Development Feasibility Study

1450 Colwell St

Crawford-Roberts, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Parcel ID

0002H00108000200

Zoning

UPR-A — Uptown Public Realm District A

Date

September 27, 2026

Scenario studied

Duplex, 2 units, 3 stories, new construction, for sale

Lot

3,620 sq ft

Lot plan with the buildable area and the studied footprint. The true-scale site plan is sheet EA-101 in Section 3.

Decision support — not legal, financial, or engineering advice. This study screens a parcel with public data and published rules. It is not an appraisal, a zoning determination, a survey or an engineering report. Every number is footnoted to its source in Appendix A. Costs are editable defaults with a source label on each; values marked “not included” or “awaiting” are not yet known and are never filled with guesses. Prepared by the EaseScore.AI engine · report v0.1.

1Summary in plain English

Decision box: what can you pay for the land, and what must it sell for?

At $289/sf the project earns 15.4% on cost, at or above the 15% target. It keeps the target down to about $287/sf, with $3,000 of cost headroom, or a land price up to $19,000.^{[1, 2]}

Table 1. Investment criteria (editable)^[1]

Criterion	Value	This project
Target developer profit (share of total development cost)	15%	15.4% on cost
Minimum contingency (share of hard cost)	10%	Contingency in the budget: 10% of hard cost, meets your 10% minimum.
Maximum construction loan (loan-to-cost)	75%	At your 75% maximum loan-to-cost the loan is about $623,000 and the equity needed about $247,000. The budget's loan assumption (80% of cost) is above your maximum; lower it under "Change the assumptions" to match.

Defaults are assumptions (Assumption, edit me (a common for-sale developer target is 15–20% of cost)). Change them in the Pencil calculator; the report link carries them (dc_margin, dc_cont, dc_ltc).

Table 2. From sellout to developer profit^[2]

Gross sellout: 2 homes × $515,000 ($289/sf × 3,570 finished sq ft)	$1,030,000
Less selling and closing costs	−$26,000
Net sale proceeds	$1,004,000
Less total development cost (land, hard, soft, contingency, financing and holding; Section 7)	−$870,000
Developer profit	$134,000
Profit on cost · profit on revenue	15.4% · 13.0%
Unlevered profit (before loan interest and lender fees of $35,000)	$169,000 (19.4%)

Seller's half of the realty transfer tax, 2.5% of the sale price. Sales commissions are excluded (cost-to-build basis); add them if you sell through a broker. Includes a construction loan of 80% of cost at 7.75%, interest-only on the drawn balance (Assumption, edit me: prime 6.75% + 1.0). Unlevered profit leaves out loan interest and lender fees.

Table 3. Break-evens and residual land value at a 15% target^[2]

2Project scenario

The scenario is the building this study tests. Unless you chose one, it is the scheme our site-fit solver ranked first for the goal “most homes”^[5].

Table 6. The studied scenario

Strategy	Duplex (two units, side by side)
Building type	Duplex
Homes (units)	2
Unit size on the ground	13 ft wide × 56 ft deep
Stories / height	3 stories, about 35 ft
Floor area	4,200 sq ft gross; 3,570 sq ft livable (net)
Parking	No parking: 0 spaces (0 required)
Lot split	Not needed
Lot coverage	39%
Zoning status	Allowed by right
What limits it	Zoning isn't what limits this duplex: it's sized as a typical home and the lot has room to spare..
Sale or rent	Built to sell
Affordable mode	Off
Changed from defaults	Building type set to duplex (two units, side by side)

Solver warnings for this scheme

No parking required here.

Other building types that fit

Table 7. Best scheme for each building type^[5]

Building type	Homes	Gross sq ft	Stories	Parking	Zoning	Limited by
Duplex	2	4,200	3	None	By right	Zoning isn't what limits this duplex: it's sized as a typical home and the lot has room to spare.
3–4 unit building	4	14,700	5	None	By right	The lot's width is the limit on this 3–4 unit building.

3Site analysis

3.1 Location and neighborhood

1450 Colwell St is in Crawford-Roberts, 3rd Ward - Pittsburgh^{[15, 16]}. In its census tract (305), the median household income is $36,365, the median rent is $1,230 a month, and 19.7% of homes are vacant; 59.3% of renters spend more than 30% of income on rent^[17]. The Registered Community Organization here is Hill CDC, Hill DCG & Hill DC & Uptown Partners of Pgh - 100% Parking Reduction for all uses^[18].

3.2 Lot size and shape

The county lists the lot at 0 sq ft^[15]; the GIS outline measures 3,620 sq ft^[6]. It has 4 sides, with 43 ft and 43 ft of street frontage. No building stands on the lot in the county footprint data.

The site plan (sheet EA-101, at the end of this section) draws the lot to scale at 1″ = 30′: lot lines and dimensions, zoning setbacks, the buildable area, the studied footprint, neighboring buildings, the street, 2-foot lidar contours, ground steeper than 25% and mapped hazard limits. Keynotes on the sheet explain each item.

3.3 Terrain

No 1 m slope data for this lot

Lidar slope has not been computed here yet.

A contour map can be added with the app’s “Capture view” (terrain mode).

3.4 Hazards

Table 8. Hazards checked

Hazard	What our data shows
Landslide-prone (City overlay)	Not in the overlay^[19]. Mapped slope-movement areas (1982 inventory) within 300 ft: 0^[20]
Undermined / mines	Not in the City’s undermined overlay^[21]. Mine subsidence insurance risk: not mapped; nearest mapped mined-out area not found; mine map sheet WPA_Pittsburgh_Sht_1_PGH^[22]. Mine maps are incomplete; absence of a mapped mine is not proof that no mine exists.
Flooding	Floodway 0%, 100-year zone 0%, 500-year zone 0% of the lot^[23]. In this census tract: 5 flood insurance policies and 0 claims in 10 years, median premium $284^[24]; 39 flooding complaints to 311 in 5 years^[25].
Sewer backup	In a combined sewer area (storm and sewage share pipes), where basement backups are more common in heavy rain^[26].
Contamination	0 cleanup records on the lot and 0 within 50 ft^[27]; 0 within 500 ft.

