When do I need a Feasibility Study?

A Feasibility Study allows us to test out ideas for functionality, cost, and constructibility without having to conduct an entire design process. This can be helpful for assessing a property purchase (can I build an addition?), a difficult site (what will it cost me to build the addition I want on this steep slope?), or for determining how to prioritize home renovation work (do I build an addition or remodel the bathroom first?).

At Charlton Architecture, we offer two types of Feasibility Study to accommodate these needs, a Conditions Assessment and a Detailed Study. They are described below.

Conditions Assessment

For this more limited Feasibility Study approach, we first review local zoning code for your property. Then we tour your property and discuss your goals on site. We answer your questions about the design and building process, and identify key opportunities & constraints in consideration of your goals. We provide a written report that summarizes the discussion & on-site observations. Request a Conditions Assessment.

This is great tool for:

  • Assessing the addition/remodel potential of a property you are considering purchasing or have recently purchased

  • Determining how to prioritize multiple projects on a single property

  • As an informative tool for making decisions such as whether to remodel or move

Detailed Study

Some questions cannot be easily answered. Your project may have significant constraints, such as a difficult site to build on, a historic home, or challenging local regulations. In these cases, we must go through a more comprehensive process to determine the feasibility of the project. To do this we will go partially through the first three stages of the traditional design process: Pre-Design, Schematic Design, and Design Development. See more about the design process, including information about these phases.

We protect the investment of our clients by focusing on the essential information needed to answer the question of feasibility rather than what is needed to “complete” each phase. We assess each Detailed Study request to determine the work and fee required.