What Is a Feasibility Study?
By Daniel Kidd AIA | Dec 20, 2025 | Process, NYC Renovations, Getting Started
The most expensive mistake in a renovation or development project is usually not a bad contractor or a construction cost overrun. It's committing to a project, buying a property, hiring a full design team, and generating months of drawings before anyone has verified that what you have in mind is actually achievable.
FAQs
What Is a Feasibility Study?
A feasibility study is an architect's upfront assessment of what is possible on a given property, what the zoning allows, what the existing conditions will support, and what your project will likely cost before design begins.
It answers the questions that have to be resolved before any design can meaningfully start:
What does the zoning allow in terms of floor area, height, setbacks, and use?
What can you build as-of-right, without a variance or special permit?
Are there landmark districts or historic preservation constraints that affect the exterior?
What does the existing structure look like, and what will it support?
Is the project you have in mind achievable and at roughly what cost?
A feasibility study typically takes two to four weeks. It produces a written summary of findings, a zoning analysis, and usually a set of massing diagrams or preliminary options, enough to make a clear, informed decision about whether and how to proceed.
When Do You Need a Feasibility Study?
Before buying a property. This is the highest-value use of a feasibility study. If you're acquiring a brownstone, a lot, or any property with the intention of developing or renovating it, a feasibility study before you close tells you whether your plan is realistic. It can reveal constraints that change what you're willing to pay, or clearly tell you that the project you're imagining isn't possible at all. That information is worth significantly more before the purchase than after.
Before committing to a major renovation. If you're planning a significant addition, a conversion from one use to another, or a project that involves structural changes, a feasibility study confirms that the project is zoning-compliant, structurally viable, and in the right cost range before you invest in full construction documents.
Before pursuing an ADU. ADU feasibility is particularly important because the rules vary so much by location and property type. A feasibility study tells you whether your property qualifies, what size and type of ADU is permitted, and whether the cost makes sense relative to your goals.
When you're not sure what's possible. Sometimes the question isn't whether a specific project is feasible, it's which project is right in the first place. A feasibility study is a good way to understand your options before you commit to a direction.
What Does a Feasibility Study Cover?
Every feasibility study is different, but at PLANS, a typical study covers:
Zoning analysis: what the zoning envelope allows: FAR, height, lot coverage, setbacks, and use permissions
As-of-right vs. special permit: what you can build by right and what would require a variance, special permit, or Board of Standards and Appeals review
Landmark and historic district review whether exterior changes will require LPC approval and what that process involves
Preliminary structural assessment based on available documents and a site visit, what the existing structure appears to support
Rough cost framework: a preliminary range for the project based on scope and comparable projects, not a contractor's estimate, but a realistic basis for decision-making
The output is a document you can use to make a decision, share with a lender or partner, or take into a full design engagement with confidence.
What Is a Feasibility Study Not?
A feasibility study is not a substitute for a full design. It's a decision-making tool, not a construction document. It gives you enough information to know whether to proceed and how, not a complete design ready to build.
It's also not a guarantee. Zoning analyses are based on current rules, which can change. Structural assessments at the feasibility stage are based on visual inspection and available records, not a full engineering study. The purpose is to reduce risk and inform your decision, not to eliminate all uncertainty.
How Much Does a Feasibility Study Cost?
At PLANS, feasibility studies are offered as a standalone service separate from and prior to any design engagement. The fee varies based on property complexity, but it is a fraction of the cost of a full design engagement. For most residential projects, it's the most efficient thing you can spend early in the process.
For clients evaluating a property purchase with renovation or development in mind, we can often complete a preliminary assessment quickly enough to be useful before a closing deadline.
How Do You Get Started?
If you have a property you're considering and want to understand what's possible, that's exactly where we start.
Reach us at info@plans.nyc