Finding on-line information covering the details of the church design and building process can be daunting. We started blogging and sharing our free i3 webinars because we wanted to give church leaders the latest and most complete information that we know on every step of the modern church building process.
But there’s another reason why attending our webinars is always a good idea: we have a question-and-answer session at the end of each one. We also like to share the answers to those questions for others wondering the same. During our recent webinar, Mapping the Steps to the Church Building of Your Dreams, a church leader asked a great question. Here’s our answer.
How Is Construction Cost Growth Impacting Church Building Projects?
Inflation has been a frequent news topic lately. Prices on everything are going up. Unfortunately, construction cost growth is impacting church building projects as well as residential homes. Pandemic uncertainty continues to affect many aspects of the economy. Supply shortages of raw materials, manufactured goods and manpower still make it difficult for contractors to confidently develop realistic timelines and firm budgetary quotes.
Inflation Continues, but the Rate Is Slowing
There’s no question that construction costs have risen over the past 18 months, and the rate of increase has been significant. For example, the price of raw steel has increased by as much as 340% over that period, while concrete has risen about 5%. Wood has taken contractors on a roller coaster ride, up and down, up and down, but the overall trajectory has unfortunately been an upward climb.
The only good news is that the rate of these cost increases is slowing. This doesn’t mean that prices are going down, but that they are going up more slowly. As suppliers of building materials get a better sense of what lies ahead the number and frequency of cost adjustments are slowing down. Still, the ability for supply to be able to meet demand will be an ongoing issue for years to come.
What Does This Mean for Your Church Design Project?
Overall, this means that you should not delay any church building project, even if you’re only in the “What if?” stage or just beginning to review church design options that will better support your church vision for ministry in your community. The longer you wait to begin construction on your church building or remodeling project, the higher your costs are likely to climb. Especially if you’re working with a fixed budget, you need to keep the church design process moving forward because every month you delay, construction costs will most likely continue to increase.
This is also why it’s important to keep up with our free i3 webinars. In a constantly changing building environment, you can’t count on any aspect of the church building process to remain unchanged. Instead, keep abreast of the latest ideas, insights, and innovations around church design and construction by registering now for our upcoming webinars—and hang onto your hats, because we expect it will be a roller coaster ride for a while.