As you begin your ADU design build process, you will often encounter the phrase “feasibility study” or “feasibility report.” A complete ADU Feasibility Study is an important first step that will help you make an informed decision about whether or not to build an accessory dwelling unit. You will also learns where to optimally locate the unit on your property given all of the relevant constraints & considerations.
Understanding what is included in a feasibility study is crucial, as not all are comprehensive. Some ADU companies may offer “ADU feasibility reports” that provide only basic information, often similar to what is shared during initial discovery calls and detailed proposals from SnapADU. A more thorough approach, however, can give you a detailed, actionable plan that minimizes surprises, reduces overall costs & timelines, and helps ensure the successful completion of your ADU project.
Read on to learn why a thorough ADU study is critical to planning a successful project that will stay on budget.
Understanding What is Included in a Feasibility Study is Crucial
Not all feasibility studies are comprehensive. Some companies offer basic feasibility reports, providing information similar to what is shared during initial discovery calls or detailed proposals. However, a thorough feasibility study offers more than just surface-level insights. It delivers a detailed, actionable plan that can significantly reduce surprises, minimize costs, and keep your ADU project on schedule.
An ADU feasibility study is a comprehensive analysis of your zoning requirements, site constraints, existing utilities, and proposed ADU design that evaluates the practicality and financial viability of building an ADU on your property. This initial assessment considers any potential roadblocks and other factors that will affect your build, ensuring we have all the necessary information to accurately scope & price your project.
The main goal of the feasibility study is to give you a clear understanding of the total investment required for your ADU project by thoroughly examining all its components.
Why a Feasibility Study is Essential for a Successful ADU Project
At SnapADU, we believe that a comprehensive feasibility study is absolutely essential for a successful ADU project. This study provides accurate pricing upfront and ensures a smooth process during the permitting and construction phases. Conducting a feasibility study is crucial for understanding the cost of the entire project before moving forward.
Common Pitfalls of Skipping the Feasibility Study
Homeowners who skip the feasibility study often face significant issues later in the project. Without a thorough initial assessment, projects can quickly spiral out of control. Hidden challenges such as unexpected site conditions and inadequate utility planning are often the biggest overlooked items. These oversights frequently lead to design misalignments, budget overruns, and construction delays.
Critical elements, such as utility mapping and planning, are often overlooked. Without detailed documentation of existing sewer, water, gas, and electrical lines, you might discover mid-project that utility rerouting is necessary. This adds both time and cost. Similarly, electrical load calculations are essential to determine whether your existing panel can support the ADU or if an electrical upgrade is required. Without these steps, unexpected changes may result in additional construction delays and expenses.
Topographical considerations and construction realities are also often overlooked. For instance, if the property has uneven elevations or requires grading, the feasibility study would have flagged potential foundation requirements & costs. This allows you to plan for the overall most cost effective location, factoring in elements like retaining walls or specific grading work. This early identification avoids costly, last-minute fixes.
The Importance of Starting With a Feasibility Study Early
At SnapADU, we frequently hear from homeowners who encountered pitfalls with previous architects or contractors. They began design or construction without a thorough feasibility study, leading to significant cost overruns and frustrating delays. By addressing all potential challenges upfront, SnapADU helps homeowners sidestep these issues, ensuring smoother progress and a more predictable build.
The reality is that all the steps included in our full feasibility study need to be done at some point in the process. We think it makes sense to tackle them from the start. An ADU study serves as the preliminary step in the creation of your overall construction documents, which will be required for the city. It focuses on the aspects of the design that are most relevant to you, without delving into the costly full package of engineering and other technical details required for city approval. Essentially, it’s a way to understand your expected budget before committing to the more extensive and costly processes that will follow.
This approach saves homeowners both time and money, preventing unexpected and costly hiccups, like discovering a utility line in the middle of your proposed ADU site or finding an easement that blocks your building plans. At SnapADU, we’ve made it a policy to require a feasibility study as the first step in all our projects because we know from experience that it’s the best way to ensure a successful, cost-effective, and lower stress ADU build.
How much does a Feasibility Report cost?
