A developer workflow should show which evidence earns the next commitment.
The purpose of feasibility is not to make every site look buildable. It is to decide what deserves the next dollar and which uncertainty must be resolved before the project advances.
Evidence before commitment.
Screen
Does the site warrant investigation?
Verify
Which controls and site conditions govern?
Compare
Which whole scenario carries the best tradeoff?
Advance
What evidence earns the next dollar?
Illustrative decision sequence. Each gate changes with the project, market, approval path, and responsible professionals.
Name the investment gate
Define the immediate decision: screen a lead, authorize survey or environmental work, compare entitlement strategies, fund schematic design, or continue acquisition diligence. The level of detail should match that decision without presenting early assumptions as established facts.
Reconcile the land basis first
Confirm which property is being evaluated, what boundary and lot area the analysis uses, and whether control depends on an assemblage, easement, access right, or other document. A scenario built on land the project does not control can distort every later yield and return calculation.
Separate by-right and entitlement-dependent paths
Show which program follows the available base controls and which requires a rezoning, variance, conditional approval, bonus, subdivision, or other discretionary action. Carry that dependency into schedule, consultant scope, carrying cost, and downside analysis. A possible approval is not a base-case fact.
Compare whole scenarios
Use the same lot basis, area definitions, cost categories, and financial conventions across options. Compare geometry, program, parking and access, approval path, investigation needs, timing, and modeled economics. Identify which assumption produces the difference rather than comparing only the headline unit count or return.
Price the unanswered questions
Connect each material uncertainty to the evidence needed and the decision it could change. Survey, title, environmental, utility, planning, market, cost, and financing questions have different owners and lead times. Add them to the investigation plan rather than hiding them inside a contingency percentage.
Advance with conditions
A useful recommendation says what the current evidence supports and names the conditions for proceeding. Record the next expenditure, owner, deadline, and stop condition. Model outputs support the decision process; they are not an appraisal, offer of financing, or forecast of investment performance.
Primary references
Use these sources as a starting point, not a project-specific determination. Check the full context, applicable rules, and current project assumptions before using a result.