4Zoning and approvals

The lot is zoned UPR-A (Uptown Public Realm A (Mixed-Use Urban Core))^[3]. The rules below are transcribed from the Pittsburgh Zoning Code^[4]; transcription confidence: partial. Note: Uses follow the GT district (the code text says 'Chapter 903 for the GT'; the GT column of §911.02 is assumed). Minimum height is 30 ft; up to 180 ft with Performance Points (15 ft per point). Front/street-side setback is 0 ft for the first 50 ft of height, then 10/15/25 ft. Rear is 20 ft, or 0 ft abutting a way, Tustin St or Watson St. Residential parking minimum is exempt (100%, §914.04), with a 0.9 per unit maximum.

Table 10. Allowed uses in UPR-A

Use	Code	What it means
One house (single-unit detached)	N	Not permitted
Townhouse on its own lot (single-unit attached)	—	Not in our rules table
Two homes (two-unit)	P	Allowed by right
Three homes (three-unit)	P	Allowed by right
Four or more (multi-unit)	P	Allowed by right

Table 11. Dimensional rules: required vs. the studied scheme^{[4, 5]}

Rule	Required	Scheme	Meets?
Minimum lot size	0 sq ft	3,620 sq ft	Yes
Front setback	0 ft	Kept (inside buildable area)	Yes
Rear setback	20 ft	Kept (inside buildable area)	Yes
Side setback	0 ft	Kept (inside buildable area)	Yes
Maximum height	60 ft	35 ft	Yes
Parking	0.0 per home (0 total)	0	Yes

Best options for this lot (ease and money kept separate; the easiest option that pencils first)

#	Option	Ease Score	Zoning path

5Process and timeline

Our requirements engine checks 71 possible steps against this lot and project^[10]: 12 required, 11 likely, 16 possible, 7 ask, 25 not needed. “Required” means a cited law or rule requires it here; “Likely” and “Possible” are strong or weaker signals; “Ask” means we need an answer from you.

Figure 2. Phases in order with the number of items in each^[10]. Review times are not loaded yet, so no durations are drawn.

6Market analysis

Sales comparables

We use only valid arm’s-length sales of the same kind of property, nearest first. At least 5 are needed; if there are fewer, the search widens step by step^[13]. Insufficient comps: 1 valid sales found (Insufficient comps: only 1 comparable sale(s) within 3 mi in the last 5 years (0 within 0.25 mi; 0 within 0.5 mi; 1 within 1 mi; 1 within 2 mi; 1 within 3 mi). No estimate is made.). No market reference value is given.

Search steps: 0 within 0.25 mi → 0 within 0.5 mi → 1 within 1 mi → 1 within 2 mi → 1 within 3 mi.

Rents

The Zillow rent index for ZIP 15219 was $1,852 a month in 2026-08, up 4.7% from a year earlier ($1,769)^[14]. This covers all home types in the ZIP, not new construction.

Table 19. HUD Fair Market Rents, FY 2026 (small area (ZIP))^[34]

Studio	1 bedroom	2 bedrooms	3 bedrooms	4 bedrooms
$1,060	$1,140	$1,380	$1,760	$1,900

Table 20. Rent by bedroom count (monthly, rounded to $50)

Home	Likely	Range	Basis	HUD FMR
1 bedroom	$1,150	$1,050–$1,250	HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent FY2026, ZIP 15219 (benchmark, not listings)^[34] Rent data temporarily unavailable (RentCast listings could not be reached or the monthly quota is used up).	$1,140
2 bedrooms	$1,400	$1,250–$1,500	HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent FY2026, ZIP 15219 (benchmark, not listings)^[34] Rent data temporarily unavailable (RentCast listings could not be reached or the monthly quota is used up).	$1,380
3 bedrooms	$1,750	$1,600–$1,950	HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent FY2026, ZIP 15219 (benchmark, not listings)^[34] Rent data temporarily unavailable (RentCast listings could not be reached or the monthly quota is used up).	$1,760

Fallback: likely = the benchmark; range = ±10% around it (an assumption, not a market range). All rounded to the nearest $50. Same bedrooms (1-bedroom); listed or seen in the last 6 months (183 days); size within ±35% of 700 sq ft when the size is known; radius starts at 0.5 mi and widens (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3 mi) until at least 5 listings. Asking rents often run above signed leases; no new-construction premium assumed unless the data shows one.

7Development budget

Costs use the EaseScore.AI cost assumptions cost-assumptions.v0.2^[1]: Standard infill construction at $190 per finished sq ft^[12], on 3,570 sq ft (site-fit layout (Duplex): 4,200 sq ft gross, 3,570 sq ft finished (livable), 1,785 sq ft per home^[5]). Every line shows its source label; every value can be changed on the parcel page.

Table 22. Development budget (CAPEX)

Line	Amount	Basis and source
Land
Land (purchase price)	$16,000	Public land: price set by the agency. Likely from agency sales of vacant lots in Crawford-Roberts (5 sales, 2019-04 to 2024-12): median $4.31 per sq ft × 3,620 sq ft = $15,602; the range runs from the 25th percentile of agency sales up to the private market (vacant-land sales in 32 areas of the same market tier as Crawford-Roberts (224 sales, 2019-02 to 2026-08): median $7.65 per sq ft of lot × 3,620 sq ft = $27,693).. Public land: price set by the agency^[15]
Hard costs
Construction (base, standard foundation)	$678,000	3,570 finished sq ft × $190/SF (Standard infill). Pittsburgh builder published ranges with the builder's fee removed (÷ about 1.20)^{[12, 1]}
Water and sewer laterals (excavation, street opening, restoration)	$20,000	2 houses × $10,000. Assumption; confirm with a contractor^[1]
Soft costs
Architecture and design	$28,000	4% of hard cost, at least $8,000. Assumption, edit me^[1]
Contingency
Contingency (flat)	$70,000	10.0% of hard cost. Incline Homes (10%)^[1]
Financing and holding
Construction loan interest	$28,000	loan × average share drawn × annual rate × construction months ÷ 12. Assumption, edit me: prime 6.75% + 1.0

8Operations (if rented)

This section applies if the homes are rented. This study’s scenario is to sell; the rental view is shown for comparison.

