental professional getting it right the first time, on a schedule the transaction can actually keep.
CRB is the environmental partner acquisition teams, developers, and lenders call when a deal can't afford a wrong answer or a missed deadline.
We Understand Commercial Real Estate
Our reports are built around real transaction deadlines, lender requirements, and closing timelines, not generic environmental checklists. We know what buyers, lenders, and attorneys actually need to see.
Clear Answers, Not Confusing Reports
Our findings are written in plain language first and technical language second. You'll understand what we found, why it matters, and what to do next without needing a consultant to translate your own report.
Responsive From Start to Finish
You'll have direct access to the environmental professional working on your project, not a call center or a rotating point of contact. Questions get answered fast because slow answers cost deals.
Support Beyond The Phase I ESA
If a Phase II ESA, remediation, or regulatory compliance work is needed, CRB can carry your project forward without starting over with a new firm. One team and one point of contact, from due diligence through resolution.
Whether you're evaluating a single commercial property or managing a multi-site portfolio, our goal is the same: deliver practical environmental guidance that helps you identify risk early, satisfy lender requirements, and make confident decisions before closing.
What's Included in a CRB Phase I Environmental Site Assessment?
Property & Site Review (Site Reconnaissance)
Every Phase I ESA begins with an on-site inspection, or site reconnaissance, performed by an experienced environmental professional. We evaluate current site conditions and look for visible signs of potential environmental concerns that could affect the property.
Historical & Regulatory Research
We research how the property has been used over time by reviewing Sanborn fire insurance maps, historical aerial photographs, city directories, prior environmental reports, and regulatory database records such as EDR reports. This helps identify past uses that may indicate potential environmental risk.
Environmental Risk Evaluation
Our environmental professionals analyze the information collected during the assessment to identify Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) and evaluate whether additional investigation may be appropriate.
Clear Reporting & Recommendations
You'll receive a clear, organized report that explains our findings in plain English while meeting ASTM E1527-21 standards. If environmental concerns are identified, we'll explain what they mean and discuss practical next steps so you can move forward with confidence.
Every commercial property has a history, and understanding that history is essential to evaluating environmental risk. CRB's Phase I Environmental Site Assessments follow the ASTM E1527-21 standard while providing the clear communication and practical guidance commercial real estate teams need to make informed decisions.
Our assessments are designed to identify potential environmental concerns before closing, satisfy lender due diligence requirements, and give you confidence as your transaction moves forward.
Every CRB Phase I ESA is reviewed and signed by a qualified Environmental Professional as defined under ASTM E1527-21, giving buyers, lenders, and attorneys a report built to satisfy due diligence requirements and hold up under scrutiny.
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Before purchasing commercial property, buyers use a Phase I ESA to identify potential environmental concerns that could affect property value, future redevelopment, or environmental liability.
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Many lenders, including those underwriting CMBS and SBA loans, require a Phase I ESA before financing commercial properties. Our reports help satisfy lender due diligence requirements and support a smoother underwriting process.
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Understanding a property's environmental history early in the planning process helps developers identify potential challenges before construction begins and avoid unexpected delays later in the project.
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Sellers may choose to complete a Phase I ESA before listing a property to address environmental questions early and provide prospective buyers with additional confidence during due diligence.
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When purchasing multiple commercial properties, consistent environmental due diligence helps investors evaluate risk across an entire portfolio while maintaining transaction timelines.
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Property owners may obtain a Phase I ESA before refinancing, redevelopment, ownership transfers, or other major decisions to better understand potential environmental conditions affecting their assets.
When Is a Phase I ESA Needed?
A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment is commonly required or requested before a commercial real estate transaction, whether that's an acquisition, a financing decision, or a due diligence review. Every property and every transaction is different, so CRB tailors each assessment to the specific risks and timeline involved.
What Happens If a Phase I ESA Identifies Environmental Concerns?
You Don't Need to Navigate the Next Steps Alone.
Finding a Recognized Environmental Condition (REC) during a Phase I ESA doesn't automatically mean a property is contaminated or that your transaction is at risk. A REC could be something as routine as a former dry cleaner on the site decades ago, or an old underground storage tank that was properly closed. In many cases, these findings are resolved through additional investigation, addressed in negotiations, or simply factored into the property's future use.
At CRB, we help you understand what a finding actually means and what your options are, so you can make an informed decision before closing.
If Environmental Concerns Are Identified, We'll Help You:
Understand the Findings
Our environmental professionals explain the results in clear, straightforward language so you understand what was identified, why it matters, and how it may affect your transaction.
Evaluate Your Next Steps
Not every REC requires additional investigation. If further evaluation is appropriate, we'll explain your options and help you determine the best path forward based on your property, transaction, and goals.
Complete a Phase II ESA if Needed
When additional investigation is recommended, CRB can perform a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment to evaluate soil, groundwater, or other environmental conditions. Because our team already understands your property and transaction, the process is more efficient and coordinated.
Support Your Project Beyond Due Diligence
Environmental due diligence doesn't always end with a Phase I ESA. Whether your project requires regulatory coordination, remediation planning, environmental permitting, or additional consulting services, CRB provides ongoing support to help keep your project moving forward.
Need a Phase I ESA? Receive a quote for your property.
Environmental Due Diligence Experience Across Every Commercial Property Type
Industrial & Manufacturing Facilities
Industrial properties often have complex operational histories, making thorough environmental due diligence essential. We help buyers, lenders, and developers evaluate former manufacturing operations, warehouses, distribution facilities, and industrial campuses for potential environmental concerns before closing.
Office Buildings
Whether you're purchasing a suburban office building or a downtown office tower, a Phase I ESA helps identify historical environmental conditions that may affect financing, redevelopment, or future property value.
