Top 10 Applications for Building Footprint Data

Building footprints are polygonal representations of individual building structures in the physical world. They can be attributed with contextual metadata that provides information about the building’s purpose, its relationship to nearby locations, and its address. With a diverse range of applications across industries—including wildfire threat analysis, flood vulnerability assessment, broadband network planning, and insurance risk assessment—building footprints are a powerful tool for decision-making. In this blog, we'll explore some of the most exciting and innovative ways Ecopia AI’s (Ecopia’s) building footprint data is being used today.

Challenges in accessing accurate building footprint data 

Though high-precision building footprint data is incredibly valuable for analysis and decision-making across industries, organizations have historically faced challenges in accessing comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date building footprints. 

There are several methods for acquiring building footprint data. Some organizations may choose to create the data manually through digitization. Though thorough, this can be incredibly time-consuming and costly—particularly when done on a large scale. By the time the data has been created, it may already be stale, which can significantly hinder analysis and decision-making. Additionally, if building footprints are mapped using outdated or low-resolution imagery, it can result in an inaccurate and uncomprehensive depiction of the current landscape.

Alternatively, organizations may rely on existing open-source datasets to obtain building footprint data created by a third party. However, these datasets often lack completeness and consistency.

Another option is to purchase building footprint data from a provider. However, creating and maintaining highly accurate building footprints at scale requires advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology and high-quality image sources. Many vendors lack the technological capabilities and imagery partnerships needed to guarantee accuracy. While each provider uses its own methodology for digitizing data, none offer building footprint data as comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date as Ecopia’s.

How Ecopia AI is redefining building footprint data at scale

Ecopia’s Building-Based Geocoding offers the first and only complete building footprint collection in the US, paired with best-in-class address data. Our advanced AI-based mapping systems detect, extract, and update geospatial features from imagery, resulting in building footprints covering the entire US that come with best-in-class contractually guaranteed 95%+ accuracy specifications.

Next, our proprietary geocoding engine, designed to handle vast amounts of geospatial data, applies a unique machine learning-based parsing system to match each address to the correct building - resulting in the most comprehensive rooftop-level geocoding across the country.

Each year, we leverage our partnership with leading geospatial imagery providers to source fresh high-resolution imagery of the US to provide updated building footprints, which are then enhanced with the most up-to-date address data available. Currently, Ecopia’s Building-Based Geocoding provides over 176M high-precision building footprints and rooftop-level geocodes for more than 270 million primary and secondary US address points, offering the most complete database of property locations in the US.

Top 10 applications for building footprint data

Ecopia has helped numerous organizations scale their analysis by managing the complex task of sourcing and maintaining an accurate, up-to-date database. From government agencies to insurance providers, telecommunications companies, and civil engineering firms, our building footprint data is driving innovation and unlocking new opportunities. Here are some of the most impactful use cases we've seen for building footprint data across various industries.

1. Insurance property risk assessment

When pricing property insurance, underwriters assess the risk of a specific property by measuring its proximity to high-risk areas, such as flood zones. Therefore, accurately identifying the boundaries of a structure is essential for determining the correct policy price. This need for precision is what makes building footprints an integral part of insurance underwriting. While singular latitude and longitude point coordinates can represent the approximate location of a property, they do not provide the level of detail needed to understand how the building itself relates to nearby risks.

For example, an insurance policy priced using only point data derived from a parcel centroid may miscalculate how close the building lies to a flood zone or wildfire high-risk area. Without considering the full extent of the building footprint, an underwriter may underprice the policy, exposing the insurer to significant financial risk in the event of property damage.

That’s why top insurers are turning to Ecopia’s building footprint data to improve risk assessment and streamline claims processing. For instance, Harford Mutual leveraged Ecopia’s Building-Based Geocoding to enable more accurate and efficient risk assessment, reducing time spent on manual property assessments by 75%.

2. Broadband network planning

Accurate building footprint data plays a pivotal role in broadband expansion efforts, particularly when it comes to the federal government's Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The program, which allocates $42 billion in grants to enhance high-speed internet access across the US, focuses on expanding broadband in underserved areas, particularly those with limited or no internet access. States applying for BEAD funding from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had the chance to challenge the FCC’s database of Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) as part of the application process. This enabled states to identify addresses that were missing from the FCC map, providing a clearer understanding of need, and ensuring these locations were considered in funding decision-making. 

Given the challenges associated with digitizing buildings at scale, States have struggled to accurately map building footprints needed for determining BSLs. To address this and enhance BEAD funding applications, Ecopia partnered with multiple states across the US, providing up-to-date geospatial data. In Alaska, for example, where less than 5% of buildings were mapped and no statewide address database existed, Ecopia’s AI-based mapping systems quickly and accurately extracted every building across the state, which was essential for the state to participate in the FCC's challenge process. As a result of these efforts, Alaska successfully secured over $1.01 billion in BEAD funding, to provide broader broadband access for Alaskans and make available new opportunities through enhanced internet connectivity. 

3. Emergency response 

The Alaska Geospatial Office has discovered several critical applications for Ecopia’s building footprint data beyond broadband expansion. Among the key applications is emergency response planning. As a State that has yet to transition to Next Generation 9-1-1, Alaska is focusing on using Ecopia’s building footprints to identify gaps in physical address data. This initiative will play a crucial role in advocating for continued funding for statewide address data development to ultimately enhance emergency response capabilities.