Property taxes

Total tax rate: 26.35 mills, meaning $26.35 of tax per $1,000 of assessed value each year^[39]. On today’s assessment of $37,500^[15], that is $37,500 ÷ 1,000 × 26.35 = $988 a year. A new building is reassessed higher; the estimate after completion is below.

Table 23. Tax rate by taxing body, tax year 2026^[39]

Taxing body	Type	Mills
Allegheny County	county	6.43
City of Pittsburgh	municipality	9.67
Pittsburgh	school district	10.25
Total		26.35

Taxes after construction

Table 24. Property tax today and after completion^{[39, 15]}

	Assessed value	Mills	Tax a year
Today (current County assessment)	$37,500	27.307	$1,024
After completion (all 2 homes)	$516,000	27.307	$14,000
After completion, per home			$7,000

Millage: 2026 millage: City 9.67 + parks 0.50 + library 0.25 + Pittsburgh Public Schools 10.457 + Allegheny County 6.43. Assessment ratio: 50% (middle half 44%–61%), Completed projects: County assessed value ÷ first sale price, 38 new homes. Assessed value after completion is estimated from completed projects: 38 new homes in the City of Pittsburgh, attached (townhouse, rowhouse), built 2019–2024 and sold 2020-09 to 2026-07, were assessed at a median 50% of their sale price (middle half 44%–61%; County assessed value ÷ first sale price). 50% × $1,030,000 (estimated sale value from new-construction comps) = $516,030. Check only (not used): City building-permit values for 9 of these homes were a median 28% of the sale price. The County sets the real figure.

Tax abatements (for example LERTA) are not modeled; check eligibility with the City, County and school district.

Rent roll and operating costs

Table 25. Operating statement, from the finance engine

9Financing and returns

Every measure below is computed by the finance engine^[2] from the budget in Section 7 and the assumptions in Appendix C. Rows that still need an input (a market cap rate, a hold period, a discount rate) say what they need. The formula column is the math in plain words.

Sources and uses

Every dollar in and out during construction. Uses are the budget in Section 7. Sources assume a construction loan at 80% of cost^[1]; the rest is the developer’s cash (equity). No grants are assumed unless entered.

Table 28. Sources and uses of funds

Uses	Amount	Share	Sources	Amount	Share
Land (purchase)	$16,000	2%	Construction loan	$664,896	76%
Hard costs (construction and site work)	$698,000	80%	Developer equity (cash in)	$205,104	24%
Soft costs (design, permits, legal, fees)	$47,000	5%
Contingency	$70,000	8%
Financing and holding (interest, lender fees, taxes while building)	$36,000	4%
Total uses	$870,000	100%	Total sources	$870,000	100%

10Affordable scenario

Affordable mode is off for this study. The limits and designations below are shown for reference.

Census tract status: a HUD Qualified Census Tract; not in a Difficult Development Area; in an Opportunity Zone^[43]. Qualified tracts can raise tax-credit funding for a project.

Table 30. Maximum monthly rent by income level (percent of area median income, AMI), Allegheny County^[9]

Income level	Studio	1 BR	2 BR	3 BR	4 BR
30% AMI	$579	$621	$745	$861	$960
40% AMI	$773	$828	$994	$1,148	$1,281
50% AMI	$966	$1,035	$1,242	$1,435	$1,601
60% AMI	$1,159	$1,242	$1,491	$1,722	$1,921
70% AMI	$1,352	$1,449	$1,739	$2,009	$2,241
80% AMI	$1,546	$1,657	$1,988	$2,297	$2,562

Rental funding gap: needs loan terms

The rental gap is the total development cost ($870,000, Section 7) minus what the restricted rents can support in a permanent loan and equity. It needs the lender’s minimum debt coverage, the permanent loan rate and term, and the equity you commit; none of these has a default.

Tax abatement scenario (illustrative)

Pennsylvania lets local taxing bodies phase in the added value from new construction (LERTA-style abatements). Program terms differ by taxing body and were not checked for this lot, so this is an illustration, not a program quote. Assumption, editable: 100% of the tax on the added value is abated for 10 years^[1]. The added value is the pro forma’s assumption (construction cost), taxed at 27.31 mills^[39].

Table 31. Effect of the abatement

Added assessed value (assumed)

11Sensitivity and scenarios

Sensitivity shows which assumption moves the result most^[2]. Conservative: construction cost +10%, sale price −10%, interest rate +1 point (Assumption — editable). Optimistic: the same moves the other way.^[1]

Table 32. Sensitivity scenarios, not the estimate's range (built to sell)

Measure	Conservative	Base	Optimistic
Total development cost	$955,527	$867,220	$779,630
Profit	−$51,702	$137,030	$325,045
Profit margin	−5.4%	15.8%	41.7%

These scenarios are what-ifs that move construction cost, sale price and the interest rate together. The estimate's range shown on the parcel page comes from each input's documented range instead: total cost $730,000 to $1,000,000, profit margin −7.0% to 33.0% (likely 15.4%).

12Risks and mitigations

Red flags

Only three things are red flags: the FEMA floodway, no legal access, or an active contamination site on the parcel.

None found in our data.

Review required

No review items found in our data.

Zoning permission

No discretionary zoning approval is needed for the studied scheme.

Data gaps

Table 33. Missing inputs and what they affect

Missing	Effect on this study	How to close it
Local bids	Construction costs are published builder ranges and editable estimates, not quotes for this lot.	Get a contractor's estimate and enter it in the pro forma.
City review times	The timeline shows the order of steps but not their length.	Ask the City's zoning and permit offices for current review times.
Enough comparable sales	There is no market reference value.	Ask a local appraiser or agent for comps.
Listing-level rent comps	Rents rely on a ZIP-level index and HUD Fair Market Rents only.	Survey current listings nearby.
Absorption and lease-up data	Months to sell or lease up are editable assumptions (Section 6), supported only by counts of nearby sales, not a market study.	Ask local brokers how long similar homes took to sell or lease.
Which water utility serves the lot	Fees assume Pittsburgh Water (PWSA); some City neighborhoods are served by Pennsylvania American Water.	Confirm the utility with a water and sewer availability letter.
Steep areas in the buildable area	The site-fit solver does not yet remove slopes over 25% from the buildable area, so it may place a building on steep ground.	Check the scheme against a topographic survey.
Surveyed lot lines and frontage	Lot lines and frontage come from GIS, not a survey.	Order a boundary survey.

