Why You Need a Master Plan for your Church Project

Back in the good old days, people wanted to have churches in their neighborhoods. Churches provided a backbone for the community, a place where people could gather, and an unconscious sign that this was a good neighborhood.

These days, some people aren't as friendly to church construction as they used to be. Neighbors might be worried about the noise or traffic problems caused by having a large church move in. Others might be worried that a new church would impact sale of alcohol at the corner store. For whatever reason, congregations building new churches today need to be very mindful of regulations and neighborhood sentiments as they plan their project.

You might not think that having a master plan is all that important, but it really is vital to the success of your project. The main reason: money.

Having a good plan before you start design or construction can save a congregation money by using their land in the most efficient way possible. It can also save you money on construction costs for poorly sited buildings, so that you build a church that's large enough to grow into the first time and don't have to build a new building every few years.

Without a master plan, you won't know what potential issues you need to work around in your site development. There are many different issues that can cause potential problems for your planning, such as:

*Zoning regulations
*Historic district rules (or neighborhood covenant design rules)
*Easements and utility tie-ins
*Ordinances having to do with landscaping and signage
*Land use ordinances
*Building codes
*Permits
*Variances

Only about 60 to 65 percent of your budget is going to actually go to the building; the rest will go to such things as developing the site, soft costs, furniture, fixtures and equipment. So if you haven't done this master planning work before you start the church design process and you tell your architect that you have a certain budget for the building, you may find yourself in a position of being 40 percent over budget.

Having a master plan that looks at all the stages and needs of your church development is vital to avoid unexpected costs and to make sure that everything is legal when it comes to your building. All of this is vital to being a good neighbor to the homeowners in your area and getting your church built the way you want and need for your congregation.

Bruce Anderson is a nationally recognized church design and construction consultant and president of Build-Masters Group LLC. Visit his site for a free report, "The Top 10 Mistakes Pastors Make in Designing and Building Their Church…and How to Avoid Them."