Preliminary zoning study: RunEnvelope vs. Hiring an Architect
Before an architect designs anything on a New York City lot, someone has to establish what the zoning allows. That preliminary study is the part RunEnvelope automates. Design, stamped drawings, filings and anything beyond as-of-right zoning still need the architect.
A conventional preliminary study from an architect or zoning attorney costs roughly $1,500 to $10,000 and takes weeks. RunEnvelope produces the as-of-right part, every legal scenario modeled with sketch plans, 3D massing and a Zoning Resolution citation on every figure, in minutes for $149, $349 or $499. It does not design, stamp, file or argue for a special permit. The common pattern is both: RunEnvelope to decide which lots deserve an architect, and the architect for the ones that do.
Who each tool is for.
RunEnvelope
- ■You are deciding whether to pursue, bid on or list a lot and need the as-of-right answer now.
- ■You are screening several sites and need the same study on each, priced per report.
- ■You want every scenario (as of right, City of Yes UAP, Inclusionary Housing, community facility, shared housing, Tower-on-Base) compared side by side before choosing one.
- ■Your architect wants a cited envelope and editable DXF floors to start schematic design from.
Hiring an Architect
- ■You are designing the building: unit layouts, facade, structure, MEP and the client's program.
- ■You need stamped drawings and filings with the Department of Buildings.
- ■The project needs a special permit, variance, rezoning or other discretionary approval.
- ■The site has conditions records do not show, which need a survey or a site visit.
Feature by feature.
| Capability | RunEnvelope | Hiring an Architect |
|---|---|---|
| As-of-right FAR, envelope and buildable square footage | RunEnvelopeYES | Hiring an ArchitectYES |
| Every legal development scenario compared | RunEnvelopeYes, each modeled as a building | Hiring an ArchitectDepends on the scope |
| Zoning Resolution section cited on every figure | RunEnvelopeYES | Hiring an ArchitectDepends on the firm |
| 3D massing and per-floor plans | RunEnvelopeSketch plans and massing | Hiring an ArchitectYes, to any level of design |
| Editable CAD files | RunEnvelopeDXF floors on AIA layers; DXF, OBJ, GLB, IFC massing | Hiring an ArchitectYES |
| Turnaround for a preliminary study | RunEnvelopeMinutes | Hiring an ArchitectTypically weeks |
| Cost of a preliminary study | RunEnvelopeFree check, then $149, $349 or $499 | Hiring an ArchitectRoughly $1,500 to $10,000 |
| Building Code review | RunEnvelopeChapter 5 analysis | Hiring an ArchitectYes, full |
| Design judgment and client program | RunEnvelopeNO | Hiring an ArchitectYES |
| Stamped drawings and DOB filings | RunEnvelopeNO | Hiring an ArchitectYES |
| Special permits, variances, rezonings | RunEnvelopeNo, as of right only | Hiring an ArchitectYes, often with a land use attorney |
| Site visit and existing-conditions survey | RunEnvelopeNo, works from city records | Hiring an ArchitectYES |
| Professional advice | RunEnvelopeNo, not a licensed professional | Hiring an ArchitectYes, a licensed professional |
Sources Based on publicly available information as of October 2026. Features change; verify current capabilities with each vendor.
What the preliminary study costs.
Only the preliminary zoning study is comparable. Design and filing fees are a separate engagement that RunEnvelope does not replace.
RunEnvelope
- ■Free check: the envelope, FAR, buildable square feet and the list of legal scenarios. No account.
- ■One full report: $149, $349 or $499, priced by buildable square footage.
- ■Ready in minutes, on any NYC tax lot, as many lots as you like.
A conventional study
- ■Roughly $1,500 to $10,000 from an architect or zoning attorney.
- ■Takes weeks.
- ■Comes with a professional's judgment and, if you proceed, a path into design and filing.
Most teams spend on the conventional study only once a site is in contract or close to it. RunEnvelope is for the decision before that.
Test an actual NYC lot.
Enter an address or BBL. You get the lot's recorded facts here, then the free check shows its zoning envelope, maximum FAR, buildable square footage and every legal scenario.
Where each one wins.
Where RunEnvelope wins
- ■Speed: the full as-of-right study in minutes, not weeks.
- ■Cost per lot low enough to run every site you are looking at, starting with a free check.
- ■Breadth: every legal scenario modeled and compared, not only the one the brief asked for.
- ■Traceability: each number names its ZR section, checked against DOB-approved filings on the accuracy page.
- ■Consistency: the same method on every lot in the five boroughs.
Where Hiring an Architect is stronger
- ■Design: the building itself, not a sketch of what fits.
- ■Licensure: stamped drawings, DOB filings and professional responsibility.
- ■Discretionary approvals: special permits, variances and rezonings, with a land use attorney.
- ■Judgment on conditions the records miss: a survey, a site visit, a neighbor's party wall.
- ■Full Building Code and MEP coordination.
Frequently asked.
What's the best alternative to hiring an architect for preliminary zoning analysis?
For the as-of-right zoning study on a New York City lot, software that models the lot and cites the Zoning Resolution, such as RunEnvelope, does the preliminary analysis in minutes for $149, $349 or $499 instead of roughly $1,500 to $10,000 and weeks. If you want a person to walk you through the site, an expert-led report service is the middle ground. Neither replaces the architect for design, stamped drawings, filings or discretionary approvals.
Can RunEnvelope replace my architect?
It replaces the preliminary zoning study, the work done to decide whether a lot deserves an architect. It does not design the building, stamp drawings, file with the Department of Buildings or seek a special permit, and it is not a licensed architect, engineer or attorney.
How do architects use RunEnvelope?
As a starting point. The report gives a cited envelope, every scenario's massing and per-floor sketch plans, and each floor downloads as an editable DXF on AIA layers, with the massing as DXF, OBJ, GLB or IFC, so schematic design starts from the zoning answer instead of a blank page.
How accurate is it compared with an architect's study?
Before every release the engine is scored field by field against zoning studies by licensed NYC architects and engineers, and every week it is compared with the zoning floor area architects filed on DOB-approved New Buildings. The published results are on the accuracy page.
When should I skip the software and call an architect first?
When you already know the project needs a discretionary approval, when the lot has physical conditions the city's records will not show, or when you are past the go or no-go decision and ready to design.
Run the preliminary study yourself, free to start.
Check any NYC lot free, then get the full study for $149, $349 or $499. Bring it to your architect when the lot is worth designing.