TestFit
Software that turns a raw parcel into a site plan, unit mix, and pro forma in minutes.
Quick Answer
TestFit is real estate feasibility software used by developers and architects to rapidly test what a parcel of land can support. Its configurator and generative-design algorithms turn a site into a site plan, unit mix, parking layout, and pro forma estimate in minutes rather than the days manual feasibility studies take, before a project commits to a full design.
The Full Picture
TestFit exists because early real estate feasibility work — figuring out how many units, how much parking, and what return a given site can support — traditionally required an architect or planner to manually sketch and iterate site plans by hand. Developers evaluating dozens of potential deals need faster answers than a full manual study can deliver for every site.
Mechanically, a user inputs a parcel boundary and parameters — building typology, unit mix targets, parking ratios, zoning constraints — and TestFit's algorithms generate configurable site plans and massing options that respect those constraints, along with rough cost and pro forma outputs. Options can be exported to tools like Revit, AutoCAD, or SketchUp for a design team to develop further.
In practice, developers use TestFit to screen sites during acquisition and to quickly test 'what if' scenarios — more parking versus more units, different unit mixes — before hiring an architect to produce a full design. TestFit reports evaluating hundreds of deals weekly across its user base, reflecting its role as a high-volume early screening tool.
Like Archistar, TestFit operates ahead of the point where formal construction drawings exist. It informs the go/no-go and configuration decisions that shape a project before a design team takes over to produce permit- and construction-ready documents.
Real Examples
Common Misconceptions
People assume: TestFit produces a finished architectural design.
Actually: TestFit generates configurable feasibility-stage site plans and massing to test what a site can support and estimate returns. A design team still develops the actual architectural, structural, and MEP design and construction documents from there.
People assume: TestFit and Archistar are interchangeable products.
Actually: Both generate rapid site feasibility options, but TestFit leans on a configurator model built around specific building typologies (multifamily, industrial, self-storage) and pro forma output, while Archistar leans more on zoning-rule analysis and property research across a broader site-search workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who uses TestFit?
Real estate developers, architects, and contractors evaluating a site's development potential — testing unit mix, parking, and financial return before committing to a full design process.
What building types does TestFit support?
TestFit's configurators cover common feasibility-stage typologies including multifamily residential, industrial and self-storage, and mixed-use, with an Urban Planner tool for larger multi-block site and street layouts.
Can TestFit export to design software?
Yes, TestFit outputs can be exported to tools like SketchUp, Revit, and AutoCAD so an architecture team can continue detailed design from a selected feasibility-stage configuration.
Does TestFit replace an architect?
No. It accelerates the early feasibility and configuration decisions — how much can this site support, and roughly what would it return — but a licensed architect and engineering team still produce the actual design and construction documents.