Have you recently purchased, or are interested in purchasing a property with particular ideas to develop it in mind? Before even starting a design, it is critical to find out the local codes and ordinances, and financial feasibility that will govern that design. Every year I talk to people that purchase a property before researching it thoroughly and/or start right away on the design, only to find they have wasted time and money because the design is not feasible.
In order to help prospective clients get started with their project, I offer a feasibility service at a reasonably low cost. This is compiled into a report specifically addressing your particular project. It is the kind of preliminary information that any owner, contractor, or architect would need to research and analyze as the first steps in any planned construction project.
This service has no other obligations attached to it. The report will help inform you about what changes to your objectives might be necessary before proceeding further. You can take the report, study it, think on it, sleep on it, wait until you are more prepared to proceed, or decide that maybe your project just isn’t feasible.
With property prices now returning to more reasonable levels but construction costs still relatively high, this can also be money well spent if you are interested in, or even in escrow on, a new property or existing building you wish to remodel, add on to, etc. I think this type of service can be very economical and every bit as important as your typical home inspection if you are purchasing a home with the intention of altering it in any way. It can be considered due diligence for the purchase of any property or building, residential or commercial.
Items that are included in this report are as follows-
* Pertinent site specific data such as zoning, height limits, setbacks, coverage, F.A.R., density, and any other overlay zones or ordinances that might affect the design of your proposed project.
* Analysis of what, if any, environmental review that may be required given your location or the type and size of your project.
* Analysis of the potential Fire Department requirements for your project.
* Preliminary estimate of the square footage construction costs that may be involved with your project based on a discussion of your objectives, and the level of quality and/or materials & finishes you are seeking.
* Preliminary timetable of the permitting process, how long it might take for you to obtain a building permit for your project.
* Preliminary estimate of the additional fees for design, engineering, other consultants, and permit processing services that might be needed to take your project through the permit phases.
* On-site, in your home or office, or in my office meeting to go over the report in person item by item.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A FREE SAMPLE REPORT
Keep in mind, that with some time and diligence, a lot of this information is available either online, or at your local Community Development Department, and you can actually seek all of this information yourself. I encourage anyone to do so. It can be a very good education. But many people simply don’t have the time, or even if they do, find that a lot of the information can be confusing and contains a lot of industry specific jargon that not everyone is familiar with. More importantly, you may not understand what all of the information means to you.
Many people, I believe, also hesitate to contact an architect for fear they will have to commit to thousands and thousands of dollars to find out anything useful to them, when initially all they really need is some preliminary information to help make a decision as the whether to move forward with their project or not. I firmly believe utilizing the services of an architect, even for the smallest of projects, will usually save almost any client time and money.
The estimated pricing for this report is as follows. Keep in mind that these are estimates based on past experience but may change after meeting with you at the site and talking about your particular project. The initial consultation at the site is free of charge and requires no further obligation.
Single Family Residential Additions and/or Remodels- $500-800
New Single Family Homes- $700-1200
Commercial Tenant Improvement, Additions and/or Remodels- $700-1200
New Commercial Buildings- $900-2000
Note that these estimates are based on projects that would be located within a 1-hour drive of my office. Projects further away may incur extra travel expenses.
The turn-around time for this report is typically 5 to 15 business days, depending on my current workload. I may be able to give you a more accurate estimate of this turn-around time at the initial consultation.
Please feel free to e-mail me or call me at (805) 473-5716 for a no-charge initial site, home, or office consultation about this service. I look forward to helping you get your project off the ground.
