The ROI of AI for Architects in Feasibility Studies

The ROI Question in Architecture

There’s an uncomfortable truth in architecture that most of us have just come to accept: feasibility studies take a lot of time and often don’t generate much, if any, revenue.

Whether it’s a quick study for a potential client or a more in-depth analysis to win an RFP, these early-stage efforts eat up hours. And in many firms, they’re offered at a discount (or for free) just to get a foot in the door. I hear about it often when speaking to firm owners at Growthitect. It’s time-consuming. It’s labor-intensive. And it’s hard to justify to the team when there’s no guaranteed payout.

But that’s starting to change.

AI is entering the picture. Not in some sci-fi, full-design-replacement kind of way but in a focused, practical way. Tools like TestFit are helping architects automate the most repetitive parts of early-stage design work: unit counts, parking layouts, zoning yield studies, and more.

As a result: You save hours. You can run more studies. And you get a clearer picture of what your time is actually worth.

In this article, I’m going to show you exactly how AI can change the math on feasibility studies and give you a real-world look at the ROI.

The Real Cost of Feasibility Studies

Let’s talk about the cost of doing “free” work.

If you’re a licensed architect, your billable rate might be anywhere from $100 to $200 per hour. A principal might bill at $250 or more. Even if you’re not billing the client for a feasibility study, there’s an opportunity cost. You’re still spending time that has value attached to it.

Here’s a common example:

A small-to-midsize firm gets a call from a developer looking to see if a site can fit 80 units, 90 parking spots, and a small retail footprint. You pull zoning info. You build out the massing. You make a few iterations. Maybe you loop in a civil engineer.

Total time? Somewhere between 10 and 20 hours.

Let’s be conservative and say 12 hours at $150/hr = $1,800.

And if you’re doing 4 of these studies a month to chase work? That’s $7,200/month and $86,400/year in soft costs. 

Most firms don’t realize how quickly this “free” work adds up.

Firms like Ware Malcomb talk about how feasibility studies and site plans can take up to 3 days to complete. In their case, they’ve been trying to break into new markets, like multi-family. Given the volume of work they’re pursuing going into a new market, it’s nearly $300k in soft costs throughout the year.

This is the paradox: you spend real time on unbillable work… just to have a chance at more work. The risk is high. And yet, it’s the norm. So how can firms reduce their downside and increase their upside?

How AI Changes the Equation

AI’s best use case is handling the repetitive stuff that bogs down your team.

Tools like TestFit are built specifically for this early stage. They can:

• Instantly generate unit mixes based on site constraints
• Calculate parking ratios in real-time
• Adjust for setbacks, FAR, and height limits
• Let you test dozens of design iterations in minutes

What used to take a full day (or more) can now be completed in an hour or two.

Here’s a quote I love from Grant Brandenburg of Ware Malcomb, who started using TestFit last year:

“We made a goal to seek out more multi-family work, and TestFit has allowed us to win over developer partners while saving over $200k in labor hours. We can easily provide our clients with quick studies as they vet out sites to see if the sites are the right fit for them based on the data we can find in TestFit, like cost of yield, number of units, square footage, and more.”

That kind of speed saves time, money, and creates opportunity for their firm to continue expanding into new markets.

You can say “yes” to more studies. You can respond faster to RFQs. And your team doesn’t have to burn out doing parking stall math for the tenth time this month.

ROI Calculation Example

Let’s put some real numbers behind this.

Before AI:

• 10 hours per feasibility study
• $150/hr average billable rate
• 4 studies per month
• = $6,000 in labor costs/month
  
  

After AI:

• 2 hours per study
• $150/hr average billable rate
• 4 studies per month
• = $1,200/month
  
  

Savings: $4,800/month

Or $57,600 per year in savings.

I can assure you that no feasibility study tool will charge you $50k+ for a subscription. So the ROI on a tool like TestFit, especially when it’s a regular part of your process, can be massive. And that is exactly what you want to look for as you try to optimize performance and client satisfaction throughout your firm.

Beyond Time Savings: Strategic Impact

The benefits of AI aren’t just in hours shaved off the clock and reduced costs. They ripple across your entire firm.

1. More Capacity Without More Staff

You don’t need to hire another designer to keep up with feasibility requests. AI tools help your existing team get more done in less time.

2. Faster Response Times = More Wins

In early-stage work, speed matters. The firm that gets a compelling test fit in front of a developer first often wins the job.

3. Staff Satisfaction Goes Up

Nobody gets into architecture to tweak surface parking layouts all day. Automating those tasks means your team can focus on higher-value work, which means your best employees stay happy.

4. Better Margins on Future Projects

Even if you don’t win every project, your sunk cost into chasing them goes way down. And if you do win? You’re entering the project already ahead.

How to Start Thinking About ROI in Your Firm

If you’ve never tracked the cost of feasibility work before, now’s the time.

Here’s how to start:

1. Track Your Time: Set up a project code for “feasibility studies” in your time-tracking tool. Ask your team to log time spent on these tasks, even if they’re not billed to a client.
2. Calculate Your Monthly Cost: Multiply total hours by your average rate. That’s your baseline.
3. Compare with AI Tools: If you’re using or considering something like TestFit, run a side-by-side comparison. How long does the same study take using the tool?
4. Ask Lots of Questions: How many feasibility studies do we do per month? How many of them turn into real projects? What’s our average time spent per study? How would our capacity shift if each one took 70-80% less time?
5. Reframe the Investment: Many tools get quickly categorized under costs and expenses. But if it genuinely improves performance and efficiency, then it’s an investment with a return. If a $250/month subscription saves $5,000 in labor costs… then it’s a no-brainer.

Final Thoughts

Feasibility studies have always been a strange limbo in architecture. You need them to win work. But they cost time and money. And for too long, that cost has been quietly absorbed without question.

AI changes that.

It empowers your team to work faster, smarter, and with greater impact. Especially in the early stages of design, tools like TestFit are delivering serious ROI. If you’re not already tracking how much time you spend on feasibility studies, start today.

Then ask yourself: what could we do with that time back?

And if you’re looking for a tool to try, then give TestFit a shot.

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