Over our last several posts, we introduced the remodel or rebuild question, then walked through a case study of a church whose relocation came together with surprising ease: free land, funded phase-one construction, and a fast yes from leadership. Not every congregation is that fortunate. For most churches, the decision to relocate and build a new church building involves far more moving parts than that story suggests. Here are some of the biggest ones that are worth weighing before you commit.
How Long Will Relocating Actually Take?
Time is often the first bump in the road that church leaders run into. Purchasing land, or an existing building to remodel, rarely happens overnight. Even in the quickest scenario, expect a month or two at a minimum to find something with potential, then several more months just to get the property under contract.
From there, a preliminary church design needs to come together to confirm that the property or building you are eyeing will fit your ministry needs. Then comes zoning. Some properties are already zoned properly and simply require a standard permit. Others need rezoning. For example, if the land was not zoned for a church to begin with, or if a church has purchased property that does not yet allow everything the church design includes there, that process alone can add several more months.
Once zoning is settled, construction documents – the detailed plans and blueprints needed to secure building permits and construct the church building – must be completed. Only then can construction begin.
And construction itself is a lengthy process, whether you are building from the ground up or remodeling an existing structure. Leave room after that for move-in, set-up, and testing everything before your first Sunday in the new space.
Add it all up, and relocating is often measured in years, not months. A remodel, by comparison, can sometimes be completed in a year or less, depending on the situation. So, the first honest question every church leader should ask is simple. Do we have the time that this route requires?
What Will the Property Itself Cost?
Once the question is answered, cost calculations follow close behind. Buying property, or an existing building situated on a piece of land, is only part of the equation. Does it already have water, sewer, gas, and electricity? If those utilities are nearby and easy to tie into, that is a real advantage. If not, you may be looking at extending main lines, installing an on-site septic system, or coordinating with utility companies that run on their own schedules, not yours. Every one of those steps takes time and adds cost, from engineering plans to additional permits.
Tying into existing city utilities is usually quicker and less expensive than building standalone on-site systems from scratch. It is a detail worth investigating early, before a property is purchased, not after.
What Will the Building and Equipment Cost?
Then there is the building itself. New construction is, roughly ninety-five percent of the time, the most expensive path a church can take. That does not make it the wrong choice, but it does mean asking hard questions up front. What can your church afford?
Do not forget the cost of what fills the building once it is built: chairs, tables, audio, video, and IT equipment. If you are relocating, some of that may transfer with you. Often, though, a new church building means new equipment across the board, and that cost needs to be part of the plan from day one, not an afterthought once the doors open.
There Is More to the Cost Discussion
Time and the costs covered here, land, utilities, the building itself, and equipment, are only part of the picture. There are still other cost considerations worth digging into, and we will take those up in our next post.
Keep the Conversation Going
Weighing a remodel against a rebuild is rarely simple, but church leaders do not have to work through it alone. The McKnight Group hosts free i3 webinars covering these topics, as well as others in church design and church building. Visit our website to see upcoming topics and to sign up.