How Big Do You Build Your House of Worship?

When you think of a church or a house of worship, most people envision a wooden or brick structure complete with arches, stained glass windows, and steeples. But, in recent years, many of these worship facilities have been built using metal. These structures are cost-effective, customizable, and made to last for years with minimal need for upkeep. So, if you and your congregation are looking to build a new church, worship center, or community building, how do you decide its size?

Let’s dive deeper into some of the essential aspects of designing your worship building. There are numerous factors you’ll want to keep in mind as you begin your project to ensure that you minimize any issues or headaches along the way.

Crucial Things to Consider When Site Planning Your House of Worship

Starting a church construction project is a huge undertaking, and it pays to be prepared! We’ve put together some important things to keep in mind when planning a house of worship to keep you ahead of the game.

1. How Big Does Your Lot Need to Be?

If you haven’t already purchased a plot of land for your building, you’ll need to do so while keeping scale and budget in consideration. To start, you may need to take note of the overall number of bodies in your congregation. A rough guideline for planning out how much land you need will be one acre for every 100 members.

2. What Activities and Services will Your Church Offer?

Most modern churches consist of more than a single room. In fact, many of them will need multiple rooms of different sizes to accommodate offices, children’s areas, bathroom facilities, and more. You’ll need to carefully coordinate how many rooms you’ll need and how much square footage they require.

3. How Much Parking Do You Need?

Having appropriate parking accommodations will require a bit of forward planning. You’ll need to set aside one parking space for every 2-3 members of your congregation. But beyond that, you’ll want to keep in mind that your facility may need to grow and expand in the future, and you’ll need ample parking.

4. How Big Do I Need to Build a House of Worship?

When deciding on the particulars of different aspects of a potential build, it can sometimes be easy to lose sight of the big picture. How many people are in your congregation? And how many do you expect to have in the next decade? As a rule, you’ll need to set aside roughly 15 square feet per member. So, for a congregation of 300, you’ll need a minimum of 4,500 square feet. However, you’ll also want to account for any other rooms your facility may need.

The Design Process

Once you’ve finished site planning, you’ll need to begin the design process using the information you’ve gathered. Here, you’ll need to:

1. Pick a Prefab Metal Church Building

Here, you’ll choose the structure type that works best for your congregation’s needs and begin adapting your designs.

2. Prep Your Site and Foundation

The next step in the process will be to clear the building site and have it graded. Large-scale metal buildings are typically built on concrete slabs. Prior to construction, you’ll need to ensure that your concrete foundation is level.

3. Customization

Structures provided by Safeway Steel come with a wide range of customization options, giving you the power to change every aspect of the building to your exact needs. Easily update the paneling type, roofing system, windows, doors, and accessories to transform your building into something truly unique.

4. Floor Plans and Renderings

At this point, you’ll want to work with an engineer to design the floor plans and coordinate the internal engineering of your structure. This will include finding companies to finish your building’s interior space, electrical wiring, and plumbing, to name a few.

5. Cost Analysis

Managing a budget throughout this process is essential to a successful operation. Additionally, you’ll want to have an educated idea of any additional expenditures your structure may require.

6. Funding

Hypothetically, if your church is the rocket, your funding will surely be its fuel. Drafting and maintaining smart, practical funding efforts is an excellent way to keep the entire operation afloat and running smoothly.

Why Metal Buildings Are Such a Great Choice for Churches

Steel structures are a highly versatile construction method renowned for their strength and cost-effective design. But there are many additional aspects of these buildings that make them the perfect choice for churches, worship centers, and community buildings. So let’s dive deeper into why these structures have become the go-to solution for countless churches and congregations.

1. Cost-Efficiency

Metal buildings can be built at a fraction of the cost of similar-sized wooden structures. Combined with their resiliency and minimal maintenance requirements, you’ll save money before, during, and long after construction.

2. Easy Expansion

Much like your congregation, your building will need to grow with you. Steel buildings are designed for easy expansion, giving you the power to change and adapt as your group evolves throughout the years.

3. Quick Assembly

Steel buildings can be constructed in a fraction of the time it takes to build similar-sized stick-built structures. Where many wooden buildings take months or more to create, a metal building can be completed in days or weeks.

4. Minimal Maintenance

Regular repairs can be tiresome and costly. Luckily, metal buildings are constructed from galvanized steel, making them naturally resistant to moisture, rust, mold, pests, and even temperatures of 1,200 degrees. As a result, these structures can go for extended periods without the need for maintenance.

5. Eco-Friendly

Steel has a smaller carbon footprint when compared to lumber. It’s also 100% recyclable! So, when a structure has reached the end of its life, it can be melted down and transformed into something new.

Safeway Steel is Your Solution for the Highest-Quality Metal Buildings in the Business!

No matter where you call home, you can bet that Safeway Steel has you covered with a wide assortment of steel structures, metal garages, metal building kits, carports, and more! These buildings are designed to last a lifetime with minimal maintenance needs. They’re fully-customizable, too! This gives you the power to create a building to meet your exact specifications!

And if you’re working on a budget, we offer some of the best metal church building prices and financing options in the market! So, if you’ve been planning a new church or worship center, you’re in the right place! Give us a call today at +1 (800) 818-2245. and let our team of building specialists help you design, customize and realize the metal building for you and your congregation’s needs!