Cognitive expected program code installation result assessment by a method that includes collecting environment information about a cloud computing environment and collecting description information about program code for potential installation. The method maintains a hierarchical model for determining whether the program code is expected to install properly on the computer system, and uses the hierarchical model for such determining, including performing an analysis that proceeds through level(s) of the model based on the description information and arrives at an indication as to whether the program code is expected to install properly. The method performs processing based on determining whether the program code is expected to install properly, for instance by generating and providing a recommendation to a user regarding installation of the program code.