I am considering buying a 50 acre, rolling to hilly parcel with lake views near Knoxville, TN for a proposed subdivision of 1 acre lots.  I need a good short hand method to estimate the cost of building a curb and gutter road along with trenching and installation of gas, water, sewer, and electric. Everyone I consult says it depends and that I must hire an engineer and do soil testing, etc. in order to get an accurate number.  Also people seem not to want to give me rough estimates because I might "hold them to it," or because there are "a million factors." I know all that, but I look at a lot of land and I need a back of the envelope evaluation method that gives me a sense of rough feasibility to know if this is worth my time financially.  I realize there are unexpected things that come up and a dizzying amount of variables that affect the cost, but I need to start somewhere and don't want to pay for engineering and other studies for every property that I review. I also realize that prices vary a lot state to state and county to county, given the local standards for building. All that aside, does anyone have a generic range for these components, for example say $x/ linear foot for a 20-ft wide, standard roadway with extruded curb & gutter, say doubling that if your grades are more than Y degrees, or tripling if more than Z degrees? Or 10X the whole thing if you have to blast through rock? Also, $X per linear ft for a 6" water line, including trenching, pipe, and installation labor? And the same rough linear foot benchmark for gas, underground electric, and sewer trunk extensions (not lateral lines to individual homes, but extensions of the utility main lines into the new community). Any references to cost estimation algorithms or instructional education would be most helpful too. Thank you!