1. Design
When we first began the design process with Athens Church we set some goals for the project. The main point that came from those early conversations was that square footage was more important than the quality of finishes. Athens Church is a North Point Community Church Strategic Partnership. Strategic Partners of NP know how to “do church”. In a college town, that can lead to making a huge impact on young adults. News flash… young adults aren’t high capacity givers, so we had to design with square footage at the top of our priority list to make sure we had room to accomodate everyone.
The design of your building plays a major role in your cost. That’s why it makes a lot of sense to start with a wish list of spaces and prioritize them. Once you’ve determined your overall budget, let the dollars drive which items on your wish list make the first phase.
2. Finishes
Early in the project you’re going to want to set the tone for what “level” of finishes your church will require. This doesn’t mean picking the exact fixture or carpet color, but it does mean setting a range. Once you set the range, don’t let a vendor show you anything that isn’t in that range. If you’re going to buy a Toyota, don’t test drive a Mercedes. That’s no good for you. Sean Seay, Lead Pastor at Athens Church, said it this way… “We want to create a wow factor, but we want you to know that the “wow factor” in Athens has a lower threshold than it does in Atlanta”. That’s good advice for you as well. You have to know what your people expect, and balance that with what you can afford.
3. Existing Conditions
Whether you’re renovating or starting with a fresh piece of land, there are often pre-existing conditions that can be a huge factor in determining the overall cost per square foot. If you’re buying new land you’ll want to engage a civil engineer. Ideally, you do that before you buy the property to make sure you have land that is buildable for your needs.
If you’re looking for space to renovate for worship, I’d highly recommend engaging with a design build team from the very start and have them do facility inspections on each property you are seriously considering. You’ll spend a little cash to do this, but it could save you from a financial disaster.
A quick note: it’s important to know that I’m talking about the cost per square foot for the construction only. There is a completely separate budget of “soft costs”, or things that go in the building (like furniture), that must be managed during the process as well. If you’d like to have a conversation about construction budgets email me and we’ll set up a time to do a walk through.
Grace and Peace
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