Commercial site feasibility and pad site due diligence in Metro Atlanta

Last updated: November 2026

Quick answer: Before a commercial buyer goes hard, one question matters: does the intended use fit this parcel at a cost that supports the deal? Mack Engineering answers it in writing, fast, in two forms. A pad site screen covers one parcel and one use in days, not weeks, for a fee quoted up front. A commercial feasibility report covers zoning and use, parking and building yield, stormwater footprint, utilities and fire flow, access and DOT, buffers, earthwork and the permit path for the due diligence period, typically $8,000 to $25,000 for a 5- to 20-acre commercial parcel. Both are run by the engineer of record who stays with the project if it proceeds.

Key takeaways

Know the risk before you own it. Due diligence periods are short and the seller’s leverage grows every day you are under contract.
The pad site screen answers the deal killers in order: use, fit and parking, detention, utilities and fire flow, access, buffers.
The full report connects technical findings to financial implications and ends with a recommendation: proceed, proceed with conditions, renegotiate, or walk.
The most common commercial deal killer is detention that does not fit inside the buffers, followed by parking at the correct ratio and sewer capacity that was assumed.
Feasibility work rolls directly into the concept plan and the LDP set, with the same engineer.

Know the risk before you own it.

Before a commercial buyer goes hard, one question matters: does the intended use fit this parcel at a cost that supports the deal? Mack Engineering answers it in writing, fast, for retail pad sites, medical office, industrial and flex, recreation and mixed-use parcels across Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. One engineer of record runs the analysis and stays with the project if it proceeds.

Our early involvement has saved clients millions of dollars by uncovering site limits that were not visible at first glance: sewer that was farther and higher than represented, detention that did not fit, parking that could not reach the ratio the tenant needed. Our feasibility reports page covers the full service; this page is for commercial buyers, developers and brokers on a clock.

Two products, by how much time you have

Pad site screen: for brokers and buyers under contract

One parcel. One use. A fixed turnaround. Delivered as a one- or two-page fit exhibit with a short memo.

It answers the deal killers in order: is the use permitted or conditional, does the prototype or building program fit with the required parking, where does detention go and how big is it, are water, sewer and fire flow available, where can access come from, and what buffers and setbacks take land off the table.

Turnaround: days, not weeks. The date is confirmed when you send the parcel number and the program.
Fee: quoted up front, below the cost of a full report.
Deliverable: fit exhibit, memo, and a go, no-go or conditional recommendation.

Commercial feasibility report: for the due diligence period

The full analysis for a buyer or developer in a 30- to 60-day due diligence window, with a written report tied to the financial decision. Our guide to getting a site feasibility report before you buy land explains the process.

Zoning and use. Permitted and conditional uses, setbacks, height, coverage, overlays, rezoning or variance risk and the schedule each adds.
Parking and building yield. The realistic building size and parking count at the ratio the use requires, including medical and recreation ratios that exceed the zoning default.
Stormwater footprint. Estimated detention volume and surface or underground footprint under the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual, hotspot requirements, floodplain and stream buffers. See our detention pond design guide.
Utilities and fire flow. Water main size and distance, sewer capacity or commercial septic feasibility, fire flow from the utility’s data, power and gas.
Access and DOT. Frontage, curb cut and sight distance feasibility, cross-access, GDOT or county driveway permit, turn lane and traffic study triggers.
Wetlands, streams and buffers. State waters, local stream buffers, impervious setbacks, wetlands and any federal review such as the Etowah habitat conservation plan in Cherokee County.
Grading and earthwork. Cut and fill balance, retaining walls, pad cost drivers.
Permit path and schedule. The county’s actual review cycles and the sequence of approvals, on a realistic calendar. See commercial LDPs by county.
Cost implications. Site improvement cost drivers and what capital may be needed beyond the initial estimate.

Turnaround: scheduled to your due diligence deadline, with the deal killers answered in the first days. Fee: $8,000 to $25,000 for a 5- to 20-acre commercial parcel, with surveys, Phase I environmental and geotechnical testing priced separately when needed, per our feasibility report cost guide.

Mack perspective: We are owned by a licensed general contractor, so the cost implications section of a Mack feasibility report is written by people who have paid for grading and retaining walls, not estimated them from a table. When the report says a pad costs more than the deal supports, that number has been checked against what it costs to build.

Why turnaround matters

Due diligence periods are short. The seller’s leverage grows every day you are under contract.

The findings are worth the most before offers are submitted and while purchase terms are negotiated. On more than one project an early finding has changed the acquisition price. We stage the work so the deal killers are answered in the first days and the full report follows. Read why you should shop for land with your engineer, not after.

What we need from you

Parcel number or address, and a survey if one exists.
The intended use and building program, or the tenant’s prototype.
The contract timeline: due diligence deadline and closing date.
Any seller documents: prior surveys, environmental reports, master plats or stormwater reports.

What you get back

A written report or memo that a lender, partner or tenant can read.
A fit exhibit showing the building, parking, access, detention and the buffers and setbacks that apply.
A permit path with the county’s real review cycles and a realistic calendar.
A recommendation: proceed, proceed with conditions, renegotiate, or walk.

If the project proceeds, the feasibility work rolls directly into the concept site plan and the land disturbance permit set, with the same engineer.

Owner tip: Write the feasibility deadline into the purchase contract as a condition, not a courtesy. A 30-day study period with the right to terminate costs nothing to ask for and turns the report from information into leverage.

Frequently asked questions

How fast can you turn around a commercial feasibility report?

A pad site screen is delivered in days, not weeks, and the date is confirmed when you send the parcel. A full commercial feasibility report is scheduled to your due diligence deadline, with the deal killers answered in the first days.

What does a commercial feasibility report cost?

$8,000 to $25,000 for a 5- to 20-acre commercial parcel in Metro Atlanta, depending on acreage, the number of questions the report has to answer and how much third party data is needed. A pad site screen is priced below that.

Is a feasibility report the same as a concept site plan?

No. The report is the engineer’s analysis of whether the site supports the use. The concept site plan is the drawing of what the use could look like. Most commercial reports include a fit exhibit, and a full concept plan follows if the project proceeds.

Do you work for brokers?

Yes. Brokers use the pad site screen to qualify a listing or to give a buyer a written read before going hard, and we are often retained by the buyer afterward. Sellers use pre-sale feasibility to price a listing; see our pre-sale feasibility for property sellers page.

What is the most common commercial deal killer you find?

Stormwater detention that does not fit inside the buffers and setbacks, followed by parking at the correct ratio for the use and sewer capacity that was assumed rather than confirmed.

Under contract on a commercial parcel?

Send the parcel number, the use and your due diligence deadline. We confirm the scope and turnaround the same day.

Call (770) 715-7295 or contact Mack Engineering. Our office is at 5745 Stables Wy A-09, Alpharetta, GA 30004, and we serve Metro Atlanta and North Georgia.

This page is general information about commercial site feasibility in Georgia. It is not a parcel specific permit determination, legal advice, or a cost estimate. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and change frequently; confirm current rules with the reviewing agencies and your engineer of record.