13Conclusion and next steps

This study is decision support, not a recommendation to buy or build. It shows what public data and published rules say about this lot, and what is still unknown.

What must be true for this to work

A local contractor’s bid confirms the estimated cost in Section 7, including the items not included yet.
A survey confirms the lot lines, frontage and buildable area.

First three actions

Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Environmental consultant). Parcel is classed commercial; past uses may have left contamination.^[10]
Survey (topographic) (Licensed surveyor). Average slope is 15.4%.^[10]
Get a local construction cost estimate for the studied scheme.

14Limiting conditions

This study rests on the assumptions and limits below. Read the results with them in mind.

What the analysis assumes

Public records are correct as published: lot lines, lot size, assessed values, zoning districts and overlays, and past Zoning Board decisions.
The building shape is a placeholder layout from our site-fit solver, not an architect’s design (Appendix C).
Costs, loan terms, selling costs, months to sell or lease, and the tax abatement are editable defaults, each with a source label (Appendix C).
Values come from recent recorded sales and rent indexes on the dates shown; markets change.
Zoning rules are read from a hand-transcribed table of the City code for UPR-A; the Zoning Administrator’s reading governs.

What was not inspected

No site visit, survey, title search, soil or geotechnical test, environmental assessment, or building inspection.
No check of utilities at the curb, easements, deed restrictions, or liens.
No appraisal and no contractor bid. No review of the seller’s price or terms.
No conversation with the City, the Zoning Board, neighbors or community groups.

Out of scope

The developer’s capacity and financial strength (experience, balance sheet, credit, ability to raise equity or carry the project) are out of scope. So are tax, legal and lender underwriting, and the award of any subsidy or tax credit.

Data vintages

Table 34. Data sources cited in Sections 1–13 and their dates

#	Source	Publisher	Data date
1	Cost assumptions cost-assumptions.v0.2 (EaseScore.AI)	EaseScore.AI	effective 2026-09-27
2	Finance module (EaseScore.AI engine)	EaseScore.AI	deterministic
3	Zoning districts	City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning	vintage not recorded in our database
4	Pittsburgh Zoning Code, Title Nine (transcribed rules table)	City of Pittsburgh	code as transcribed Sept. 2026
5	QuickFit site-fit solver (EaseScore.AI engine)	EaseScore.AI	deterministic; same inputs give the same result
6	Parcel boundaries (GIS)	Allegheny County

ASources and data dates

Numbered in the order first cited. “Vintage not recorded” means our database does not store the publisher’s data date yet.

[1] Cost assumptions cost-assumptions.v0.2 (EaseScore.AI). EaseScore.AI. effective 2026-09-27. Every default is editable and carries a source label: “Pittsburgh builder published ranges”, “Estimate — confirm with bids”, “Local project data (owner-provided)”, “Assumption — editable”. Full list in Appendix C.
[2] Finance module (EaseScore.AI engine). EaseScore.AI. deterministic. Holds no prices, costs or rates of its own: every input comes from the cost assumptions, the database or the user; missing inputs stay missing.
[3] Zoning districts. City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning. vintage not recorded in our database.
[4] Pittsburgh Zoning Code, Title Nine (transcribed rules table). City of Pittsburgh. code as transcribed Sept. 2026. Sections used: §908.04.D.1 (uses; site development standards table); §908.04.C (parking table; bonus height at C.4); §914.04 https://library.municode.com/pa/pittsburgh
[5] QuickFit site-fit solver (EaseScore.AI engine). EaseScore.AI. deterministic; same inputs give the same result. Building sizes and story ranges are editable placeholders, not standards. See Appendix B.
[6] Parcel boundaries (GIS). Allegheny County. vintage not recorded in our database. Lot outline, GIS lot area and the site plan (sheet EA-101).
[7] Ease Score (EaseScore.AI engine). EaseScore.AI. scoring config 0.2. Deterministic; weights and curves live in one versioned config file. Factor sources are listed in Appendix D.
[8] Zoning Board of Adjustment and City Council zoning decisions. City of Pittsburgh (collected by EaseScore.AI). vintage not recorded in our database. Counts one row per requested item; granted = outcome "granted" or "partially granted"; denied = outcome "denied"; withdrawn, expired and pending items are not counted.
[9] LIHTC rent and income limits (Allegheny County). Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. 2026. https://www.phfa.org/mhp/rent_and_income_limits/
[10] Requirements catalog and rules (EaseScore.AI engine). EaseScore.AI, from the Pittsburgh Code and agency handouts. catalog as of Sept. 2026. Each item cites its code section in Section 5.

BMethods and formulas

Site and data methods

Slope. Slope is computed for each 1 m lidar cell inside the lot; shares are the fraction of cells above 15%, 25% and 40%^[33].
Overlays. A hazard or zoning overlay’s share is the part of the lot’s area inside it.
Street frontage. A lot fronts a street when an opened street centerline is within 20 m; front edges are the lot edges nearest that street^[11].
Sales comps. Valid arm's-length sales only (county sale code 0), price ≥ $1,000, same property use, nearest first; comps list shows up to 25. The search widens by distance and years until at least 5 are found^[13].
Zoning decision rates. Granted ÷ (granted + denied), shown only when at least 5 requests were decided; partial grants, withdrawals and pending items are left out^[8].
Requirements. Each item is REQUIRED only when a cited law or rule requires it for this lot and project; otherwise it is Likely, Possible, Ask, or Not needed, with the reason shown^[10].

Site-fit solver (QuickFit)

The buildable area is the lot minus a setback strip along each edge, minus any area that must be removed (only the FEMA floodway today). Unit rectangles are packed along the frontage and made as deep as allowed. Each scheme is checked for use permission, height and stories, lot size and lot area per unit, parking, and floor area ratio and coverage when the district has them. The limiting rule is found by relaxing each rule in turn. Footprints are rectangles; one building per lot^[5].

