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by Sean Ronnie Hill on Jan 16, 2025
Before you commit real time and money to a project, whether it's an extension, a renovation or a new build, it's worth knowing what's actually possible on your site. That's what a feasibility study is for. It's the early piece of work that tests your idea against the site, the planning context and the budget, so you start the project knowing where you stand rather than finding out the hard way later.
This is a plain guide to what a feasibility study with us involves, and what you get at the end of it.
Architectural feasibility studies are usually presented as an A3 booklet, for clarity and ease of review. RISE Design Studio.
What is a feasibility study?
A feasibility study is an early-stage assessment of whether your project is practical and worth pursuing. It looks at the site conditions, the relevant planning policies, the design options and the budget together, so you can make an informed decision before committing to full design.
Everything in a feasibility study is built on an accurate picture of what's already there, so the work starts from a 3D measured survey of the existing site or building. Without that, the plans and the cost plan rest on assumptions, which is exactly what the study is meant to avoid.
A feasibility study includes a close look at the existing plans and the site context, to find the opportunities and the constraints. RISE Design Studio.
Why do I need one?
Because it is far cheaper to find a problem on paper than on site. A feasibility study does a few specific things before you commit to full architectural services: it establishes what is realistically possible on your site, flags the constraints early so they don't become expensive surprises, tests different design approaches so you can see the options side by side, and checks that what you want lines up with what it is likely to cost.
In short, it replaces guesswork with something you can plan around.
Plans, elevations, sections and 3D visuals are included, so you can clearly understand the different design options. RISE Design Studio.
What does it include?
Our feasibility studies give a full picture of the project. Typically that covers:
- Site analysis. The existing conditions, access, orientation and surrounding context, along with the planning constraints and any legal restrictions on the site.
- Initial brief. Your goals, how you want to live or work in the space, and your sustainability ambitions, including where Passivhaus and low-energy options fit.
- Planning and policy review. The local authority's guidance and the site's planning history, and an honest read on the likelihood of getting permission.
- Design exploration. Conceptual sketches and 3D visuals testing different layouts and forms, and the early decisions on massing, light and materials.
- Cost plan and programme. A cost plan so the budget is clear from the outset, and a programme setting out the key design and approval stages so you know what to expect and when.
- Recommendations. A clear view on the best way forward, whether that is refining the design or moving to the next stage, and any further surveys worth commissioning.
Precedents and mood boards are put together for each key space, to guide the design direction. RISE Design Studio.
How much does a feasibility study cost?
We don't use a generic percentage fee for this - we price it to the scope of your project instead. As a guide, our feasibility studies typically range from £4,000 to £13,000 + VAT, depending on the complexity: whether the property is listed or in a conservation area, how involved the proposals are, and whether elements like a basement are part of the picture.
How long does it take?
Usually two to four weeks, depending on the complexity of the project. That is enough time to do the research properly, explore the design options, and have a couple of proper conversations with you along the way, rather than rushing to a thin answer.
The contents page and an option summary from a RISE feasibility study, pairing a cutaway section with an outline build cost so the whole proposal reads at a glance. RISE Design Studio.
What happens afterwards?
You come out of it with a clear basis for deciding what to do next. If the project stacks up, we can move on to the next stages: concept design, the planning application, and detailed design. If something needs rethinking, we adjust the approach before you commit to full design development, which is exactly the point of doing the study first.
A worked section and proposed visuals from a feasibility study, testing one design option across the whole house. RISE Design Studio.
Why it's worth doing
A feasibility study is a small investment that heads off much more expensive mistakes later. It means you start the project realistic about what is possible, what it costs, and how the planning is likely to go, rather than committing to a direction and discovering the problems halfway through. It is the groundwork that lets everything after it run more smoothly.
A cost plan and programme set out the budget and the timeline, so the design process is structured from the start. RISE Design Studio.
Building from strong foundations
If you are weighing up a project in London, Barcelona or further afield and want to know what is realistically possible on your site, a feasibility study is the place to start. We'd be glad to talk it through.
→ Email us at architects@risedesignstudio.co.uk
→ Or call the studio on 020 3947 5886
Frequently asked questions
Is a feasibility study worth it for a small project?
Often, yes. Even on a modest extension, an early check on what the planning policy allows and what the budget realistically covers can save you from paying for a design that was never going to work. The study scales to the project, so a simpler job means a simpler, lower-cost study.
Do I need a feasibility study before buying a property?
It can be one of the most useful times to do one. If your reason for buying is the potential to extend, convert or remodel, a feasibility study tells you whether that potential is real before you commit to the purchase, rather than after. Buyers often use one to decide between two properties, or to negotiate.
Will a feasibility study guarantee I get planning permission?
No, and any architect who promises that should be treated with caution. What it does is give you an honest, informed read on the likelihood of permission, based on the local policy, the planning history and the constraints of your site, so you go in with realistic expectations and a design shaped to improve your chances.
What's the difference between a feasibility study and a planning application?
A feasibility study is an internal piece of work for you, testing the options and the viability before you commit. A planning application is the formal submission to the council asking for consent on a specific design. The study usually comes first and informs what, and whether, you submit.
Can you do a feasibility study on a listed building or in a conservation area?
Yes, and it matters more in those cases. Listed status and conservation areas bring extra constraints and consents, and they're a significant part of what we assess. They also affect the scope, which is why those projects sit at the higher end of our feasibility fee range.
What do I need to provide to get started?
As much as you have: the address, any existing drawings or surveys, and a sense of what you want to achieve and your budget. The one thing we do need is an accurate 3D measured survey of the existing site or building, since the study's plans, sections and cost plan are only as reliable as the existing information underneath them. If you don't have one, we can arrange it as the first step.
Does the feasibility study fee come off later design fees?
That depends on the project, and it's something we're happy to discuss when we scope the work. The study is valuable in its own right, since it stands alone as the basis for your decision whether or not you go on to full design with us.
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If you have a project in mind, please reach out.
→ Email us at architects@risedesignstudio.co.uk
→ Or call the studio on 020 3947 5886
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