Free interactive pencil test
Will my courtyard pencil?
Play with different scenarios and see whether a courtyard project pencils. Adjust the lot, height, parking, costs, and rents and watch the numbers move.
Built in collaboration with Courtyard Urbanist Inc.
See the levers
What drives cost, units, and rent
1 standard elevator at $250,000 · 72% plan efficiency · double-loaded corridor
Illustrative example, not an appraisal. Models lot shape and a concrete step at 6 storeys, but does not model zoning or FAR limits, parking layout, or financing carry. Costs vary by market.
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Get this scenario in your inbox to revisit or share — with the full cost build-up.
Prefer to talk it through? Book a demo and walk through your site with the Bucky team.
Why we built this
Whether a courtyard project pencils usually comes down to a handful of obstacles. Setbacks, parking ratios, stair and elevator rules, construction type, and land cost all push the numbers around, and normally that math is locked in a spreadsheet only a few people ever open.
We wanted to put those levers in your hands. Drop the parking, allow a single stair, add a floor, and a project that didn’t work can suddenly pencil. It’s a quick way to see what really moves the numbers and where the hard constraints are.
Not sure where to start? Hit “I’m feeling urbanist” for a scenario that already works, then take it apart to see why.
How the courtyard pencil test works
It sizes a deal the same way a developer would. Work out the buildable area first, then the units, then the money. Move any slider and the whole thing recalculates as you go.
- 1
Buildable area. Pulls your setbacks off the lot to find the footprint you can actually build on.
- 2
Units. Sizes the building from your height and average unit size, then adjusts for plan efficiency, single-stair versus double-loaded corridor, and elevator count.
- 3
All-in cost per unit. Adds up construction (hard and soft costs), parking, and land to get one cost per home.
- 4
The verdict. Checks that cost against the rent or sale price you can hit. In rental mode it solves for the rent you’d need at your target yield after operating costs and vacancy. In build-to-sell it nets out selling costs and shows your margin.
Ready to make your courtyard pencil?
Found a scenario that works, or stuck getting there? Book a demo and walk through your site with the Bucky team.
Book a demoWhat is a courtyard pencil test?
A fast check of whether a courtyard housing concept works financially. Set your lot, height, unit size, parking, costs, and rents to get units, cost per unit, required rent or margin, and a verdict.
Does it work for rentals and for-sale projects?
Both. Rental mode solves for the rent you need at your target yield, after operating costs and vacancy. Build-to-sell shows your developer margin after costs and selling fees.
Is this the same as zoning approval?
No. It is an illustrative early-feasibility estimate. Permits, variances, financing, and site-specific conditions still need professional review.
This is an example tool for exploring scenarios. It does not replace a full pro forma, underwriting, or professional advice.