Recently, we completed a major series entitled Church Building Steps from Start to Finish where we discussed each of the steps needed to complete a church building or renovation project. One question that might come to mind before undertaking such a process is how are fees structured?
The Church Design Phase
For the initial church design, you will need an architect (or a design build team like The McKnight Group) to give you a basic plan, based on your church vision and ministry needs. How design professionals charge varies greatly. The fee for this will often be charged by the hour or as a fixed price, usually through a written agreement.
Once you are satisfied with the initial design, you will need to complete the construction documents. The architect should price these once the basic design is complete and the building budget is estimated. The cost of those construction documents will constitute the bulk of the architectural fees for your church building process.
The Church Building Construction Phase
Next, you will move into the construction phase. In addition to the actual costs of the building (materials, labor, etc.), there will be overhead and profit for the construction company that is doing the work. As building process moves along, periodic payments to the construction company will be required to purchase those materials and pay its team of workers and subcontractors.
The McKnight Group Fee Structure
Here at The McKnight Group, we quote a firm price for the initial design. Then we calculate the cost for the construction documents during the design phase, based upon your actual church design. Once the construction documents are complete, we will give you a final guaranteed cost for the church building construction itself, and a timeline for when portions would be due, based on construction goals.
Naturally, each church building project is different. This is one reason we offer our series of free i3 webinars. Each webinar gives you examples of what different churches are doing, which helps you understand what might be possible for your unique situation. We encourage you to sign up for our next i3 webinar and get the latest church building information we have to offer.