Driving Down Costs

Quality is never an accident. It results from high attention, intelligent direction and skillful execution. It represents wise choices.

Driving down square-footage costs begins at the planning stage.  Most churches can come close to determining size, scope and budget for their project. However, close is only good in horseshoes. Before design begins, accuracy with the project size, scope and budget calculations is critical to the success of the project. You can attribute most over-budget construction projects to the lack of a written business plan (program planning report). Many other factors throughout the project can contribute, but skipping this step, sets in motion a myriad of consequences due to wrong choices.  

Finding the right firm is 90 percent of the battle. Cost-cutting should be a major part of the duties of the firm you hire. During the interview, what questions should you ask? Most committees ask the wrong questions and, therefore, hire the wrong firm. The most commonly asked question of those firms being interviewed by the building committee is: “What is your average square-footage cost?” Understand that the architectural and construction industry are very much aware that “low bid” wins. Because a verbal estimate during an interview is not guaranteed, it will be undoubtedly a low guesstimate. Don’t ever make a hiring decision based on an estimated square-footage range or their fee schedule. To get the best value for every dollar spent, and a quality and energy-efficient building for less, it will take the best team available. If you think it is expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.

Walker Church Consulting Group will show the church leadership how to cut costs without cutting quality and how to trim expenses without trimming square footage.