SnapADU offers a Feasibility Study as the first step of our design/permit/build process at $7,500 for a standard project. While other companies may offer “feasibility reports” at a lower price point (typically around $2,500), these often lack depth and leave critical questions unanswered. Our comprehensive approach is designed to eliminate surprises, reduce timelines, and set you up for success from day one.
Why is the Feasibility Study so expensive?
Homeowners often ask, “Why does a feasibility study cost this much?” The answer lies in the value it delivers. Unlike basic design-focused feasibility reports, SnapADU’s process dives into every build detail upfront. This includes site surveys, utility mapping, topographic and planimetric analysis, and construction-informed budgets. By addressing these factors early, we avoid costly mid-project changes that can derail budgets and schedules.
Our expertise is built on completing over 100 ADUs since 2020. This experience has allowed us to refine our processes and build a collaborative team of designers, architects, permitting experts, and construction managers. Together, we account for more than 150 factors just during the proposal stage, with hundreds more in Feasibility, ensuring a seamless process later.
Why should I pay for more work upfront? Isn’t that riskier?
Paying for a comprehensive feasibility study upfront might feel like a larger initial investment, but it’s one of the smartest financial decisions you can make for your ADU project. Here’s why:
Avoid Costly Surprises
A full Feasibility Study ensures you have a clear and accurate understanding of your project scope and budget. By addressing potential challenges early – like utility reroutes, grading issues, or setback conflicts – you can prevent unexpected costs down the road. Skipping this step or opting for a bare-bones feasibility report often leads to mid-project surprises, which can derail your budget by tens of thousands of dollars.
Reduce Risk
Ironically, paying less upfront increases your financial risk. Incomplete feasibility reports may overlook critical site-specific details like underground utilities or sitework concerns. These missed elements often surface during construction when corrections are more expensive and disruptive. With SnapADU’s approach, we mitigate these risks by identifying and resolving issues before breaking ground.
Save Time in the Long Run
A thorough feasibility study eliminates guesswork and keeps your project on schedule. Our process integrates utility mapping, topographic surveys, and vetted budgets into your overall plan, ensuring a smoother permitting and construction process. Without this preparation, delays are far more likely, as unforeseen obstacles may require redesigns, additional permits, or contractor rescheduling. Read more about how long it takes to build an ADU.
Gain Confidence in Your Project
When you invest in a complete feasibility study, you’re not just buying a report—you’re mapping out the entire project. SnapADU’s team of experts has accounted for hundreds of factors specific to your property and design. This means you can move forward with your ADU project confidently, knowing that your budget and timeline are built on a foundation of meticulous planning.
Plus, SnapADU credits the $7,500 feasibility study fee back if you move forward with us for your build, making it a cost-effective decision in the long term.
What is included in a Feasibility Study?
Our Feasibility Study covers every aspect necessary for a successful ADU build. Below are the core components that make this report a critical first step in your project:
Planimetric & Topographic Survey
We conduct a localized topographic survey to document site elevations, changes, and contours within a 10-foot radius of the proposed ADU footprint. This survey also includes a planimetric analysis to map out existing site improvements, such as structures, driveways, drainage systems, geological features, trees, walls, and fences. This detailed information is crucial for precise planning and ensuring the ADU’s optimal placement on your property.
Utility Mapping
We conduct a thorough utility mapping process to locate all existing private utilities, including sewer, water, gas, and electric lines, using ground-penetrating radar. This process involves detailed documentation, such as camera inspections of sewer and water lines, evaluations of service setups, gas meters, and exterior documentation with photos. By understanding the complete utility layout, we can strategically place your ADU in a location that minimizes the need for significant rerouting or long utility runs, ultimately reducing costs.
Utility Planning
Our utility planning involves a comprehensive assessment at both the service and utility distribution levels. We inspect the electrical panel to determine if the current load capacity is sufficient or if upgrades are necessary. From this assessment, we produce a comprehensive utility plan, including recommendations for gas and/or electric placement that meet SDGE standards and clearances. This ensures that your ADU is seamlessly integrated into your existing utility infrastructure. Proper planning is crucial; without it, projects can easily languish in unnecessary downtime, or balloon with unexpected costs. By ensuring that all utility considerations are addressed upfront, we streamline the process and facilitate smooth coordination with utility companies like SDGE.
