Builder setup
Every dashed orange field is yours to fill in: copy the relevant sections into your own document to customise them; this page is a read-only example. Then replace the field wording — these are template blanks, not promises about your service. Set your timing and dependencies, fee and tax, investigation scope, deliverables, exclusions, credit policy, document ownership and permitted use. Keep only the stages and outputs you actually offer. Add your business name, project photos and contact details, and check the completed sheet against the written scope you give this homeowner. This strip is hidden when printing; remove it from your completed document before sending.
Prepared by [Your Business Name]
Understand your projectbefore you commit
A scoped feasibility study can help you understand likely costs, site questions and decisions still open before you commit to further work. We start with a conversation to decide whether that investigation is useful for your project.
- Timing
- [Timing and dependencies]
- Investment
- [Fee, currency and tax]
- Next stage
- [Agreed next step]
The short version
A feasibility study is paid investigation into an agreed set of questions about your project. It helps you decide what to change, investigate further or progress.
The value is in the work agreed: understanding your needs, reviewing available site information, developing a preliminary budget and explaining the next steps. Its findings are limited by that scope and the information available. It is not a final build price, a consent approval or a substitute for specialist reports.
First conversation or paid investigation?
We explain what each step covers before you decide what to authorise. A defined project may be ready for a quote; another may need more investigation.
An initial conversation
- Discuss the work you want, the location and your priorities
- Review the plans, reports and decisions you already have
- Talk through budget and timing, including anything you do not know yet
- Clarify what an existing estimate or quote includes and assumes
- Agree whether the next step is a quote, further information or scoped investigation
Paid investigation, when useful
- A written scope states the questions we will investigate
- You agree the fee, timing, deliverables and exclusions before work starts
- We record known constraints and identify specialist advice still needed
- Any cost range shows its assumptions, allowances and open decisions
- We review the findings with you and agree what should happen next
A free quote can be useful when the scope is sufficiently defined. Compare what each proposal includes, assumes and excludes, rather than comparing the final number alone.
Possible investigation stages
These stages describe work that may be included. The written scope confirms which apply, their order and the timing we agree with you.
Stage
01
Review the site and available information
We review the site information available and identify questions that need further investigation. A visit can help flag access, services, levels or existing structures; specialist reports may still be needed. Agreed checks: [Included site checks].
From you: property access, and any reports, plans or surveys you already hold.
Stage
02
Identify planning questions and further advice
We identify relevant planning questions within the agreed scope, and explain which answers require council or specialist advice. This does not grant consent or settle every site constraint. Agreed checks: [Included planning checks].
From you: any planning advice, approvals or correspondence you already have. We agree who arranges additional advice.
Stage
03
Develop the brief and preliminary cost range
We record your priorities and develop the agreed level of cost planning. We show the assumptions, allowances, exclusions and decisions that still affect the range. Pricing scope: [Included cost planning].
From you: your must-haves, your nice-to-haves, and any working budget. If the budget is unclear, we discuss it together.
Stage
04
Review the findings and agree the next step
We walk through the agreed outputs, open questions and options together. Further design, specialist investigation or detailed pricing may be the next stage. Review arrangements: [Format and duration].
From you: the people involved in the decision, and a time we agree together. We finish with a clear next action.
What you receive
The written scope lists the outputs included in your fee. Remove any example below that is not part of your agreed service.
Site observations
Agreed observations and unresolved questions: [Site output].
Planning questions
Checks completed and advice still required: [Planning output].
Preliminary cost range
Level of detail, assumptions and allowances: [Cost output].
Project brief
Priorities, inclusions, exclusions and open decisions: [Brief output].
Indicative timing
Expected stages and dependencies, where included: [Timing output].
Documents and permitted use
Files supplied and how you may retain or share them: [Files and use terms].
Exclusions and further work: [Excluded work and additional fees]. Document ownership and permitted use: [Ownership and sharing terms]. Additional reports, design or approvals may need a separate scope.
What it costs
Agreed fee
[Fee, currency and tax]
For the written investigation scope. Additional work requires a separate agreement.
Payment terms
[When payment is due]
State the payment stages and any relevant cancellation terms in the written scope.
Credit if you proceed
[Credit amount and conditions]
Specify whether any fee is credited, to which stage, and under what conditions.
The fee pays for the agreed investigation and outputs. It does not reserve a build start date or commit either party to a building contract unless a separate agreement says so.
Projects we have taken through this process
Swap these for your own work. Recent projects carry more weight here than anything written on this page.
Three possible next steps
We use the findings to discuss your options and agree the next action.
Continue to the next stage
The findings support further work. We agree the next scope, fee and timing. Design, specialist checks, consent work or detailed pricing may still be needed before a building contract.
Adjust the brief
The current scope or cost range needs another look. We discuss changing the brief, staging the work or waiting, and agree any additional work before it starts.
Pause or stop
The findings may give you reason to pause or stop. We explain what is known, what remains uncertain and any further advice needed so you can decide with clearer information.
What homeowners usually ask
Why should I pay when another builder will quote for free?
Check what each offer covers. A free quote may suit a project with a clear scope and enough information to price it. Paid investigation may be useful where design, site questions or scope need more work. We explain the proposed outputs and fee before you decide; paying for a study does not guarantee a final price or a building contract.
What if I decide not to build?
You can use the findings to decide whether to pause, change the brief or stop. The agreed fee covers work completed under the scope. What you retain and may share is set out in [Document use and cancellation terms].
Can I take it to my bank?
Ask your lender what information they require. You may share the outputs where the agreed use terms allow, but this study does not promise finance approval or lender acceptance. Extra design, valuation or pricing documents may be required.
Can I use it with a different builder?
Check the agreed ownership, sharing and reliance terms: [Permitted use with other providers]. The terms should cover the documents supplied and any third-party reports separately. Another provider may need to confirm the scope, information and pricing for their own work.
Is the price in the study the final price?
No. Any preliminary cost range reflects the agreed scope and information available at that stage. We explain allowances, exclusions and open decisions. Further design, specialist checks, supplier pricing and contract terms may change the price before a building contract is agreed.
How is this different from what my architect does?
Designers, architects and other specialists may already cover some of these questions. We review what you have and agree which work we will do, which stays with your advisers, and what further input is needed. Coordination included: [Roles and coordination scope].
Next step
Start with a conversation
The first conversation helps us understand your project and agree a useful next step. Conversation format, duration and any fee: [Initial conversation terms]. If paid investigation is appropriate, you receive its scope, fee, timing and terms before authorising that work.
[Phone] · [Email] · [Booking link]