Rules of Thumb for Building Churches
Balconies
- Balconies are generally "second class" seating. Congregants in the balcony feel "disconnected". They're less involved in worship, less attentive.
- A traditional balcony is awkward for churches that extend invitations to come to the platform for ministry.
- A "waterfall" or "cascading" balcony solves the invitation problem and may improve the "connectedness". This creates a beautiful sanctuary, and visually connects the balcony to the main level.
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Baptistry
- Provide dressing rooms, preferably with a back-stage restroom.
- Provide non-slip steps.
- Provide integral water heater and automatic overflow preventer.
- Provide drip-drain areas at the exit(s) from the baptistry.
- Consider installing the baptistry in the platform floor, with a removable cover. This way, its floorspace is still available for drama, and the prominent location brings the sacrament of baptism closer to the church family.
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Building Committee
- If your church uses a committee structure, keep the building committee small -- no more than five to eight. It's important for the committee and architect to be able to meet around a table together to look at plans, preferably the same drawing.
- The building committee should have a mix of men and women, young and old, and people with personal knowledge of the church's children's programs, worship, and other major ministries.
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Classrooms
- Allow 10-12 square feet per adult.
- Allow 10-15 square feet per junior high or high school student.
- Allow 20-25 square feet per elementary and intermediate aged student.
- Allow 20-35 square feet per pre-school student.
- Allow 25-35 square feet per infant or toddler.
- Provide a wide variety of classroom sizes. Not all ages will have the same number of students.
- If daycare or private school is planned or projected, be sure that the restrooms, water fountains, exits and alarms are designed to meet the state and local requirements for those facilities.
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Drama
- More churches are incorporating drama in various forms, so it's wise to design the worship space for drama.
- Provide dressing rooms, unseen backstage access from side to side, stage access doors, and drama lighting.
- Make sure the platform is large enough for drama.
- You'll probably find that many of these special drama features will become invaluable enhancements to non-drama activities: For example, drama lighting enhances any stage, and dressing rooms are necessary if you have a baptistry.
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Fellowship
- Rectangular tables are most efficient, but less friendly.
- Round tables are friendlier, but they take more space both in use and in storage, and their linens are more costly.
- Flooring: We recommend solution-dyed level-loop carpet, which is easier to clean. Preferably get one with an anti-microbial finish to resist growth of bacteria which cause odor and worsen stains.
- Allow for lots of chair and table storage.
- Don't forget the janitor closet(s).
- Consider fellowship-friendly lighting. If it's a multi-purpose gym, install dual lighting systems, including one that has a dimmer for fellowship events.
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Financing
- Generally, lenders will only allow the church to have a total debt, including the building loan, of up to 2-1/2 to 4 times the previous year's church income. This means that, if the church is debt-free, you may be able to borrow 2-1/2 to 4 times last year's income.
- Debt-to-collateral ratio: Most lenders require that the aggregate amount of debt be less than 75% of the appraised value of properties pledged as collateral. Take the total amount of financing needed, divided by the final project cost (land and buildings).
- Never start the major fund-raising campaign without a detailed floor plan and professional artist's rendering. A site plan and/or master site plan is also very helpful. "Without a vision, the people [and fund-raising] perish."
- Keep in mind that the building construction cost, while the largest part, is not the only cost of a new building. Also plan budget for site development, professional and governmental fees, furnishings and equipment.
- An audit by a CPA is generally required, or three years of financial statements.
- A chart of membership growth and one of member giving over the past three years is helpful.
- The following are some general budgetary allowances to consider:
- Building cost is often 70-80% of total project cost.
- Furnishings are about 5-10% of construction cost.
- Contingency: Reserve 5-10% of total project cost for unknown costs that may develop.
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Handicapped Issues
- The church should try to meet the needs of physically challenged people. In some cases, it's the law -- but in all cases, it's good to remember Galatians 6:9-10.
- The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) exempts churches from its provisions entirely -- but not their schools or daycare facilities.
- The Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) do not exempt churches. They only exempt those portions that are involved in "religious ritual", such as the platform, audio booth, baptistry, and choir loft. Since balconies are alternate seating, they are usually exempt.
- Door signs, if used, must display a Braille translation of their text.
- In nearly all situations, two-story buildings require elevators.
- Handicapped parking and curb ramps are required -- including van accessible spaces. A minimum of one handicapped space per 50 spaces is required.
- Handicapped toilet stalls, drinking fountains, lavatories, etc., are required.
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Lending Sources
- Your denomination or fellowship: Many offer low-cost or no-cost loans to their member churches.
- Conventional mortgage sources: These include banks, mortgage companies, credit unions, and other lenders.