Finance formulas

Table 35. Formulas used by the finance engine^[2]

Measure	Formula
Months to approval, including delay	approval months + approval delay months
Months to build, including delay	construction months + construction delay months
Months from purchase to finished building	approval period + construction period
Land / purchase price	purchase price
Construction cost before site lines	hard cost (entered as a total)
Site work, demolition, grouting, retaining walls	hardSiteLines.siteWork

CAssumptions used

Every value the study used, and every value it still needs. “Placeholder” means an editable starting point, not a standard.

Table 36. Site-fit building sizes (placeholders)^[5]

Building type	Unit width	Unit depth	Stories	Floor to floor	Garage tried
Single-family detached	16–32 ft	24–40 ft	2–3	10 ft	Yes
Duplex (side by side)	16–24 ft	28–40 ft	2–3	10 ft	Yes
Townhouse row	16–26 ft	28–40 ft	2–3	10 ft	Yes

Other solver placeholders: livable share of floor area 85%; garage bay 10 × 20 ft; surface stall with drive 200 sq ft; 1 space per home when parking is chosen (never below the minimum).

Table 37. Pro forma inputs used (cost-assumptions.v0.2, effective 2026-09-27)

Input	Value used	Range	Source
Homes (units)	2	—	Site-fit scheme (QuickFit)^[5]
Finished (livable) floor area	3,570 sq ft (1,785 per home)	—	Site-fit scheme (QuickFit) — Floor area × the solver's livable share (placeholder)^[5]
Land price	$16,000	$6,000–$28,000	Public land: price set by the agency — Public land: price set by the agency. Likely from agency sales of vacant lots in Crawford-Roberts (5 sales, 2019-04 to 2024-12): median $4.31 per sq ft × 3,620 sq ft = $15,602; the range runs from the 25th percentile of agency sales up to the private market (vacant-land sales in 32 areas of the same market tier as Crawford-Roberts (224 sales, 2019-02 to 2026-08): median $7.65 per sq ft of lot × 3,620 sq ft = $27,693).^[1]
Build quality	Standard infill — Clean modern finishes, efficient plan (default)	—	Pittsburgh builder published ranges with the builder's fee removed (÷ about 1.20)^[12]
Construction cost per finished sq ft (includes builder overhead and profit)	$190/SF	$165–$210/SF	Pittsburgh builder published ranges with the builder's fee removed (÷ about 1.20) — Published retail ranges from Pittsburgh builders (Incline Homes 2026; Shannon Staley & Sons 2026; Home Builder Digest). Builder fee (overhead and profit) of about 20% removed per NAHB 2024 (overhead 5.7% + profit 11.0% of price on construction at 64.4%). Assumption, edit me.

DEase Score breakdown

The Ease Score (0–100) measures how hard it is to get housing built on this lot: rules, ground, hazards, access and process. Money is not in it; that is the separate “Pencils?” result. Score for duplex: 96 (Easy)^[7]. Factors with evidence carry 100% of the weight. Scoring config 0.2.

Table 39. Factors (score = weighted average of factors with evidence)

Factor	Weight	Sub-score	Evidence	In plain words
F1 · Zoning permission	25	100	partial	A two-unit building is allowed by right in UPR-A (§911.02 Use Table); it fits the setbacks and lot rules as drawn.
F2 · Terrain / buildable ground	20	100	partial	0% of the lot is steeper than 25%.
F3 · Geohazards	15	95	partial	Combined-sewer area (basement backup risk).
F4 · Access & infrastructure	15	90	partial	Fronts an opened street; water/sewer service not confirmed (scored as unknown); frequent transit 75 m away.
F5 · Approval burden & time	15	100	complete	No approvals beyond a building permit.
F6 · Lot & acquisition readiness	5	100	complete	Vacant lot; no public owner or tax lien found.
F7 · Market activity	5	68	complete	57 valid sales and 174 completed building permits within 1/2 mile in 3 years: busier than 68% of City parcels.

Table 40. Score by building strategy

Strategy	Score	Band
New single-family house	70	Moderate
Duplex	96	Easy
3-4 unit building	95	Easy
Townhouse row	93	Easy

ELimitations

What this study is and is not

It is a screening study built from public data and published rules, computed the same way every time. It is not an appraisal, a zoning determination, a survey, an environmental assessment, or engineering, legal or financial advice. Verify every item with the permitting office, a surveyor, an engineer, your lender and your accountant.

Who this helps and who it could hurt

It helps homeowners, small builders, nonprofits and planners see the rules, hazards and costs of a lot early, before paying a consultant. It could hurt people in these ways, and this is what the tool does today:

Buying on an estimate. A lot that “fits” here may not fit after a survey or engineer looks. Scores and costs show ranges, each number cites its source, and this study lists its data gaps.
Targeting owners behind on taxes. No owner names are stored or shown. The Planner’s tax-delinquent filter is off by default but not limited to public land. There is no “motivated seller” feature.
Displacement where rents are rising. The Policy and Nonprofit seats show rent burden as context. It is never used to compute the Ease Score.
Thin data. Areas with less data get wider ranges or a “Preliminary — insufficient evidence” score instead of one number, which can steer attention by data quality rather than need.
Older homes. Buildings that would not meet today’s code point to the rule, not the house. This study does not rule on whether any home is legal to keep.

More at easescore.ai/limitations#who-it-helps.

What the tool can get wrong

GIS lot lines, street frontage and building footprints can be off by several feet, which matters on small lots.
The site-fit solver uses rectangular footprints and placeholder sizes, and does not yet remove steep ground from the buildable area.
Zoning rules were transcribed by hand; overlays, compatibility standards and some exceptions are not modeled.
Mine maps are incomplete; the absence of a mapped mine does not prove there is none.
Rents are asking rents, property taxes after building are estimates (the County sets them), and permit times are City targets, not guaranteed.
Sales comps are mostly older homes, so they are a reference for new construction, not a price.
Past zoning decisions describe history, not the outcome of any future case.

Data gaps for this parcel

Local bids: Construction costs are published builder ranges and editable estimates, not quotes for this lot.
City review times: The timeline shows the order of steps but not their length.
Enough comparable sales: There is no market reference value.

