Will Your Church Design Budget Be Impacted By Fees & Regulations?

When you're thinking about building a new church building, you probably have a pretty straightforward idea of what you think your building will cost or what your money will actually be buying: a magnificent new church building and the land it sits on. nnBut most church design experts say that about 20 percent of the cost of a church goes to things like impact fees, compliance with building codes, regulations and ordinances, hooking up or tapping into utilities, soil analysis and retention, traffic studies, signs, lighting, the parking lot and much more. nnImpact fees, which are how many cities pay for infrastructure improvements needed for new construction, can range into the tens of thousands of dollars. And staying current and in compliance with all the necessary regulations can become like a full-time job—not to mention costing a big chunk of your budget. nnSome churches end up building smaller buildings or even find they have purchased land that they can't actually build the church building they want on because of all the different land use regulations. So it pays to learn all you can about these rules before you get too far into the church design process.nnOne thing that can help tremendously in getting a good idea of the fees and extra costs you might face is to work with a designer or contractor who is familiar with the regulations in your area. They will be able to tell you stories about similar projects and what their costs were like.nnAnother important aspect that can save you money as you go through your church design process is to work with individuals and companies as much as possible that have experience with and specialize in church building and design. It's important to make sure that your designers and builders understand the unique needs of a church. A designer who has built office buildings or retail space knows how to put a building together but may not understand your needs in terms of the many different ways that a space may be used. nnOne of the most important aspects of a successful church design process, besides having a flexible budget, is really knowing what you want and need and working with people who can help make those dreams a reality. Working with design professionals who have experience in church building will make it easier for you to turn your vision for the ideal house of worship into a real building that glorifies God and allows you to do his work and reach more people through a process that was a good use of the donations of your hard-working congregation.