Site Plan
We prepare a detailed site plan that incorporates all elements of the survey, utility mapping, and demolition plan (if applicable). This plan lays out the ADU footprint to maximize the use of available space while adhering to zoning requirements, setbacks, and other property constraints. Additionally, we assess access to ensure that our equipment can efficiently reach the build site and planning accordingly. With a seasoned construction team in-house, we know exactly what to watch out and plan for proactively.
Design
Our design includes floor plans, ceiling plans, roof plans, elevations, electrical plans, door and window schedules, and kitchen & vanity elevations. For custom design projects, we incorporate any altered design elements for approval. This phase ensures that every detail of your ADU plan is thoughtfully designed to meet your needs and preferences.
Renderings
We produce 3D renderings of all four elevations of the ADU. These renderings help you visualize the finished product, providing a clear picture of the exterior finish details. This step is vital for aligning the project with your expectations and ensuring that the design complements your main home.
Feasibility Report
Our Feasibility Report is the culmination of a meticulous and thorough process that synthesizes all the critical data collected. This includes an in-depth analysis of property data, building standards, zoning setbacks, ADU regulations, lot coverage ratios, and any other regulatory or legal constraints. We also incorporate solar calculations, utility data analysis, water supply and drainage fixture schedules, and overall water system capacity, ensuring that every aspect of your project is aligned with local requirements.
Additionally, we develop a comprehensive utility connection point plan, which outlines the optimal placements for utilities and the electrical panel, as well as the general conditions placements on your site. This level of detail ensures that your project is not only compliant but also optimized for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
To ensure the accuracy and reliability of your Feasibility Report, leaders from all of our departments review the document. This collaborative approach ensures that every report is as thorough and forward-thinking as possible. It requires a significant amount of expertise and attention to detail to bring all these elements together, but we believe this diligence is essential for an on-time and on-budget ADU project.
Build Price
After completing the Feasibility Study, we create a detailed budget that incorporates any new findings. This budget gives you a clear and realistic projection of your project costs, enabling informed decisions as you move forward. The main cost elements that might change after this phase typically arise during the Constructability Analysis, which we conduct once we have a full set of Construction Documents. For example, this could include discoveries made during the complete structural drawings. Read more about our approach to pricing, including when we price lock your build.
What else might you look into during Feasibility?
Depending on the unique features and constraints of your property, a Feasibility Study may delve into various specialized assessments to ensure a comprehensive understanding of your build. These might include:
Site Improvement Feasibility
Site Improvement Feasibility involves a thorough assessment of the existing site conditions and any proposed improvements necessary for building an ADU. This evaluation includes examining elevations related to the foundation, the need for retaining walls, potential grading work, and other relevant site modifications.
For example, if your ADU project is on a hillside, a grading study will determine how much soil needs to be moved, the costs involved, and whether a formal grading plan is required by the city. Similarly, if a retaining wall is necessary, the feasibility study will explore what type of wall is suitable – such as a keystone wall, soil retention wall, or CMU wall – and provide an estimate for the ADU construction.
It’s important to note that all site improvements should be integrated into the overall ADU plan. If you have CAD drawings for other proposed site improvements – such as a swimming pool – they should be provided to ensure the ADU’s design and location will work well with the other elements.
Septic Feasibility
A septic feasibility study accomplishes three things. First, it will map out your existing septic system so that we understand constraints presented; we cannot, for example, locate your ADU on top of leach lines. Second, this study would be used to plan a new septic system for the ADU if this is necessary. Third and finally, a septic study will give you budgeted costs for altering your existing system or designing & installing a new one.
Sewer studies may be employed if you have an existing septic system in place on your property, but would like to connect to your city’s sewer system. Some cities may also mandate a video of the sewer lateral. Some homeowners choose to perform a sewer study if they suspect root damage or other problems with the existing lines. More on sewer connections.
