The most expensive mistake in development is buying a site before confirming what can actually be built on it, at what cost, and on what programme. For a site being assessed for a modular delivery, that confirmation does not need to wait until after settlement. A staged feasibility step before land is purchased, or before a development agreement is signed, turns a guess into a confirmed number.
Why feasibility before acquisition matters more for modular
A conventional build has a wide tolerance for a feasibility estimate because the design can still flex significantly after purchase. A modular scheme has less flex, because the building is being planned around a module grid, a transport envelope and a factory production sequence from the start. Getting the module strategy wrong at feasibility stage, assuming a module count or size that does not actually fit the site, the access, or the crane reach, is expensive to unwind after a site is already under contract.
What a feasibility step actually confirms
- How many modules the site and the intended yield can realistically support, tested against standard module sizes first, before any custom sizing is considered
- The floor level solution against the site’s actual levels and services, not an assumed slab
- Whether the site’s access and surrounds support a standard crane and transport sequence, or whether a constrained site adds real cost to the delivery, before that cost is locked into a purchase decision
- A firm supply price for the confirmed module strategy, not a range
This is deliberately the same scope as Stage 1 of our ECI process, a feasibility and scope alignment step priced at $4,000 plus GST, which can be run before a site is under contract, during a due diligence period, or as a condition of a development agreement. It is credited against the eventual order if the project proceeds, so a developer who does run the project is not paying twice for the same confirmation.
What a developer brings to this step
The faster this step moves, the more specific the brief going in: a title or at least a site address, any existing survey or site plan, the intended use and rough yield target, and any known constraints, heritage overlay, easement, access limitation. Where none of this exists yet, we can still give a directional view, but the firm price and the confirmed module count both depend on the real site information.
Using this in a development agreement or an offer
A confirmed modular feasibility and a firm supply price are a stronger basis for a conditional offer or a development agreement clause than a verbal estimate from any party. Where a vendor or a joint venture partner is being asked to accept a condition tied to construction cost, a written Stage 1 outcome gives that condition a number both sides can actually hold each other to.
FAQ
Can feasibility be run before I own the site?
Yes, this is one of its main uses. Many developers run it during a due diligence period or as a condition of a development agreement, before committing to purchase.
What if the site turns out not to be viable for a modular delivery?
That is a legitimate and useful outcome of Stage 1, a clear answer before money is committed to land, rather than a costly discovery afterward.
Does the feasibility fee get credited if I proceed?
Yes, the Stage 1 fee is credited against the order if the project proceeds to supply. It is not refunded if the project does not go ahead.
How fast can this turn around?
Turnaround depends on how complete the site information is at the start. A clear brief with a site plan and yield target moves fastest.
Assessing a site right now?
Get a confirmed modular feasibility and a firm price before you commit to the land. Email info@ecoprestige.com.au or download our technical brochures.