FGlossary

AMI (area median income): The middle household income for the region. Affordable rents are set as a percent of it.
By right: Allowed without a public hearing, as long as the project meets the written rules.
CAPEX: The one-time money to buy the land and build.
Cap rate: A property’s yearly net income divided by its value. Buyers use it to price rentals.
Combined sewer: Old pipes that carry both rainwater and sewage. In heavy rain they can back up.
Comps (comparable sales): Recent sales of similar nearby homes, used as a price reference.
Conditional use: A use that needs Planning Commission review and City Council approval.
Contingency: Money set aside for surprises during construction.
DSCR (debt service coverage ratio): Yearly net income divided by yearly loan payments. Lenders want it above about 1.2.
Equity: The cash the owner puts in, as opposed to the loan.
FAR (floor area ratio): Total floor area divided by lot area.
Floodway: The channel of a river or stream and the land next to it that must stay open to carry floodwater.
Geotechnical report: An engineer’s study of the soil and rock, used to design foundations and walls.
Hard costs: The cost of physical construction: labor and materials.
IRR (internal rate of return): The yearly return a project earns over its life, counting when money goes in and comes out.
LIHTC: Low-Income Housing Tax Credits: federal credits that raise equity for affordable housing.
Mill (millage): Property tax rate: one mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of assessed value.
NOI (net operating income): Rent collected minus the costs of running the building, before loan payments.

1Summary in plain English

1450 Colwell St · Crawford-Roberts, PITTSBURGH · Parcel 0002H00108000200 · UPR-A zoning · 3,620 sq ft lot

By right, this lot allows a duplex (two homes), and it pencils at about a 15% margin on current new-home sale comps; construction at about $190 per finished sq ft is the main cost.

Our site check found no larger option that zoning relief would allow.

Easiest option by the Ease Score: Duplex, 96 (Easy).

Preparing the full study (site, zoning, market, budget, returns, risks and appendices); this parcel is being analyzed for the first time…

Measure	Per home	Per sq ft	Total
Sale price needed for the 15% target	$513,000	$287/sf	$1,026,000
Sale price for zero profit	$446,000	$250/sf	$892,000
Cost headroom above the target			$3,000
Residual land value (maximum land price that hits the target)			$19,000
Land price used in the budget (Public land: price set by the agency; agency and private vacant-land sales, 2019-02 to 2026-08)			$16,000

Part	Grade	Why, for this parcel
Zoning	High	UPR-A rules transcribed from the Pittsburgh Zoning Code, with citations.
Site geometry	Moderate	Parcel outline, but no lidar terrain.
Geotechnical	Moderate	No landslide, mine or steep-slope trigger; screened from maps and lidar only (no borings).
Construction cost	Moderate	Cost model v0.2 defaults; confirm with local bids.
Sale revenue	Moderate	12 valid new-construction sales (5 or more needed for Moderate).
Financing	Placeholder	Default construction loan terms; no lender quote.
Schedule	Low	Months to a permit are estimated from typical approval steps, not permit records.
Overall	Preliminary	Screening study from public data.

Street access	Fronts an opened street^[11]
Water and sewer	Assumed Pittsburgh Water (PWSA); confirm with an availability letter. Combined sewer area. At sale: conditional: PWSA dye test before sale only in separate sanitary sewer areas (Evidence of Compliance application decides); valid 3 yrs; no CCTV.^[29]
Transit	Nearest stop 75 m; nearest frequent stop 75 m; 43 frequent stops within 800 m (about half a mile)^[30]
Schools	City of Pittsburgh school district; Pittsburgh Public Schools feeder: Weil Pk-5 (elementary), U Prep 6-8 (middle), U Prep (high)^[31]
Street trees within 15 m	0^[16]

1	Duplex · Easiest option that pencils	96 (Easy)	Allowed	Pencils
2	3–4 units	95 (Easy)	Allowed	Can't tell yet
3	Townhouse row	93 (Easy)	Zoning not in our data: confirm with the municipality	Can't tell yet
4	New single-family	70 (Moderate)	Not allowed here: would need a rezoning or a use variance (hard to get)	Barely pencils
5	ADU (backyard unit)	—	No existing building on the lot.	—
6	Renovate existing	—	No existing building on the lot.	—

What if	Rule now	Extra homes	Extra floor area
No parking minimum	—	0	0
No minimum lot size	0	0	0
No minimum lot area per unit	—	0	0

Measure	Best by right	Best with approval	Affordable (60% AMI rental)
Building	Duplex	No larger option found	A duplex (two homes), rented at $1,491 a month (2 BR limit, 2026)
Homes	2	—	2
Zoning path	Allowed by right	—	Allowed by right
Past decisions	Not needed	—	—
Total development cost	$870,000	—	$870,000
Value or income	$1,030,000 in sales	—	$16,784 a year after running costs
Profit or gap	$134,000 profit	—	1.9% yield on cost
Margin or yield	15.4% margin	—	1.9% a year
Pencils?	Pencils	Not computed	Unlevered yield shown; a local cap rate is needed to value it

Status	Item	Why	Rule
Required	Realty transfer tax PA Dept. of Revenue; municipality; school district	5% of the price, due at purchase and again at sale (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 1% + Pittsburgh City 3% + Pittsburgh School District (in Pittsburgh City) 1%).	72 P.S. §8101-C et seq. (state 1%); local rates per Allegheny County
Required	Survey (boundary) Licensed surveyor	Setbacks, permits, and lenders all rely on the true lot lines.	—
Required	Title search & title insurance Title company	Every purchase needs clear title before closing.	—
Likely	Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Environmental consultant	Parcel is classed commercial; past uses may have left contamination.	ASTM E1527-21
Likely	Survey (topographic) Licensed surveyor	Average slope is 15.4%.	—
Likely	Utility availability letters Each utility	Vacant lot: confirm water, sewer, gas, and electric can serve it.	—
Possible	Lead water service line Water authority (PWSA in the city)	Service-line data isn't loaded yet.	—
Possible	Phase II Environmental Site Assessment Environmental consultant	Only if the Phase I finds a recognized environmental condition.	—
Possible	Sewer lateral inspection / replacement at sale Municipality / sewer authority	Pittsburgh City: sewer lateral test required at sale. conditional: PWSA dye test before sale only in separate sanitary sewer areas (Evidence of Compliance application decides); valid 3 yrs; no CCTV	—
Possible	Tax abatement / incentive application City / County / school district	Check City of Pittsburgh (e.g. LERTA) programs.	—
Ask	Appraisal Lender	Will the project be financed?	—
Ask	Construction loan Lender	Will the project be financed?	—

