By: Matt Robertson, Scott-Long Construction
I have been asked this question hundreds of times over the course of my career in building churches and related buildings. Typically, I respond with this. Asking me that question is kind of like asking a person, âWhat does it cost to buy a bag of groceries?â The answer depends on what is in the bag. Is this a sanctuary or worship space only or does it include other programming elements such as classrooms, offices, and recreation space. Is this a high-church sanctuary space or a black box auditorium? What is your worship style, music style, seating preference? Is your education model more of a traditional Sunday school model or a small group model? Are we building it out of wood, light gauge metal, steel, or concrete? How many floors? There are so many ministry and construction related questions that need to be answered in order to answer the question succinctly. However, I know that most often people are asking the question to âget in the ballparkâ of what it will cost.
Unfortunately, when asking this question, getting in the ballpark can often misguide a church depending on who is answering the question. Here is why. Is the cost the building construction cost or the total project cost? There is a major difference between the two. Building a church is very different from buying a home. When you buy a home from a builder, the price typically includes the home construction cost and everything the builder had to spend money on just to have the ability to build your new home. These include development costs like the land cost, legal costs, surveys, traffic studies, geotechnical reports, architectural and engineering costs, county required site bonds, permits, earth work, streets, street lights, sidewalks, and the like. In building a church, youâll have the same types of development costs as well as a number of other âsoft costsâ for things like furniture, audio, video, lighting, acoustical treatments, kitchen equipment, and recreational equipment depending on the type of building you are planning.
In order to answer the question generally and get you in the ballpark, I refer to the ICC Building Cost Valuation Data. According to ICC, as of February 2020, the average construction cost in the United States to build a church was from $171 to $230. These numbers DO NOT include the development costs or soft costs. Getting a handle on the entire project costs is critical to a projectâs realization. I have recommended for years that a church hire professionals early on in the process that can help them with all of the costs for their local area of the country. From my experience, this can be accomplished successfully when the church brings on a team of experts including a construction/project manager, civil engineer, architect, builder, and funding professionals from day one. Each professionalâs level of involvement has âpeaks and valleysâ of activity throughout the process, yet through effective communication, all parties stay abreast of the projectâs progress and are able to provide their guidance and skilled insight to ensure a successful project.
If you found this article helpful, you can learn more from ministry expansion experts at Building On Purpose 2020.