4. Wildfire threat assessment 

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the extent of land burned by wildfires has increased since the 1980s, and nine of the ten worst years on record have occurred since 2000. As wildfires continue to pose a devastating risk to communities, building footprint data plays a critical role in assessing wildfire risk. Knowing the location, size, and proximity of structures to fire-prone areas, such as forests or grasslands, is essential. By accurately mapping building locations, wildfire risks can be better understood and mitigated through targeted prevention strategies, such as identifying high-risk structures for evacuation planning or prioritizing areas for firebreaks and other defensive infrastructure.

From an insurance perspective, building footprint data helps evaluate risks within a portfolio by identifying structures near high-risk areas, allowing for more accurate policy pricing. Additionally, tracking changes in building footprints over time can aid in assessing potential property damage and refining risk models in a post-disaster scenario.

5. Flood risk and coastal hazard management 

Similar to wildfires, flooding is another hazard that can cause devastating destruction to communities. The EPA predicts that more areas in the US will face growing risks of flooding, with annual damages projected to rise by $750 million over the next 75 years. Building footprints with detailed information on the location and extent of structures can be used to analyze the potential impact of flood events on communities. 

Planners can combine building footprints with flood zone maps to assess the vulnerability of residential and commercial areas and prioritize protective measures, such as levees or drainage improvements. By evaluating the risk and potential damage to homes and infrastructure, this data is essential for effective disaster planning and recovery efforts.

6. Stormwater management

Municipal governments often use stormwater utility fees (SUFs) to help fund the creation, improvement, and maintenance of stormwater infrastructure. This is a critically important task to help enhance climate resilience and high-precision building footprint data plays an important role in the calculation of these fees. ‍

In 2018, Ecopia provided the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) with a high-precision map of impervious surfaces in the region, including building footprint data, for SUF assessment. Ecopia’s AI-based mapping expedited impervious surface mapping by 18x to support stormwater planning in the city. Before partnering with Ecopia, DWSD's manual digitization process took 12-18 months, meaning the city was relying on outdated data, which resulted in over $5.6 million in missed annual revenue. Since 2018, Ecopia has been updating the city’s land cover data annually to help monitor change detection and SUF assessment. To learn more about Detroit’s innovative approach to stormwater management, click here. 

7. Property tax assessment

Tax assessment offices are tasked with maintaining accurate, up-to-date property records, a challenging responsibility as property values can fluctuate due to even minor changes. To address this complexity, assessors are increasingly relying on geospatial building data to improve and streamline the appraisal process.

In property valuations, assessors often consider not just the property itself but also its proximity to surrounding features like homes, parks, roads, or schools. Ecopia’s precise building footprint data offers crucial insights into the location and extent of structures, aiding in more accurate assessments. In addition to building footprints, Ecopia’s systems have the ability to extract every feature from high-resolution imagery—whether natural or manmade, including swimming pools, decks, and greenspaces, helping to provide a comprehensive view of property characteristics that may affect value. This enables more efficient, desktop-based appraisals. Additionally, Ecopia’s change detection capabilities can help assessors identify unpermitted structures or additions, ensuring more complete and accurate property records.

8. Population estimation

Analyzing the number and size of buildings in a specific area using high-precision building footprints allows governments and researchers to gain valuable insights into population distribution. This data is especially useful for identifying households in remote communities that may be difficult to access.

Moreover, the ability to track changes in building footprints over time can enhance dynamic population forecasting. Data about buildings that have been constructed or demolished can help refine population estimates and identify urbanization trends. This precision facilitates more effective planning for public services, such as transportation networks, to ensure that communities are equipped to meet the needs of their population.

9. Urban Heat Island mitigation

Building footprint data is essential for analyzing Heat Islands, a phenomenon where urban areas experience significantly higher temperatures than natural landscapes due to altered land surfaces. Buildings and other types of urban infrastructure made of human-made materials, tend to absorb and re-release more heat than natural features. This makes regions with a high concentration of buildings especially vulnerable to this effect. These elevated temperatures can lead to heat-related illnesses, worsen air quality, strain energy systems, and contribute to water quality degradation. As a result, cities are increasingly prioritizing heat island analysis as a critical component of urban planning.

By analyzing the spatial distribution of buildings and other impervious surfaces in urban areas, planners can identify regions that are particularly vulnerable to Heat Island effect. This data can also help determine the most effective locations for mitigation strategies, such as green roofs.

10. Land use planning and utility analysis 

As communities grow and evolve due to factors like population expansion and urbanization, staying ahead of these shifts is crucial to ensuring long-term success and the well-being of all residents. Building footprint data plays a vital role in this process, offering valuable insights for land use planning and utility analysis. By providing accurate, up-to-date information on building locations, this data helps planners and engineers forecast demand, identify service gaps, and plan expansions or upgrades for utilities like electricity, water, sewage, and gas. This is especially important in rapidly growing areas, where ensuring the infrastructure is ready to meet both current and future needs is key to supporting sustainable development.

Revolutionize decision-making with Ecopia’s building footprints

With Ecopia, digitizing buildings at scale has never been easier. Ecopia’s AI-powered solutions offer the most comprehensive , accurate, and up-to-date building footprint data available, giving organizations a source of truth for informed decision-making. 

To explore how Ecopia’s high-precision building footprint data can support your projects, get in touch with our team.