Land Development & Mapping
Feasibility Studies
Know what a California parcel can hold, what it will cost to develop, and how it can be approved before you commit.
What is a site feasibility study?
A site feasibility study is a pre-purchase or pre-design analysis of a specific property that tests what can be built there, what site work and fees are likely to cost, and which approval path the project can follow.
Also called a land feasibility study, buildability study or, for subdivisions, a lot yield study, it combines public records, agency input and a site visit into one written report. It surfaces deal-breakers, such as missing sewer or a parcel that was never legally created, before money goes into design.
A feasibility study is a planning tool, not a permit, an appraisal or a construction design. Its conclusions rest on record parcel lines, so where the record is unclear it recommends a boundary survey before you rely on the numbers.
Deliverables
What's included in a site feasibility study
Scope is set for each property in the proposal. A full study typically covers:
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Site research
Assessor, recorded map, aerial and site-visit findings compiled into one parcel profile.
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Zoning & regulations
General plan, zoning, overlays, setbacks, density and the likely approval path.
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Boundary & title research
Record maps, deeds and title-report easements plotted against the parcel's lines.
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Constraints map
Flood, fault, fire and seismic zones, easements, slopes and drainage on one exhibit.
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Utility availability
Water, sewer, storm drain and dry-utility locations, plus capacity questions for providers.
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Concept layout & yield
A preliminary layout testing lots or building area, access, parking and grading.
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Opinion of probable cost
An engineer's estimate of on-site and off-site improvement costs, not a bid.
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Development fee estimate
Impact, school district and utility connection fees from each agency's published schedules.
When do you need a feasibility study?
Order one before a purchase, design contract or application locks in costs.
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Before you close on land
Test a parcel during the escrow contingency period, while walking away is still cheap.
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Planning a lot split or subdivision
Check how many lots zoning, access and slopes allow before filing parcel or subdivision maps.
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Rural parcels without public sewer
Confirm water supply and septic system design options before counting on a lot's potential.
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Choosing between candidate sites
Compare zoning, utilities, hazards and site-work costs side by side.
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Before an entitlement application
Confirm the approval path, studies and fees before paying for full design. See planning and entitlements.
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When parcel lines block the layout
Find out whether a lot line adjustment or merger could make the site work.
Process
How does a feasibility study work?
Six steps, from the decision you face to a written recommendation.
Define the decision
We confirm the parcel, the intended project and your deadline, such as an escrow contingency date, and the questions the study must answer.
Pull the records
We research the title report, recorded maps, zoning, hazard maps, the state's hazardous-sites (Cortese) list, utility maps and published fee schedules.
Walk the site, call agencies
We observe access, slopes, drainage and existing improvements, then confirm key questions with planning, public works, fire and utility staff.
Test a concept layout
A preliminary site layout is sketched against setbacks, access, grading and stormwater needs to estimate what the site can hold.
Price the options
We prepare an opinion of probable cost and a development fee estimate for each viable layout or approval path.
Report and recommend
You receive written findings, open risks and recommended next steps, such as a survey, a specialist report or an application.
California rules
What California rules affect a feasibility study?
A feasibility study checks the parcel against state rules like these.
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Gov. Code §66499.35
Confirm the parcel is a legal lot
An owner, or a buyer under contract, may ask the city or county whether a parcel was created in compliance with the Subdivision Map Act and local ordinances. The agency then records a certificate of compliance, or a conditional certificate whose conditions must be met before a development permit is issued. Neither certificate makes a parcel buildable.
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Gov. Code §65860; Pub. Res. Code §21080
Zoning and CEQA set the approval path
Local zoning must be consistent with the general plan. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) applies to discretionary approvals, such as rezonings, variances, conditional use permits and tentative maps, unless an exemption applies. It does not apply to ministerial approvals. The approval path shapes the schedule and required studies.
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Pub. Res. Code §2623, §2697, §4290
Hazard zones add reports and standards
Before approving a project such as a subdivision, cities and counties require geologic reports in earthquake fault zones and geotechnical reports in seismic hazard (liquefaction or landslide) zones, unless they find no undue hazard; fault-zone waivers need State Geologist approval. State fire safe regulations set road access and water standards in State Responsibility Areas and very high fire hazard severity zones.
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Gov. Code §66001, §65940.1, §65995, §66013
Development fees must be justified and posted
A fee imposed as a condition of approval needs an identified purpose and a reasonable relationship to the development. Local agencies with websites must post, as applicable, housing-project fee schedules, development standards and impact fee nexus studies. School districts levy developer fees within state caps, and water and sewer connection fees may not exceed the reasonable cost of service.
Requirements vary by city and county. Your city or county sets zoning, development standards, fees and submittal checklists, and may add fire hazard zones beyond the State Fire Marshal's map.
Sources & references
- Government Code §66499.35, certificates of compliance (California Legislative Information)
- Public Resources Code §21080, CEQA and discretionary projects (California Legislative Information)
- Public Resources Code §2623, geologic reports in earthquake fault zones (California Legislative Information)
- Public Resources Code §4290, fire safe regulations for the SRA and very high fire hazard severity zones (California Legislative Information)
- Government Code §65940.1, online posting of fees, zoning standards and nexus studies (California Legislative Information)
Last reviewed .
Feasibility study FAQs
What is the difference between due diligence and a feasibility study?
Due diligence is the investigation of a property's facts before purchase: title, survey, zoning, environmental condition, natural hazards and utilities. A feasibility study uses those facts to answer what can be built, what it will cost and which approval path fits, and it ends with a recommendation to proceed, renegotiate or pass. The two overlap, so buyers often scope them together.
Does a feasibility study include a Phase I environmental assessment or soils report?
A feasibility study identifies whether the site needs a Phase I environmental site assessment or a geotechnical (soils) report, then folds in their results; specialists prepare those reports separately. Buyers seeking federal landowner liability protection must complete all appropriate inquiries, usually a Phase I under ASTM E1527-21, within one year before acquisition, with key parts updated within 180 days (40 CFR 312.20).
Who can prepare a feasibility study in California?
A feasibility study in California needs a licensed civil engineer for its civil engineering and a licensed land surveyor to locate property lines. The engineer prepares, or is in responsible charge of, the study's civil engineering plans and reports; final reports are signed and sealed, and interim documents, such as an engineering concept layout, must be marked with their purpose, for example "preliminary" (Business and Professions Code §6735). Civil engineers registered before January 1, 1982 may also locate property lines (§8726, §8731).
How do I check whether a California parcel is in a flood, fault or fire hazard zone?
A California parcel's hazard zones can be checked on public maps: FEMA's Flood Map Service Center for flood zones, the California Geological Survey's EQ Zapp for earthquake fault, liquefaction and landslide zones, and the State Fire Marshal's fire hazard severity zone maps. Sellers of single-family residential property disclose these zones on a Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement (Civil Code §1103.2), and a feasibility study plots each zone against the parcel lines.
What affects the cost and schedule of a feasibility study?
The cost and schedule of a feasibility study depend on the number and size of parcels, the questions the study must answer, how complete the public records are, how many agencies and utility providers are involved, whether a concept layout and cost opinion are included, and how quickly agencies respond. Share the parcel number, the intended project and your escrow or contingency dates; the proposal then sets scope and timing.