Retail & Shopping Centers
Retail properties may have housed former dry cleaners, automotive repair shops, gas stations, or nail salons, tenants whose past operations can leave lasting environmental impacts even after they're gone. Our Phase I ESAs help buyers and lenders evaluate current and historical property uses, including prior tenant mix, to understand potential environmental risk before acquisition.
Self-Storage Facilities
Self-storage remains one of the fastest-growing asset classes in commercial real estate, and many facilities are converted from former industrial, automotive, or warehouse sites, uses that can carry hidden environmental history. Our Phase I ESAs help investors and lenders evaluate a site's prior use and current conditions before acquisition, development, or refinancing.
No two commercial properties carry the same environmental risk. A former manufacturing facility presents different challenges than a retail center, vacant land, or a multifamily development. Since 1992, CRB has performed Phase I Environmental Site Assessments across a wide range of commercial property types nationwide, giving buyers, lenders, developers, and investors the experience needed to identify risk accurately the first time.
Multifamily & Mixed-Use Developments
Multifamily and mixed-use sites often include ground-floor commercial space with its own environmental history, from dry cleaners to auto shops to prior gas stations, in addition to the residential use itself. CRB's Phase I ESAs help developers, lenders, and investors evaluate both the current and historical use of the full site before acquisition, refinancing, or redevelopment.
Hotels & Hospitality Properties
Hospitality properties often sit on sites with long ownership histories and multiple past uses before becoming a hotel, and may include on-site laundry facilities, fuel storage, or maintenance operations with environmental implications. Our Phase I ESAs help owners and lenders identify these considerations before renovation, refinancing, or sale.
Medical & Healthcare Facilities
Healthcare properties require careful evaluation of historical property use and site conditions. We provide environmental due diligence that supports healthcare acquisitions, expansions, and redevelopment projects.
Vacant Land & Redevelopment Sites
Vacant land isn't always free of environmental risk. Prior agricultural use, historical fill material, nearby industrial operations, or a structure that once stood on the site and was demolished can all leave conditions that affect future development. Our Phase I ESAs help developers and investors identify these concerns before construction begins.
Why the Quality of Your Phase I ESA Matters
A Phase I ESA Isn't Just a Requirement—It's a Decision-Making Tool.
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Environmental due diligence isn't simply following a checklist. It requires experienced professionals who know how to evaluate historical property uses, recognize potential environmental concerns, and distinguish between routine findings and issues that may warrant additional investigation.
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A technical report shouldn't leave you with more questions than answers. Our reports are written in clear, straightforward language that helps buyers, lenders, developers, attorneys, and investors understand the findings and their potential impact on the transaction.
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Environmental due diligence is one part of a much larger commercial real estate process. We understand that our work supports financing, legal review, negotiations, and closing timelines. That's why we prioritize responsive communication, practical recommendations, and reports that help keep your transaction moving.
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If additional investigation is recommended, you won't need to find another consultant to continue the process. From Phase II Environmental Site Assessments to remediation planning and regulatory support, CRB provides continuity throughout the life of your project.
What Sets a High-Quality Phase I ESA Apart?
“A Phase I ESA should help you answer one question with confidence: “Do I have the environmental information I need to move forward with this property?””
Frequently Asked Questions About Phase I Environmental Site Assessments
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A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Phase I ESA) is an environmental due diligence investigation used to identify potential environmental concerns associated with a commercial property. A Phase I ESA performed in accordance with ASTM E1527-21 typically includes a review of historical property uses and regulatory records, a site reconnaissance, interviews, and evaluation of findings to identify Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs).
A Phase I ESA does not typically include soil, groundwater, or other environmental sampling.
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Most Phase I ESAs are completed within 2–4 weeks, with expedited options available for time-sensitive closings.
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The cost of a Phase I ESA depends on factors such as the property's size, location, historical use, and complexity. Because every commercial property is different, CRB provides customized proposals based on your specific project rather than one-size-fits-all pricing.
Need pricing for your project? Request a proposal, and we'll provide a detailed quote.
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A Phase I ESA is commonly requested before purchasing, financing, refinancing, or redeveloping commercial property. Many lenders require one as part of their environmental due diligence process, and many buyers choose to complete one to better understand potential environmental risks before closing.
If you're unsure whether your project requires a Phase I ESA, our team is happy to discuss your transaction and help determine the appropriate next steps.
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Since 1992, CRB has helped buyers, lenders, developers, attorneys, investors, and property owners navigate environmental due diligence with confidence. Our team combines technical expertise with responsive communication and practical recommendations that support informed commercial real estate decisions.
We don't believe a Phase I ESA should simply satisfy a requirement—it should provide the information you need to move forward with confidence.
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A Recognized Environmental Condition (REC) is the presence or likely presence of hazardous substances or petroleum products on a property due to a release, a likely release, or conditions that could pose a material threat of a future release.
Importantly, a REC does not automatically mean a property is contaminated. It simply indicates that additional evaluation may be appropriate. If a REC is identified, we'll explain what it means, how it may affect your transaction, and whether any additional investigation is recommended.
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Finding a REC doesn't necessarily stop a transaction. In many cases, buyers, lenders, and property owners simply need additional information before making a decision.
If further evaluation is appropriate, CRB can perform a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment and guide you through the next steps. Our goal is to provide practical recommendations that help you make informed decisions—not create unnecessary uncertainty.
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A Phase I ESA completed in accordance with ASTM E1527-21 and the federal All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) rule may help support certain landowner liability protections under CERCLA when performed as part of qualifying property acquisitions. Because liability protections depend on the facts of each transaction, we recommend discussing your specific situation with your attorney or transaction team.
Need Additional Environmental Support?
Sometimes a Phase I ESA is only the beginning. If additional environmental investigation or consulting is recommended, CRB can continue supporting your project with: