Climate-risk context for real home-buying decisions
Risk Before Buy translates public climate and hazard datasets into a calmer, clearer decision layer for buyers, movers, and researchers. We do not generate proprietary risk models — we aggregate, normalize, and clarify what the federal government already knows.
Our mission
Climate risk is material to the largest purchase most people will ever make. Yet the information that determines flood zones, wildfire exposure, and seismic risk is buried in federal databases that most buyers never see — and most agents never read. The gap between the data the federal government publishes and the data that reaches a buyer's desk is, in our view, the single largest under-served problem in residential real estate.
Risk Before Buy exists to close that gap. We aggregate five federal data sources — FEMA, NOAA, USGS, USDA, and EPA — into a single, plain-English risk brief that any buyer can read before making an offer. We do not invent proprietary risk models, we do not sell data to insurance carriers, and we do not accept payment to alter scores. Editorial sign-off is independent, and every number on the platform is traceable to a federal source.
We are operated by Open Data Collective, an independent team founded in 2025. Our mandate is narrow but demanding: turn the most consequential federal climate and hazard datasets into the clearest possible decision support for the largest financial decision most American families will ever make.
Primary data sources
Every score on the platform is traceable to one of these federal sources. The full data lineage, retrieval cadence, and version identifiers are documented on the data sources and methodology pages.
Operating principles
Three standards that govern every score we publish
These principles are non-negotiable. They are what makes Risk Before Buy different from a marketing-driven climate widget.
Open methodology
Every score on this platform has a direct, named lineage to a federal source. Our parsing logic and data pipeline are documented publicly.
No insurance kickbacks
We do not sell data to insurers, accept payments to alter scores, or receive referral fees from any financial product.
Updated quarterly
Federal source data is refreshed every 90 days. Retrieval timestamps are displayed on every score so you always know how fresh the data is.
Who builds it
The team and the editorial review process
Climate Risk Analysts
Backgrounds in atmospheric science, environmental policy, and actuarial research. Every city profile and pre-purchase audit is reviewed by an analyst before publication.
Data Engineers
Maintain the federal data ingestion pipeline, normalize the five hazard datasets, and enforce the score-to-percentile conversion that keeps raw 0-100 numbers off public surfaces.
Editorial Review Board
Independent reviewers from real estate, insurance, and emergency-management backgrounds. The board signs off on every editorial note attached to a city or hazard page.
Editorial review is independent of data engineering. A score change requested by a marketing, sales, or partnership team is declined by policy. Score changes are accepted only when backed by an official federal dataset revision or a documented physical correction (FEMA Letter of Map Amendment, licensed surveyor elevation certificate, etc.).
Milestones
From a 13-city pilot to a national climate risk library
Q1 2025
Founding
Open Data Collective is founded with the explicit mission of translating federal climate and hazard data into a buyer-friendly format. Initial coverage: 13 cities.
Q2 2025
Methodology published
The full scoring methodology, score-to-percentile conversion, and soft-band labeling system is published publicly. First third-party reproducibility audit completed.
Q3 2025
City library expansion
Coverage extended to 50+ cities across 13 states. Insurance market data integration begins via state Department of Insurance filings.
Q4 2025
FEMA NFHL parcel lookup
Address-level FEMA flood zone lookup shipped. The free snapshot tool now returns parcel point-in-polygon results from the National Flood Hazard Layer.
Q1 2026
Premium Strain Index
The exclusive RBB Premium Strain Index launches as a public signal of insurance affordability relative to local median household income.
Q2 2026
Public-Data Audit published
Open Data Collective publishes the first end-to-end reproducibility audit, including source timestamps, pull cadence, and federal dataset version identifiers.
What we will not do
- We will not invent proprietary risk scores. If the federal government does not publish a number, we do not make one up.
- We will not sell, license, or broker user data to insurance carriers, mortgage lenders, or data brokers. Our editorial integrity depends on this.
- We will not display a raw 0-100 score on a public surface. Every score is converted to a national percentile phrase before it reaches a user, with band labels softened to “Significant” and “Substantial” to avoid implying property damage attribution.
- We will not accept payment to alter a score. Score corrections are accepted only when backed by an objective federal source update or a documented physical correction.
Methodology
How scores are built, how weights are calibrated, and how the national percentile conversion works.
Read methodologyData sources
The five federal datasets behind every score, the retrieval cadence, and the citation policy.
Read data sourcesGet in touch
Support, partnerships, broker inquiries, or to file a data correction.
Contact the teamVerify the source
Every score can be verified against the originating federal agency. Start with FEMA, NOAA, USGS, USDA, or EPA.
Open FEMA.govReach the team
We respond to every inquiry within one business day. For data corrections, please include the page URL, the field in question, and the supporting evidence.
- hello@riskbeforebuy.com — general & support
- corrections@riskbeforebuy.com — data corrections
- business@riskbeforebuy.com — B2B & API licensing
- press@riskbeforebuy.com — press & partnerships