Right-of-Way Feasibility Studies: Why Estimate ROW Early
The cheapest time to find a right-of-way problem is before the route is chosen. Here is what a ROW feasibility study covers, what goes into a right-of-way cost estimate, and why early estimates miss the mark when they skip risk.
A right-of-way feasibility study is an early review of route options that looks at the land rights, ownership, and acquisition costs each option would involve. It runs before design is locked in, when a route can still move at low cost. Western States Land Services performs ROW feasibility studies, route analysis, and cost estimates for agencies, utilities, and developers.
Most project teams estimate construction carefully and treat land as a line item. This post explains why the land side deserves the same attention early, and what a good estimate includes.
Quick Summary
- A ROW feasibility study compares route options by acquisition difficulty and cost, not only by engineering.
- NCHRP Report 625 says ROW estimates go wrong from both external causes, like market swings, and internal ones, like poor estimating and missing risk assessment.
- A complete ROW estimate covers more than land value, including damages, utility relocation, relocation assistance, and condemnation costs.
- Estimates should be updated as the project moves from planning to final design.
- Title research on the leading route options reduces surprises.
What Is a Right-of-Way Feasibility Study?
A right-of-way feasibility study evaluates how hard and how costly it would be to acquire the land rights each route option needs. It looks at parcel counts, ownership patterns, existing easements, and likely property interests. The result helps a project pick a route that engineering and acquisition can both support.
It differs from a design study. Engineers ask whether the line or road can be built there. The ROW study asks whether the rights can be secured, in what order, and at what expected cost.
What Goes Into a ROW Cost Estimate?
A right-of-way cost estimate covers the land itself plus everything else acquisition triggers. NCHRP Report 625 lists about eleven components, including land value and structures, property improvements and damages, utility relocation costs, relocation assistance payments, administrative settlements and condemnation costs, demolition, property management, and support labor.
Why land value alone falls short
Land value is the number teams start with, and it is rarely the whole bill. Partial takings can cause damages to the remaining property. Displacements trigger relocation payments. Disputed parcels can end in settlements or condemnation. An estimate that leaves those out will look cheap early and grow later.
Where our own services fit
Western States Land Services prepares cost estimates for ROW-related activities and performs feasibility studies including route analysis and cost implications. Because the same firm does title, valuation, and negotiation, the estimate draws on the kind of parcel-level detail acquisition teams see on real projects.
Why Do Right-of-Way Estimates Miss the Mark?
Right-of-way estimates miss for external and internal reasons. NCHRP Report 625 points to real estate market conditions and inflation on the outside. On the inside, it cites poor estimating, inconsistent use of contingencies, and no risk assessment for errors and omissions. Weak scope definition in early phases makes both worse.
The report also names uncertainty about the future highest and best use of a property and damages from partial takings as hard-to-predict items. The practical lesson is to put contingencies and risk in the estimate on purpose rather than hoping the market stays flat.
When Should You Estimate Right-of-Way Costs?
Estimate right-of-way costs at every major phase, starting in planning. NCHRP Report 625 describes estimates during planning, programming, preliminary design, and final design. Early estimates are conceptual, later ones are refined as the design firms up, and final design shifts the focus to managing costs through acquisition.
The point is not one perfect number. It is a series of estimates that each get better as the route, the parcels, and the property interests become clearer. The earlier a study flags a problem parcel, the cheaper it is to route around.
How Does Title Research Improve a Feasibility Study?
Title research improves a feasibility study by replacing guesses with facts about who owns each parcel and what already burdens it. Existing easements, liens, and mineral severances change both cost and difficulty. Even a light assessor-level check on the top route options can reveal which one is realistic.
Read more in our guide to title research and due diligence. For how valuation feeds the estimate, see our post on just compensation and property valuation.
How Does a Feasibility Study Support the Rest of the Project?
A feasibility study sets the acquisition plan the rest of the project follows. It suggests which parcels to approach first, which property interests to seek, and where permits or relocation may add time. That plan flows into title work, valuation, negotiation, and closing, all of which we cover in our complete guide to right-of-way acquisition.
Western States Land Services has acquired more than 800 parcels on highway projects and more than 10,000 on utility projects, and that experience informs what we flag early.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a right-of-way feasibility study?
It is an early analysis of the land rights, ownership, and acquisition costs tied to each route option. It helps a project choose a route that can be acquired on schedule and within budget, before design decisions are locked in.
What does a right-of-way cost estimate include?
More than land value. NCHRP Report 625 lists components such as structures, property improvements and damages, utility relocation, relocation assistance payments, settlements and condemnation costs, demolition, property management, and support labor.
Why do right-of-way costs run over budget?
NCHRP Report 625 attributes overruns to market conditions and inflation, plus poor estimating, inconsistent contingencies, and a lack of risk assessment. Poorly defined scope in early phases contributes as well.
When should right-of-way estimates be updated?
At each major phase. The report describes estimates during planning, programming, preliminary design, and final design, with cost management continuing through acquisition once final design is set.
Does Western States Land Services do ROW feasibility studies?
Yes. The firm performs ROW feasibility studies, including route analysis and cost implications, and prepares cost estimates for ROW-related activities.
Ask the Land Question Early
A route is easier to change on paper than in the field. Put acquisition into the conversation while options are still open, and build risk into the number. To scope a feasibility study, contact Western States Land Services or call (970) 667-7602.
Source: NCHRP Report 625, Procedures Guide for Right-of-Way Cost Estimation and Cost Management.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Western States Land Services is headquartered in Loveland, Colorado. We primarily serve Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah, and Texas, with experience working on projects across the broader Mountain West.
Western States Land Services was founded in 1981. The firm has been providing right-of-way acquisition, relocation, and permitting services in Colorado and the Mountain West for more than 45 years. Our team carries more than 150 years of combined industry experience.
Yes. Western States Land Services is prequalified with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) for right-of-way services. The firm is also experienced in FHWA requirements and fully compliant with the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisitions Policies Act for federally regulated projects.
We serve public agencies, municipal governments, state departments of transportation, investor-owned utilities, oil and gas companies, pipeline operators, and private infrastructure developers. We have delivered right-of-way services across every sector — from CDOT highway corridors and utility transmission lines to rural pipeline routes and municipal capital improvement projects.
We offer the staffing capacity of a large firm with the direct access and personal accountability of a specialized boutique. Clients work with senior leadership — not a call center. Our agents meet landowners face-to-face. Our regulatory knowledge is deep rather than generalized. We have never needed to ramp up on Colorado or Mountain West rules. We have been working inside them for over 40 years.
Yes. Western States Land Services has experience supporting eminent domain proceedings, including preparing waiver valuations, providing expert witness testimony, and coordinating with legal counsel throughout the condemnation process. Our team has worked alongside attorneys on both agency-initiated and privately sponsored condemnation actions across Colorado.
