Feasibility advice is critical to help you adequately assess the practical considerations, risks, and any abnormal costs involved in your project before you commit.
We undertake feasibility studies for large and small developments in all sectors and can advise you on the most efficient way to proceed. Early, proactive risk-assessing aids key decision-making before you move into the early design stages or make a land purchase.
We have the capability to survey sites and building ourselves, or complete a thorough assessment of the project information such as: the brief, the budget, and existing ground or building investigation reports and surveys. As part of our risk management processes, we consult a wide range of valuable online research sites to explore and verify all the data presented, and by visiting the site or building as necessary.
We can prepare a feasibility report detailing our key conclusions including the implications of any unforeseen costs. It will focus on identifying and evaluating constraints or risks in the site or existing structures, such as:
- Site gradient: very steep and very flat can both be challenging
- Levels: preparing a basic 3D site model to illustrate the extent of cut and fill required
- Surface water drainage: minimising SW storage to maximise the developable area
- Services: possible need to divert or incorporate existing
- Existing features: above/below ground obstructions from historic development
- Hazards and constraints: from mining, grouting, quarries, poor ground, boundaries
- Ground condition/suitability: possible contamination, quality of bearing strength
- Structural stability of existing buildings: advice on feasibility of structural modification
- Potential impact of the proposed works on other neighbouring properties
If you are extending, refurbishing or remodelling an existing building, we can undertake a condition survey to check for structural defects or damage to the building’s main structure and floors, movement or degradation of the substructure and foundations, damp, and any other concerns.
For safety and efficiency, we use our own 3D scanners for tricky or potentially dangerous surveys, using the latest software to analyse and interpret the information.
We can advise you if further investigations or specialist surveys are necessary to fully interpret a site or building conditions. We have hand-picked a small, diverse supply chain of external consultants who we can appoint directly to provide additional specialist services, such as geo-environmental testing/reports and topographical surveys.
In addition to Planning and Building Control, we will advise you if statutory bodies need to be consulted, such as:
- The National Trust
- English Heritage
- The Forestry Commission
- National Rail
- Highways
- Statutory undertakers
- Utility services
Providing feasibility advice can be a stand-alone service or be the first stage of a wider package of work.
At this point we can also provide you with preliminary design advice, using our combined civil and structural expertise to propose a range of options suitable for early costing exercises.
