In working with churches across the country, my architectural firm has addressed many recurring questions, issues, and concerns regarding building programs. Following are basic, helpful answers to some of the most asked questions.

Q: We have an older sanctuary that is too small. We are afraid of construction costs for a new building, but have been told that bringing our existing building up to current development standards is going to be even more expensive. What should we do?

A: Every situation is different, but the first step is to have your facility evaluated by a competent professional. If you have significant damage as a result of water, termites, or neglect that would require the very structure of the building be replaced, renovation could indeed be more expensive than a new building. However, if you simply need more worship space and the primary problems with the existing building are exiting, handicap requirements, or just general modernizing, you may be better off renovating than building new.

(Now, if you need additional space and your existing sanctuary could be used for teen worship or as a multipurpose room without modification, building new can also make more sense.)

Have the building surveyed to determine the extent of the needed modifications. If the problems are substantial, have a cost-to-benefit ratio conducted to weigh the renovation costs with what you will actually achieve. If the price is too high, new construction may be the only alternative.

As an example of the importance of evaluating options, my architectural firm was contracted to design a new sanctuary with a construction budget of $1.2 million. After reviewing the existing sanctuary, we were able to design a way to renovate it for $300,000 and seat fifty more people than the proposed new sanctuary would have seated. While such a solution is not always possible, this is a good example of what can happen with proper evaluation and planning.

Logistics are an additional consideration regarding renovation. If you cannot maintain worship services during construction, alternate facilities will have to be secured, and those costs must be factored into your evaluation.

We want to add a second-story addition to our church, but were told that in order to comply with the American Disabilities Act, we will have to add a very expensive elevator. We want to honor the Act, but are afraid that the budgetary impact may delay our project. What are our alternatives?

Some confusion exists as to the extent (or even if) churches have to comply with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). The ADA does in fact exempt churches from complying, but it must be understood that the ADA is a "civil" law, not a building code. Your architect will be able to tell you whether the local building code requires accessibility. In every jurisdiction I have worked with, the building code has required churches to be accessible.

Handicap accessibility in a renovation project can be a daunting task. As Christians, of course we want to be open to all, including our physically challenged brothers and sisters. Still, when faced with the cost of providing wheelchair access to all areas of the church, assisted listening devices, and aids to the visually impaired, the question often becomes, "We don't have any handicapped individuals in our church at present, why should we have to do this now?" Frankly, it really doesn't matter whether a church has handicapped members now or not. During new construction and renovation of existing buildings, structures must be made accessible.

The Code does allow for what is called "reasonable accommodation." This means that if an existing building is being renovated and the cost of making one or more areas accessible becomes excessive, you can comply with the Code by providing reasonable accommodation.

For example, when adding the second floor, ask the building official in your area some questions. "Would it comply to keep all of the single-use rooms (i.e. library, computer room, etc.) accessible on the ground level and only add generic classrooms on the second level? So, if a handicapped individual wants or needs to attend a particular class, it could be easily assembled on the ground level?" This would at least give an "argument" of reasonable accommodation.

In conclusion, the best advice I can give any church embarking on a building program is to first seek out competent professionals. Just because a friend or colleague was able to build something a certain way in his or her church, does not mean you can automatically do the same thing in yours. The "hows" and "whys" of church building programs don't always make perfect sense, but as we all know, we don't live in a perfect world. Yet with God's grace and prayerful, seeking hearts, remarkable ministries will continue to be built in his name.

We have a building that was built ten years ago and was designed for a second story addition. Now we are being told we can't do that. Why not and what can we do?

In an understandable effort to save money, this, unfortunately, often turns into a very common problem. It results from a decision made some time ago to "only build a first floor now, but to design a structure to accommodate a second floor when we get the money." But building codes change every three years, and if there are changes in the structural code (as there have been lately), buildings built before the changes may no longer comply with the current code. Governments do not require people to upgrade their buildings every time a code changes, but if you do want to modify or add to the building, the addition will need to meet the current code. The same situation occurs when a balcony is to be "added later." By the time a church is actually able to make the addition, it may not be as easy as originally thought.

We have been talking about expanding our Sunday school classrooms and possibly building a new (or remodeling our existing) sanctuary. We have discussed this in committee for some time now and can't seem to get past our wish list and "what if" scenarios. How can we get this process off the ground?

Church development is different from most other types of construction projects. Even the brightest building committees can get "lost" in the maze of unique requirements. Much time and money can simply be wasted by committees that have their hearts in the right place, but lack the experience to properly plan out and budget a church building project. Many times, while initial decisions made may not be "bad" decisions, they may not be the best decisions for the use of the resources God has made available.

A reputable church architect will take great strides to educate a church on construction processes. Due diligence must be done on a piece of property or construction project before large financial commitments are made. Seek out a reputable church architect, spend a relatively small amount of money to have someone show you the process, outline the costs, and more importantly, address the seemly overwhelming issues that will be encountered. He or she will be able to keep your church focused on the issues that need to be addressed at the time they need to be addressed.

Understanding key issues like church functions and capital stewardship is also essential. Assemble a project team that can objectively and spiritually guide your church.

We would like to add a small addition to our existing administration/education building and have been told by the fire department that we would also have to install a sprinkler and alarm system. We are afraid of the additional cost for such a simple addition. Are there any financial alternatives?

Most new construction projects require fire sprinklers and the cost is figured into the overall construction budget. When renovating an existing building that was constructed before the fire sprinkler requirement was adopted, there is a good chance approved fire sprinkler and alarm systems will still need to be added. Requirements and codes vary, so they should be verified with a local fire marshal or architect.

In every jurisdiction I have worked in, sprinkler systems were required in the new addition and the existing portion of the renovated building. Fire suppression systems are expensive and can dramatically increase the cost of a "small" renovation project. If your project is small, consult with your architect to consider alternatives that might eliminate the requirement. However, in medium to larger renovation projects, the systems will be required.

This is not all bad! Not only are the systems potential life-saving devices, they can (depending on your location) actually save you money as well. Call your insurance agent and ask how much you are paying for fire insurance. Then ask what you would pay with fire sprinklers and an approved alarm system added. There will be a significant drop in your property insurance cost.

Understand that every region is different, that fire risk can vary even within the same region, and that insurance companies and deductibles vary. All of these factors can change the amount of savings. For example:

According to Nancy Meifert of State Farm Insurance in California, a church with a structural value of $1 million, contents of $100,000.00, and a deductible of $2,000.00 could see a drop in property fire insurance of approximately 20 percent with the installation of fire sprinklers, and an additional reduction of 10 percent with a monitored alarm system. With this scenario, the $1 million church would pay approximately $5,538 a year for fire insurance, and $3,987 if both sprinklers and alarms were installed. That's a savings of $1,551 per year!

Depending on the cost of the system installation and the reduction of cost in insurance from the installation, the payback period can quickly be calculated. From that point on, the system(s) will save you money.

Yes, there are some upfront costs that may need some serious consideration. If considering a multi-phased project, the initial system supply lines should be designed to handle the entire project. But this part of the project will ultimately pay for itself.

Greg Lefler is principal architect and founder of Lefler and Associates in Thousand Oaks, California. He has more than 15 years of experience in church design and planning.