by Matt Robertson
About the same time as it takes to build a home, right? Six to eight months. Maybe, maybe not. This is a major misconception that I see quite often. When a house is being built, most people only see the work that is being completed during construction. In most cases, it seems like the building crew is on autopilot; one day the land is being cleared and before you know it, the family is moving in. Yet, the biggest factor that most church leaders do not realize is the amount of “up front” work it takes to build a church.
The steps that have to be “checked off” truly make up a complex puzzle of moving parts. Here are just some of the hurdles that can impact the time it takes on the front end, before the first shovel of dirt is turned: Zoning Approval, Architectural Review Board, Planning Commission Approval, Board of Commissioners Approval, Traffic Study, Civil Engineering, Site Plan Approval, State Approval, Transportation Department Approval, Geotechnical and Soils Analysis, Master Planning, Building Design, Fundraising, Loan Approval, Building Permit Approval, and the list goes on…in addition to church leadership approval and often congregational approval.
For a new site development project, expect the process to take a minimum of 24-36 months from dream stage to receiving the keys to the facility, and even more if you don’t already have property. In general, renovating or building an addition can take less time, but every jurisdiction has hurdles to cross. A trend in church construction that churches are benefiting from is the conversion of a big-box retail space. These types of fit-out projects can take much less time due to the fact that the buildings are unoccupied, dried in, and the site work is usually minimal. The actual construction time can literally be cut in half if not more.
So how long does it take to build a church? It depends. But for sure, start by developing a roadmap from start to finish. Doing so can make a huge difference between feeling lost without direction and knowing exactly where you are headed. Have a specific plan in place with major and minor milestones along the journey prior to setting out on the trip. It’s critical to your project’s success.