Gas Station Feasibility Study: Your Options Compared

There are really three ways to get a gas station or c-store feasibility study: a traditional consultant, a do-it-yourself spreadsheet, or instant software. Here's the honest comparison — cost, turnaround, independence — and which one fits your situation.

Option 1 — A traditional feasibility consultant

Cost: ~$2,000–$5,000. Turnaround: one to three weeks. A consultant manually pulls the data, builds the model, and writes a lender-ready report. It's thorough and independent — the trade-off is time and money. Best when you already have a site under contract, need the most detailed possible document, and can absorb the fee and the wait.

Option 2 — A DIY spreadsheet

Cost: your time. Turnaround: hours to days. You can model a site yourself, and it's a useful gut-check. But there's a fatal flaw for financing: it isn't independent. A study from someone with a stake in the deal — including you — is exactly what a lender won't accept. Fine for a first look; useless for a loan file.

Option 3 — Instant feasibility software (Site Scouts)

Cost: $399 screener / $999 full RSA. Turnaround: far faster than a traditional study. Software automates the data and the fuel and inside-sales modeling, so you get an independent, lender-ready study from any US address — for a fraction of the consultant fee and without the two-week wait. It's ideal for screening several corners before you commit, and the full RSA slots into most SBA and community-bank loan files. (Reports are reviewed before they reach you, so speed doesn't cost accuracy.)

Which should you choose?

1. Comparing several sites? Use a fast, low-cost screener to filter before you spend more.
2. Financing a specific deal (SBA / community bank)? Get an independent, lender-ready study — software or consultant, as long as it's independent and transparent. (See feasibility studies for SBA loans.)
3. Just a private gut-check? A DIY model is fine — just know a lender won't take it.