What Would it Cost for Your Church Remodeling?
It will happen to most great churches. Once, your church was beautiful. The stain glass gleamed, the pews glowed, and the floor was polished spotless. Yet as the years roll by and thousands of church goers come and go, the wear and tear will take a toll on your facilities.
The average church is updated roughly every 30 years. In light of how frequently churches are used, they actually have remarkable longevity. Hundreds or thousands could attend each mass. Then there are the activities with kids, community lunches, and various other events. Given that many people remodel their home every 15-20 years, it’s actually rather impressive that a church can go so long without a face lift.
When it does come time to remodel your church, costs will vary a lot. As for the total project cost, obviously, the larger the church, the more expensive the remodel (assuming all other factors are equal). Even if we break down remodeling costs per square foot, costs can vary wildly. Some churches will cost $20 per square foot to remodel, other remodels will cost $100 or more per square foot.
Why Does Church Remodeling Cost Vary So Much?
The total cost to remodel your church is going to be heavily impacted by the extent of the work needed. If your church simply needs a new coat of paint and some fresh carpeting, the final bill could be quite reasonable. However, costs can quickly add up if more elaborate work is needed.
Let’s consider some of the many things that may need an update in your church and how that could impact your remodeling budget.
Consider Pews and How Much it Costs to Renew Them. Or Replace with New Church Pews.
Take the pews, for example. Do they need to be refinished or restored? If so, that’s going to cost you between $40 to $100 per foot. Upholstery work might tack on more or it may nor. What if the pews need to be replaced? A high-quality new church pew will cost between $70-110 per linear foot, so costs will quickly skyrocket if church pews are needed. Particleboard pews always need to be replaced rather than restored. But solid wood seats and backs are great candidates for church furniture refinish and restoration.
Other factors could impact the costs of restoring your pews. For example, if multiple coats of finish have been applied over the years, it might be necessary to strip the finish away before applying a new coat. If wood is rotting or damaged, it may need to be replaced. You may also want to shorten pews to add room for wheelchairs.
On the other hand, if your pews simply need a deep wash or a new coat of finish, costs could drop dramatically. We call this an On-Site church furniture refurbish.
Even Church Painting Prices Can Differ A Lot
Even seemingly more straightforward restoration efforts can vary widely in price. Consider a paint job. Generally, a new coat of paint or finish is one of the cheapest ways to spruce a church up. Yet what if damaged drywall and plaster is discovered? You might have to replace parts of the wall, thus raising costs. Typical church painting services cost between $3,000-upwards of $10,000. With churches we may have to move pews to paint the ceilings. Sometimes a lift can be used and moving pews can be avoided. We schedule it as needed. Church Remodeling is easy.
Then There Are the Church Floors
Flooring costs can vary a lot for any facility, including churches. Costs for the materials used will often differ by a lot. Cheap carpet is, well, pretty cheap but it might not last very long. High quality carpeting can cost $12 per square foot. Wood flooring generally costs between $3-$8 per square foot but installation can be expensive. Linoleum and vinyl are cheaper but the look and feel may not be as nice, especially if you chose a budget option. Lots of our customers are going with Carpet tiles. They are affordable, look great and provide easy to replace service after the sale. Consider this for a great floor with many benefits for your church.
Also, if the floor and supporting structures are heavily damaged, you may have to redo it completely, or at least sections of it. This too will raise costs.
How About Upgrading the Audio Visual Light System?
What if you need new Audio, Visual, and Lighting (AVL) system for your church? Costs here again can vary a lot. A small church could spend less than $50,000 upgrading their AVL system. A large church could easily spend more than a million.
These costs may seem high at first glance, but churches are large, frequently used facilities and must cater to a lot of different needs. Church AVL systems are expensive because each component is vital to the church’s primary services and mass.
It may be possible to install cheaper “home-caliber” systems, but keep in mind that quality will suffer.
Keep Service Costs In Mind as Well
Besides physical assets, you will likely also have to pay for project management, architectural design, engineering, and other service costs. It’s hard to give an estimate on these costs without first knowing the scope and nature of the project. They can vary tremendously. Expect five or even six figure sums for large projects.
If you cut corners and hire the cheapest architect or engineer, they may not provide high-quality work. If something is mismanaged or improperly implemented, it could damage your property. In a worse case scenario, you might even have to scrap everything and start over!
It’s difficult to put an exact number on remodeling your church. However, by working with tried and true experts, you can keep costs down! We didnt even mention your stained glass windows!!
