When it comes to affordable, versatile construction, metal church building systems are worth considering. In particular, prefabricated church building kits make it fast, easy and affordable to build a church or other house of worship. This post goes over the benefits of metal prefab church buildings, common sizes, features and customization options, and how to build a metal church from a prefab kit.
Why Build a Metal Prefab Church Building?
- Versatile: A metal building kit can be used to build a new church from the ground up, or to add an extension onto an existing church building. Modular church buildings in particular can be a flexible choice, because it is easy to expand them in the future if your congregation grows.
- Cost-effective: A metal prefab church is less expensive to build than a traditional stick-built church.
- Fast to build: It is much faster to build a prefab metal church out of a kit than it is to undergo the traditional construction process fully on-site.
- Eco-friendly: If you want to protect the environment, a metal prefab church is a good option. It can be built out of recycled and recyclable materials. The prefab process also generates less waste than the traditional construction process.
- Low-maintenance: Because metal (especially steel) is so durable and resistant to many forms of damage, you likely will not need to spend much time or money maintaining your metal church building.
- Easy to customize: There are many customization options which you can use to design your church to look exactly how you want it to (more on that later), as well as features that your congregants will appreciate. You can make your building reflect your church’s message, and design it in a way that is conducive to church functions.
- Long-lasting: Steel is a material that offers excellent longevity, allowing your church building to stand the test of time, just like the faith of your congregants.
Popular Sizes For Prefabricated Churches
While churches and other houses of worship can be built in any number of sizes, the following dimensions are some of the most popular:
- 50×100
- 100×100
- 100×200
In addition, 40×60 is a common size for a standalone fellowship hall.
Think about how large your congregation is (or is likely to become), as well as other needs and considerations when choosing your church size.
You can go with one of these common church sizes, or you can choose a different, custom size.
Features and Customization for Prefab Metal Church Building Kits
Here are some of the many ways you can customize a metal building kit for a church:
- Purchase an upgraded insulation package (this may be necessary in certain climates).
- Choose the sizes, shapes and placements of doors and windows (some builders may even offer stained glass window packages).
- Pick options for vents, fans, and other ventilation features.
- Choose where to put skylights (if you want skylights).
- For those looking to cut back on energy costs, solar panels may be available from some metal building companies.
- Decide on options for gutters and downspouts.
- Choose whether and where to place iconic features like steeples or cupolas.
- Some metal building companies may offer packages for purchasing pews, furnishings, wall crosses, signage, sports and playground equipment, musical instruments and electronic equipment, and more.
- Customize the appearance of your church with finishing options of your choice. You can go for a look that is modern, traditional, or somewhere in between.
How to Build a Prefab Church
We have discussed the customization options available for metal churches, as well as what makes metal such a good building material for houses of worship. We also have talked about common sizes of metal churches. How can you start your own metal church building project?
1. Research local building codes and zoning laws.
Before you dive into the details of your project, you need to understand the legal requirements for a church building in your city and county. Start out by looking up the building codes and zoning regulations for your city and county. You may need to contact your building department if you are unable to locate all of the relevant laws on your own. If necessary, you can schedule a meeting with the department to ask questions.
2. Come up with ideas and requirements.
Once you know all the regulations you need to meet, you can start writing down your ideas. Take into account all the legal requirements, as well as your own requirements for the church building. Try and decide what dimensions you want, as well as what features you need.
3. Choose a metal building supplier.
Now it is time to pick a metal building company to work with. Look for one that offers the features and dimensions you need. Glance at their church buildings for sale to get an idea what they offer.
If possible, choose a company that has previous experience with metal churches. They will be able to move you smoothly through the next steps in the ordering and building process, foresee potential pitfalls, and help you navigate to the end of your project.
4. Pick and customization a design for your metal church.
You can now choose a metal building kit and start customizing it. In some cases, this is just a matter of picking the features you want on the website. In others, you might work directly with the building company during a consultation. That might be necessary if you have a particularly complex design you want to execute.
5. Apply for permits.
Before you can legally begin the construction of a house of worship, you will need building permits from your local building department.
Some metal building companies may help you with this process. If yours does not, you will need to do it on your own. So long as your church will be up to code, however, you should not have too hard a time completing this step.
6. Finance construction.
At some point, you are going to need to find funds to finance the purchase of the church building.
You might already have taken care of this. But if not, you will need to look into financing options. When you do, you should find it easiest if you already have your permits and building plans.
7. Order the metal building kit and prep your site.
Now it is time at last to order your metal building kit for your church. After you place your order, the metal building company will get to work manufacturing the prefabricated components of the church in their factory.
While the building company is doing their thing, you can do yours. You probably have some work you need to do to get the site ready for the church building. Level the site, remove obstacles, install a foundation, and add utilities if they are not yet there.
After prefabrication is completed, the metal building company will ship the metal church kit to your site.
8. Construct the kit.
Once the kit is on-site, all that is left to do is to assemble it on the foundation. As a church is a large structure, this can be fairly involved. But it will go much faster than a traditional build. So much of the work has already been done. In fact, the job should not require as many personnel or as much specialized equipment as you would need on-site for a more traditional construction process.
Some metal building companies may provide crews to finish construction. With others, they drop off the kit, and it is up to you to find a construction team. You can act as the general contractor if you have the skills and time, or hire a general contractor to oversee the work.
After construction is finished and the utilities are connected, you have a useable building. All that is left to do is to move in the pews and other furnishings and décor, and get everything set up and ready to go.
Get A Free Quote For Your Church Metal Building Kit
The basic process of building a church using a metal building kit is fast, easy and affordable. With flexible customization and sizing options, you can construct a church that fits your exact needs. To learn more, keep exploring the other posts on our site, or visit our recommended metal building companies.