Find out what your property can support, with a free ADU feasibility study
Before you spend a dollar on design or permits, get real answers. We visit your property in person, assess every constraint that matters, and deliver a professional written report at no cost to you.
In-person site visits based out of Melrose, MA. Travel fees may apply for properties 20 miles or more outside Melrose.
Don't take our word for it. Read the report.
Most providers describe their study. We publish ours. Below are real pages from a completed Your MA ADU feasibility study (identifying details removed) for a garage-to-ADU rebuild in Malden. This is the exact scope, depth, and format you receive.
A complete professional report prepared for your property, your zoning district, and your budget.
Your entire project on one page: a 1-to-10 feasibility rating, costs, projected rent, permitting path, and your top next steps.
Every zoning standard checked line by line, including where local rules conflict with state ADU law and how that resolves.
Conceptual renderings show the massing and character of each option before you pay an architect.
A line-item cost range built for your scope, with the risks that could move the number flagged in plain English.
Rent comps, fair market rents, and an income analysis that shows what the unit can actually earn.
Every study covers the six assessments that decide your project
This isn't a five-minute driveway chat. Each area below is a full section of your written report, numbered the way you'll find it inside.
Site Assessment
Lot size, topography, existing structures, construction access, and any clearing or grading your property would need before work can start.
Zoning Review
Your local bylaws, setbacks, height limits, and parking rules, including any local requirements that conflict with state ADU law and how the state framework resolves them.
Utility Assessment
Water and sewer connection feasibility, electrical service and energy needs, and any service upgrades your project would likely require.
Preliminary Design
Conceptual layout options for your lot with honest identification of design limitations, before you fall in love with a plan.
Cost & Budget Feasibility
A line-item construction estimate, pre-construction and soft costs, and a straight answer on whether the numbers align with your budget.
Rental, Equity & Financing
Local rent comps, the value the unit adds to your property, and a review of realistic financing paths, from home equity options to MassHousing's ADU loan where it applies.
The last section is where we go beyond the minimum. Most feasibility studies stop at "can you build it." Ours also answers "should you," with the rental income, equity impact, and financing analysis to back it up.
How the MHP ADU Incentive Program works
The Commonwealth funds your study
Under the MHP ADU Incentive Program, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) pays Feasibility Study Providers $500 for each completed eligible study, and Providers have agreed to charge property owners no more than an additional $500. Payment under the program applies to eligible studies and is subject to availability of funds.
Our price to you: $0
We do not charge the additional owner fee. Your feasibility study with Your MA ADU is free, start to finish, including the in-person site visit and the full written report.
You get the report. The decision stays yours.
Receiving a feasibility study does not obligate you to build an ADU, and it does not obligate you to use us for any additional services. The findings are yours to keep either way.
Full program details: mhp.net/ADU · State ADU law and regulations: mass.gov/adu
Is your property eligible?
- It is located in Massachusetts;
- It is located in a zoning district that allows residential use; and
- It has not previously received a Feasibility Study under the MHP Accessory Dwelling Unit Incentive Program.
That's it. Single-family, multi-family, owner-occupied or not, any Massachusetts property on which residential use is allowed may receive one feasibility study under the program.
You'll know exactly where you stand. Then choose your path.
The study stands on its own, and contractor selection is entirely your choice. Whatever you decide, we can help with all three routes.
Build with us through LVL Builders
Your feasibility study was done by the same licensed builder who can execute it. Through LVL Builders, our licensed general contracting arm, we take projects from permits through punch list, including conversions, additions, and ground-up builds on tight urban lots.
See our work →Go modular with a trusted provider
If a factory-built unit is the better fit for your lot, timeline, or budget, we'll refer you to a vetted modular ADU provider and help you compare options, so you get the speed and cost predictability of modular without going it alone.
Get referred to the right pro
Outside our service area, or need a specialist we're not? We'll connect you with someone we trust and hand off your feasibility findings, so the work we did together doesn't go to waste.
No strings attached. The study is free whether you build with us, go modular, or do nothing at all.
Ready to find out what your property can do?
Book your free feasibility study today. We'll walk your lot, run the numbers, and give you a report worth keeping, whatever you decide.
Book your FREE feasibility studyIn-person visits based out of Melrose, MA · Travel fees may apply for properties 20+ miles outside Melrose