Status	Item	Why	Rule
Required	Architectural drawings Architect / designer	Permits need drawings; sealed drawings above certain scope (confirm threshold).	—
Required	Energy code compliance Designer; reviewed at permit	New conditioned space.	PA UCC (34 Pa. Code Ch. 403) — IECC as adopted
Possible	Civil site plan Civil engineer	Depends on grading and site work.	—
Possible	Retaining wall design Structural/geotechnical engineer	Average slope 15.4%.	IRC R404.4 (as adopted in PA UCC) — confirm
Possible	Structural engineer Structural engineer	Depends on the design.	—
Possible	Utility upgrades (electric service, transformer) Duquesne Light / utility	Depends on the electrical load.	—

Status	Item	Why	Rule
Required	Record of zoning approval / zoning application Zoning (Pittsburgh: OneStopPGH)	Zoned UPR-A. New buildings, additions, and changes of use need zoning approval.	—
Possible	Paper street vacation DOMI right-of-way vacation	Unopened-street data isn't loaded yet.	—
Possible	Parking & loading compliance Zoning review	Parking reduction area (Uptown Public Realm District). UPR-A minimum: 0 space(s) per unit → 0 for 2 unit(s).	Pittsburgh Zoning Code §914.02.A (Schedule A); §914.04 reductions
Possible	Registered Community Organization meeting City Planning / RCO	Required only if the project needs a public hearing (variance, special exception, conditional use) and meets a size/type trigger. RCO here: Hill CDC, Hill DCG & Hill DC & Uptown Partners of Pgh - 100% Parking Reduction for all uses.	Pittsburgh Code §178E.08(c)
Ask	Lot consolidation / subdivision / lot line adjustment Planning Commission / municipality	Will you combine or split lots?	—

Status	Item	Why	Rule
Required	Building permit PLI (Pittsburgh) / municipal building official	Construction work.	PA UCC (34 Pa. Code Ch. 403)
Likely	Electrical permit PLI / inspection agency	New or altered wiring.	—
Likely	Mechanical (HVAC) permit PLI / municipality	New or replaced heating/cooling.	—
Likely	Plumbing permit Allegheny County Health Dept	New or altered plumbing.	ACHD Article XV (Plumbing) — confirm
Likely	Sewer/water tap-in & connection fees Water / sewer authority	New 2 unit(s) or connections: tap and capacity fees can run thousands per unit (authority tariff table loading).	—
Likely	Stormwater management plan Water & sewer authority / municipality	New roof and paving add impervious area (threshold pending).	—
Likely	Street opening permit DOMI	Vacant lot: new water/sewer connections are usually dug in the street.	—
Possible	Grading / earth disturbance permit PLI / municipality	Depends on cut/fill volume (threshold pending).	—
Possible	Sewage planning (new connections/lots) Municipality / sewer authority; PA DEP	New units or lots add sewer load; confirm the local planning rule.	PA Sewage Facilities Act (Act 537), 35 P.S. §750.1 et seq.
Ask	Curb cut / driveway permit DOMI	Will you add or change a driveway?	—
Ask	Erosion & sediment control plan Allegheny County Conservation District; PA DEP	Roughly how much ground will be disturbed (sq ft)?	25 Pa. Code Ch. 102

Status	Item	Why	Rule
Required	Builder's risk insurance Insurer	Construction in progress.	—
Required	Contractor licensing / registration City; PA Attorney General (HICPA)	City contractor license plus state home-improvement registration for residential work.	Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, 73 P.S. §517.1 et seq.
Required	Dumpster (container count) Hauler	Debris removal.	—
Likely	Portable toilet / site facilities Vendor	Crews on site.	—
Possible	Dumpster / container permit in street DOMI	Depends on staging space once the building footprint is placed.	—
Possible	Sidewalk repair / replacement DOMI / owner	Depends on sidewalk condition at inspection.	—
Possible	Tree removal / street tree permit City forestry	No City street trees mapped within 15 m (inventory may be incomplete).	—
Ask	Neighbor / party wall agreement Owner & neighbor (attorney)	Is it a rowhouse or does work touch a shared wall?	—
Ask	Road / lane / sidewalk closure permit DOMI	Will work, deliveries, or containers block the street or sidewalk?	—

Status	Item	Why	Rule
Required	Certificate of Occupancy PLI / municipality	New units or change of use.	—
Required	Property tax jump after construction Allegheny County Office of Property Assessments	New construction is reassessed the year after completion (a prorated interim bill is possible). Today: 26.35 mills × $37,500 assessed = about $988/yr. Every $100,000 of added assessed value adds about $2,635/yr.	—
Likely	As-built survey Surveyor	New construction.	—

Home	Finished sq ft (approx.)	Bedrooms	Parking	Price (low–high)	Projected price	Closes (month after completion)
1	1,785	3	0	$440,000–$545,000	$515,000	3
2	1,785	3	0	$440,000–$545,000	$515,000	5
Gross sellout				$880,000–$1,090,000	$1,030,000	5

Measure	How it is figured	Result
Rent if every unit is leased, yearly (GPR)	Σ units × monthly rent × 12	$42,000
Rent you won't collect (vacancy and credit loss)	GPR × vacancy share	$2,100
Realistic yearly income (EGI)	GPR − vacancy and credit loss + other income	$39,900
Property taxes, yearly	assessed value × total millage ÷ 1,000	$14,091
Insurance, yearly (incl. flood and mine subsidence)	property insurance + flood insurance + mine subsidence insurance	$2,400
Property management fee, yearly	management share × effective gross income	$3,192
Yearly operating costs (OPEX)	taxes + insurance + maintenance + management + owner utilities + replacement reserves + vacancy reserve	$22,283
Income after running costs (NOI)	EGI − OPEX	$17,617

