THE CHALLENGE
For years, parcel data inside Burns & McDonnell was often gathered in a decentralized way: individual project teams sourced what they needed, when they needed it. That approach created inconsistency across teams, reduced visibility into who had already done what, and made it harder to standardize data practices enterprise-wide.
On top of the operational inefficiency, parcel licensing frequently introduced risk and friction, especially when teams needed to share data with clients or include it in deliverables. Burns & McDonnell needed to align on one reliable source of parcel truth that could support diverse workflows across the full AEC project lifecycle.
CHOOSING A SOLUTION
Burns & McDonnell evaluated multiple parcel data providers with a focus on coverage, accessibility, and legal risk. They ultimately chose Regrid because it could support how an engineering and construction firm works day to day, offering nationwide coverage, consistent formatting, flexible delivery options (Feature Service, API, bulk files), regular updates, and strong alignment with their Esri-centered environment.
"What made the difference in our selection of Regrid was the ability to support the kind of work we do as an engineering and construction firm"
— Michael Allen
THE RESULTS
Standardizing parcel data delivered measurable efficiency gains across the firm, most notably reducing time spent collecting parcel data and accelerating project mobilization across business units. As one team put it, parcel data shifted from something they had to chase down to something they can simply enable and use immediately.
Beyond speed, the impact shows up in day-to-day delivery:
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Better location intelligence for clients, including the ability to compare routing costs, estimate land value impacts, and support landowner negotiations with richer data earlier in the process.
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Improved field safety and coordination, with parcel-linked access tracking and alerts that help crews understand where they can go and what to expect.
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Enterprise-wide consistency and scalability, where standardized land data becomes a reliable part of the “data stream” across the full project lifecycle—and teams increasingly share automations and best practices across the company.
“Our clients aren’t looking for parcel data… What they need is location intelligence, and our partnership with Regrid strengthens our ability to provide that.”
— Michael Allen