- Church bonds: These are sold to church members and friends, and to customers of the investment banker. They can be less expensive than bank loans in some cases. Verify that the investment banker is a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers and the Securities Investment Protection Corporation.
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Office Suite
- Provide an exterior door for weekday access, keeping the rest of the building secure.
- Design the office suite to have its own separate air conditioning and heating zone, to minimize utility bills.
- Provide an exit door that lets the pastor come and go without walking through the receptionist's space.
- If possible, provide the senior pastor with two office spaces: one for study, prayer, administrative work and sermon preparation; the other as a sitting room for meetings and counseling.
- Provide windows in doors and/or walls of all offices where counseling is provided, to reduce liability and rumors.
- Consider combining the conference room and library, and provide a hospitality serving area and sink.
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Projection Screen
- Consider one or more large projection screens for PowerPoint sermon notes, song lyrics, announcements and video presentations.
- Rear projection systems are generally the brightest, although front projection has improved greatly in the last couple of years.
- Front projection systems require projection equipment that may be unattractive and visible to the congregation. Rear projection systems can aid the esthetics of the worship space, but at the cost of a fairly large hidden space dedicated to the projector and its cone of light.
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Property
- Engage a church architect to master plan the project for 15-20 years of projected growth.
- Verify that all utilities are available to the site before purchasing property.
- If water and sewer are not available, verify with local authorities that well water and septic or aerobic treatment systems are allowed and feasible on your site.
- Check zoning restrictions before buying, especially if a private school, homeless ministry, or women's shelter is planned.
- Allow 1 acre per 100-150 people. No longer is a 3-5 acre site adequate for a typical church's growth.
- Parking and sports fields require the most property.
- City required parking ratios (parking spaces per person) generally vary from 1:3 to 1:5, but we know of one town that only requires 1:7. We recommend 1:2-1/5 for most churches. Important: The parking ratio is based on the building code seating number, not the church's intended seating capacity. This also is significantly impacted by the choice of seating (pews, theater seats or movable chairs).
- Rectangular land parcels are easiest to plan for and most efficient.
- Be very cautious about "free", donated or discounted land. It often has soil problems, pipeline easements, flood problems, etc. that may not be obvious to the inexperienced buyer.
- Consider neighboring sites uses. Are they compatible?
- Consider visibility into the property.
- Consider traffic count. Is it a high-traffic, well known street?
- Are there beneficial natural features such as trees or a pond?
- Are there undesirable natural features such as steep slopes, poor drainage or dense forest?
- Verify that the property has a clear title or deed.
- Have your architect separate vehicular from pedestrian traffic in the master site plan.
- Plan for a minimum of two parking entrances, preferably not on the same street.
- Corner lots are more desirable but also more costly.
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Seating Considerations
- Approximately 70% of churches use movable chairs for worship. They have advantages: They're rearrangeable; you can take out or bring in chairs as needed. But there are disadvantages: The appearance is not as traditional as pews, and many building codes require more parking space when you use movable chairs instead of pews or theater seats.
- Pews are permanent and some folks think they are more "churchy" and more "beautiful".
- Pews are also more costly per seat than metal legged, padded chairs. Wooden chairs are more costly than pews.
- A compromise is the "mini-pew", generally a three-person, movable, stacking pew.
- Theater seats are another option. They are very comfortable, clearly define the seating capacity, and result in the lowest parking space requirement. However, they are generally the most expensive choice, they can't be rearranged, and they conflict with the decor of more traditional churches.
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Volunteer Construction and Donated Materials
- You won't save as much cost with volunteer labor as you think you will.
- Volunteer-built projects take much longer to complete, adding months to the cost of the short-term construction loan.
- Make sure the volunteers have adequate commercial construction experience.
- Make sure the volunteers really have the time to do the work, free from other commitments. This is a common problem area for well-intentioned people.
- Retired volunteer builder groups are often very effective -- they know what they're doing.
- Retired volunteer groups often have restrictions on the design -- roof slopes, building height or certain materials that they won't install.
- Donated materials: If you intend to use them, make a detailed, specific list of what is needed. Other types of donated materials often compromise the design, quality and durability.
- Volunteer builders must have extensive experience in negotiating for and buying materials -- or you risk paying more than if you used commercial builders.
- Builders need detailed knowledge of the specific building code, local restrictions and current technology.
- The personal strain of a do-it-ourselves construction program is often greatest on the pastor.
- In nearly twenty years of church design experience, the vast majority of do-it-ourself projects I have seen turned into minor to major catastrophes. Consequently, I do not recommend this approach. However, I have seen a couple of very successful projects built by the church itself, so it can work.
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