Address (block)	Miles	Sold	Price	Type	Finished sq ft	$/sq ft	Built
2500 block of Larkins Way	1.22	2025-12-29	$429,000	Detached	1,518	$283	2018
600 block of Suismon St	1.36	2025-08-06	$650,000	Detached	2,154	$302	2017
1–99 block of Greenbush St	1.36	2025-12-12	$610,000	Detached	2,036	$300	2022
300 block of Eutaw St	1.59	2024-11-26	$445,000	Detached	2,012	$221	2016
1200 block of Reddour St	1.68	2024-03-11	$680,000	Detached	2,322	$293	2015
1500 block of Arch St	1.85	2024-06-04	$479,000	Detached	2,451	$195	2022
300 block of Augusta St	1.98	2025-08-27	$575,000	Detached	2,120	$271	2021
600 block of W Jefferson St	2.03	2026-04-20	$650,000	Detached	1,770	$367	2016
200 block of Seward St	2.06	2026-05-21	$630,000	Detached	1,970	$320	2025
200 block of Seward St	2.06	2026-04-17	$630,000	Detached	1,970	$320	2025

Measure	How it is figured	Result
Gross sales revenue	Σ units × sale price	$1,030,000
Selling costs	gross sales × selling-cost share	$25,750
Total development cost (TDC)	land + hard + soft + financing + contingency	$867,220
Profit	gross sales − selling costs − TDC	$137,030
Profit as a share of cost (profit margin)	profit ÷ TDC	15.8%
Loan as a share of total cost (LTC)	loan ÷ TDC	76.7%
Cash the developer puts in (equity required)	TDC − loan − grants and subsidy	$202,324
Return per year on your cash (levered IRR)	monthly rate where NPV = 0 (Newton, bisection fallback), annualized: (1 + monthly)^12 − 1	51.3%
Total cash back ÷ cash in (equity multiple)	sum of positive cash flows ÷ sum of negative cash flows	1.68×

Measure	How it is figured	Result
Return on what you spent (yield on cost, YOC)	NOI ÷ TDC	2.0%
Profit margin in yield terms (development spread)	yield on cost − market cap rate	Needs market cap rate
Value once leased (stabilized value)	NOI ÷ market cap rate	Needs market cap rate
Permanent loan	loan amount (entered) OR loan-to-value × stabilized value	Needs permanent loan amount (or permanent loan loan-to-value); market cap rate
Can the income pay the loan? (DSCR)	NOI ÷ annual debt service	Needs permanent loan amount (or permanent loan loan-to-value); market cap rate; annual rate (+1 more)
Yearly cash profit ÷ cash invested (cash-on-cash return)	(NOI − annual debt service) ÷ equity	Needs permanent loan amount (or permanent loan loan-to-value); market cap rate; annual rate (+1 more)
Return per year, no loan (unlevered IRR)	monthly rate where NPV = 0 (Newton, bisection fallback), annualized: (1 + monthly)^12 − 1	Needs annual net operating income growth; hold years; exit cap rate (+1 more)
Return per year on your cash (levered IRR)	monthly rate where NPV = 0 (Newton, bisection fallback), annualized: (1 + monthly)^12 − 1	Needs permanent loan amount (or permanent loan loan-to-value); market cap rate; annual rate (+6 more)
Today's value of your cash (levered NPV)	Σ monthly cash flow ÷ (1 + monthly rate)^month, monthly rate = (1 + annual discount rate)^(1/12) − 1	Needs permanent loan amount (or permanent loan loan-to-value); market cap rate; annual rate (+7 more)
Years until your cash comes back (payback period)	first month cumulative cash flow ≥ 0, ÷ 12	Needs permanent loan amount (or permanent loan loan-to-value); market cap rate; annual rate (+6 more)
Total cash back ÷ cash in (equity multiple)	sum of positive cash flows ÷ sum of negative cash flows	Needs permanent loan amount (or permanent loan loan-to-value); market cap rate; annual rate (+6 more)

Rental: income after running costs (NOI), without → with	$18,000 → $31,067
Rental: yield on cost, without → with	2.1% → 3.6%

Tier	What it means	Range	Default	Published retail (cross-check)
Basic / builder-grade	Stock plans, builder-grade finishes	$150–$170	$160	$178–$200
Standard infill (used)	Clean modern finishes, efficient plan (default)	$165–$210	$190	$200–$250
Mid-range	Upgraded finishes, some custom millwork	$210–$270	$240	$250–$325
High-end	Architect-designed, premium materials	$270–$375	$320	$325–$450
Custom / luxury	Fully bespoke; the top of the range is open-ended	$375–$470+	$420	$450–$565+

Policy change	Score change	Homes change	Note
Parking minimum removed	0	0
Minimum lot size removed	0	0
Attached housing by right	0	0
Contextual front setback applied	0	0

1450 Colwell St

Contents

How to read this study

1Summary in plain English

Decision box: what can you pay for the land, and what must it sell for?

2Project scenario

Other building types that fit

3Site analysis

3.1 Location and neighborhood

3.2 Lot size and shape

3.3 Terrain

3.4 Hazards

4Zoning and approvals

5Process and timeline

6Market analysis

Sales comparables

Rents

7Development budget

8Operations (if rented)

Property taxes

Taxes after construction

Rent roll and operating costs

9Financing and returns

Sources and uses

10Affordable scenario

Tax abatement scenario (illustrative)

11Sensitivity and scenarios

12Risks and mitigations

Red flags

Review required

Zoning permission

Data gaps

13Conclusion and next steps

What must be true for this to work

First three actions

14Limiting conditions

What the analysis assumes

What was not inspected

Out of scope

Data vintages

ASources and data dates

BMethods and formulas

Site and data methods

Site-fit solver (QuickFit)

Finance formulas

CAssumptions used

DEase Score breakdown

ELimitations

What this study is and is not

Who this helps and who it could hurt

What the tool can get wrong

Data gaps for this parcel

FGlossary

1Summary in plain English

1450 Colwell St

Contents

How to read this study

1Summary in plain English

Decision box: what can you pay for the land, and what must it sell for?

2Project scenario

Other building types that fit

3Site analysis

3.1 Location and neighborhood

3.2 Lot size and shape

3.3 Terrain

3.4 Hazards

4Zoning and approvals

5Process and timeline

6Market analysis

Sales comparables

Rents

7Development budget

8Operations (if rented)

Property taxes

Taxes after construction

Rent roll and operating costs

9Financing and returns

Sources and uses

10Affordable scenario

Tax abatement scenario (illustrative)