When people are shipping products, it is less expensive to ship to a commercial address than a residential address. As a result, people often want to know whether an address is residential or commercial before they ship goods.
A residential address is classified as a home or private residence, but it includes a business that is operating within a home. A commercial address is a business. It is less expensive to ship to a commercial address because they are usually in more densely packed addresses, whereas a residence can be scattered throughout larger geographical areas. Read on to learn how to find out if an address is residential or commercial.
Use an Online Map Service
If you want to find out whether an address is residential or commercial, you can go to an online map service such as Google Maps. Open the application and enter the address. You should be able to get both a street view, a satellite view, and a map view. You can look at the information to determine whether it is a residence or a commercial address.
Google will often have businesses linked to a commercial address, so you can check to see what comes up. You can also look at the satellite image to determine if the address is in a residential neighborhood or in the center of town. If you see a business name and notice that it is in a commercial area, you will know that it is likely a commercial address.
Search for Public Records
Another way to determine whether an address is residential or commercial is to search public records associated with the address. Many states offer this online, and you can type the address in a search box to find out information about the address. A residence is often identified with a parcel number or a metes and bounds, and you may even see an abbreviation for either commercial or for residential.
If you cannot access this information online, you can go to the county clerk’s office, and they will know. You can start by calling to find out if there is any specific procedure to find this information. They might even tell you over the phone. The key is to know the county where the property is located because this information is almost always maintained by the county property appraiser’s office.
Check with the Postal Service
The postal service usually maintains a list of all addresses and whether they are classified as residential or commercial. Most countries have a postal service that keeps track of this information, and you can usually find out what you need to know. You can usually search online at the country’s postal service to learn the classification of the property.
You can also use an address verification service, which is separate from the postal service. This type of service will charge a subscription fee on an annual or monthly basis, and in exchange, you will be able to verify any address. You can also integrate this service into your own website. Some services offer this feature so that the address is verified when a customer places an order.
When you see an address, it is difficult to know whether it is residential or commercial. This is important information if you are shipping because it changes how much it costs. Fortunately, there are a few different ways to find out the status of an address. You can check by searching on a Mapping application if you are looking for a single address.
If you need to obtain this information more frequently, you should check with a postal service or integrate software into your store. You can also search public records because they give details about a property. Any of these methods will help you find out whether an address is residential or commercial.