Zoning Feasibility & Preliminary Review
Zoning feasibility is a critical component of a thorough ADU feasibility study, particularly for properties with unique or complex characteristics like overlays. Understanding how local zoning laws interact with your specific site conditions is essential to determine whether your ADU project can proceed as envisioned. At SnapADU, we take a proactive approach by incorporating early planning and collaboration with city officials into our process.
For complex ADU projects, SnapADU often obtains a Single Discipline Preliminary Review with local government departments during the feasibility study. This step is particularly valuable when multiple site-specific factors exist, such as brush management zones, coastal zones, or the San Diego Bonus Program. In some cases, this may be the first time a city has reviewed a particular combination of zoning factors.
Preliminary review meetings allow us to obtain written feedback from city planners, providing clarity on potential hurdles and ensuring our approach aligns with their expectations. By engaging early, we can work collaboratively to address concerns before investing in a full set of construction documents (CDs).
How does a feasibility study affect my build?
Depending on the findings of your feasibility assessment, there is always the possibility a build will be determined impossible or too expensive. This is where the true value of these studies becomes obvious, as it saves the homeowner from investing significant time and money into a project that is later deemed unviable. It is a safeguard to ensure your money is not wasted or misused.
On the other hand, a positive feasibility study will confirm the desired ADU can be built, and also offer a preliminary budget associated with the project. This investment ensures that you have all the necessary information to make well-informed decisions. Moving forward from the Feasibility Report is seamless; we simply keep going on your design to produce the full set of documentation required for the city.
“You guys do such a wonderful job with attention to detail on your Construction, ADU projects and your paperwork administration level is out of this world. I really appreciate all your employees, work ethics, and really nice kind people to work with. You guys definitely lead the way on how Construction projects should run in the field and internally behind the scenes. Thank you so much.” – City of Carlsbad Building Inspector
Can I make changes after approving a feasibility study?
Once you approve a feasibility study with SnapADU, it becomes the foundation for the construction documents (CDs) required for a building permit. These documents serve as a detailed blueprint for the construction process, ensuring that the structure aligns precisely with the plans.
During the transition from the feasibility study to the full CDs, we conduct an in-depth constructability analysis. This analysis delves into structural details and mechanical systems, potentially uncovering aspects not apparent during the initial assessment. If this analysis suggests necessary adjustments for budget adherence or project feasibility, we may propose minor revisions to the design.
It’s important to understand that your approval of the Feasibility Report signifies a commitment to the design as presented. Subsequent changes can lead to delays and additional costs. For instance, altering window placement affects not only architectural plans but also structural calculations, energy compliance, and building code adherence. Such changes can significantly impact the project in terms of light, ventilation, fire safety, and privacy considerations.
Also, changes made after the feasibility study may affect the price lock. Any market pricing increases that occur during time delays could impact your final project cost.
While changes post-approval are technically possible, they should be considered carefully, understanding their potential impact on the project’s timeline, cost, and execution. At SnapADU, once the feasibility study is approved, it is treated as a final decision. This one-way process ensures that the design moves forward efficiently without delays or cost increases.
The importance of a thorough and accurate Feasibility Study: A Key Differentiator
At SnapADU, our commitment to providing a comprehensive and accurate Feasibility Study sets us apart in the industry. We understand that the success of your ADU project hinges on careful planning from the outset, which is why we invest significant resources into this critical first step.
Our ADU Study is not just an initial report; it’s a deep dive into every aspect of your ADU project. We meticulously evaluate zoning requirements, site conditions, existing utilities, and potential challenges specific to your property. This approach allows us to anticipate and address issues before they become costly problems, ensuring a more predictable construction process.
By taking the time to assess all relevant factors upfront, we minimize the risk of unexpected change orders and project delays. This proactive approach translates into savings for you, in terms of money, time, and stress. Avoiding mid-project surprises means that your budget stays on track and your project timeline remains consistent.
In an industry where unforeseen complications can lead to spiraling costs and extended timelines, the precision and accuracy of our Feasibility Study give you peace of mind. You can confidently proceed with your project, knowing that SnapADU has done the groundwork to ensure success. As an ADU design build contractor, we know just how important it is to carefully plan the entire project, not just the building itself.
Get started with your Project Assessment so we can take a first look at your ADU feasibility during our discovery process.
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