The design and construction of church facilities may very well be one of the most important activities in your organization's history. One of the many critical components of your building success is hiring the right architect. Your church should consider at least 3-4 architects or design/build firms who have a good reputation for building the type and style of structures you are considering and are familiar with designing within the budget range you can afford.
General Background Questions
1. How long has the architect been in business?
2. What percentage of the firm's business is designing church facilities?
3. How many people does the architect's firm employ?
4. Does the architect have a valid license for the state in which you intend to build?
5. Does the architect commonly do church projects of the style, size and budget that you anticipate building?
6. Is the architect familiar with the nuances of your denomination and worship style and what this may mean in building design?
7. Does the architect have a specific design style and how well does their design style match what you are looking to build?
8. Does the architect intend to use consultants for this project and if so, how are they paid?
9. Does the architect carry insurance?
10. What are the policy limits for each type of insurance carried?
11. Will the architect provide proof of insurance should the church decide to hire the firm?
12. When and what was the architect's most recent project?
13. When and where was the architect's most current project like yours?
14. May the church see examples of the architect's previous projects that are similar to your proposed project, including sketches, photos, plans and budgets?
15. Should the church decide to hire their firm, may the church get the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the clients for these previous similar projects?
16. What services did the architect provide for those church clients during the design, bidding, and construction phases?
17. Who will provide each of these services for the church: the architect, the architect's employees, or outside professionals?
18. What was the actual construction cost versus the architect's estimated cost for each of these projects, and how do they account for the variance?
19. Who from the firm will the church be directly dealing with? Is it the same person who will be designing the project? If not, who will be designing it and what direct interaction will the church have with this person?
20. What is the proposed mediation process for resolving disputes and will the architect agree to binding arbitration?
Proposed Project Questions
1. What are the most significant challenges of the proposed project and how does the architect anticipate dealing with them?
2. How well does the architect understand the church's goals and constraints? (Ask the architect to reiterate back to you the overall goals, design and budget constraints and evaluate how well they understand them.)
3. How confident is the architect of meeting the church's proposed schedule?
4. What experience does the architect have translating ministry needs into space requirements?
5. What is the objective process that the architect will use to gather information to help evaluate the needs
Finding a roofer today whether in Atlanta or elsewhere is like finding kudzu...if you can't find any then you're not looking. Due to the lack of certification in many states, consumers have to be on guard when selecting a quality vendor. We leave it to you to ask the basic questions to make sure that have quality installers. But here are some others questions you need to ask to close the gap on going with someone who, in the long run, could do more damage than good. If the roofing contractor prospect has a problem with answering these, then I advise to continue looking.
1. What is the full name and address of the company? If they have a problem with giving you this specific information, then that's a red flag. They may be doing work out of their truck or are hiding something. You need to go with an established business that has an office (in addition to any PO Box) because roofing is a long installation and maintenance cycle and you need to know that they'll be around for a while.
2. How long has the company been in business? As a general rule, the longer a company has been in business, the better. This is particularly true for roofers because you may need their help again in a few years. That being said, if you go with a younger company, then make sure the owner or installers have deep experience. I find that younger companies with experienced staff can be a good bargain as they're typically "hungrier" than the older ones. So they might be a good option.
3. What kind of insurance do they carry and for how much? The bottom line is that if they don't carry insurance and something happens to one of their workers, then you could be held responsible. You must find out how much coverage they have in the event of an accident. Roofing contractors can easily email or hand you a copy of the certificate.
4. Do they have certification? Because many states don't have certifications for the roofing industry, any one can essentially become a roofer. This is good for consumers in terms of keeping prices down but at the same time problematic for keeping quality standards high. To get around this, I would ask the company about the relationships they have with their manufacturers. For instance, Owens Corning and GAF Materials are major suppliers of roofing materials. They typically partner only with established roofers who they trust to sell and install their goods. If the roofer has a relationship with a national vendor, then they're probably regarded as stable and reliable. While not true in every case, it's a good rule of thumb.
5. Will the company provide referrals or references from previous jobs? You should be able to get a list of clients from the prospective contractor. And when called, these clients should have great things to say about the vendor. Ask them probing questions. This might include asking them to take you through the entire experience. I find that by doing this, you may uncover something that wasn't so great that the client had forgotten about. One example might be that the contractor did a good job, but they weren't so great in terms of the cleanup.
6. What is the company's warranty? A lot of contractors just extend the manufacturer's warranty. But some have warranties of their own. Find out what they offer specifically. The best companies are those who are willing to take more of the risk in the long run and who offer some flexibility with options. Most warranties extend anywhere from 1 to 10 years.
7. How is the company's customer service and track record with handling issues? Try to find out how your roofing contractor handles problems when they arise. Ask them to tell you about a specific situation where there was a customer service issue. What was it? How did they handle it? Was the customer satisfied and would they recommend the vendor? Of course if you can get the phone number of the customer in question, then call them. Also, ask the contractor if he has ever lost a job-related court case. And do your homework in determining if the contractor has ever been reported, such as through the Better Business Bureau. You feel much better after you've gone through the steps.
Both Stephen Anderson & Giovanni Rueda are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Stephen Anderson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Architecture, Inspirational Quotes. In addition to leading his own church through a building and capital stewardship campaign, Steve Anderson is a church building consultant, seminar speaker, contributing editor for Church. Stephen Anderson's top article generates over 880 views. to your Favourites.
Giovanni Rueda has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Improvement, Architecture and Home Improvement. Giovanni Rueda owns iRoof, an company that helps area homeowners with their roofing, siding and gutter needs. Get more information on taking proper care of you. Giovanni Rueda's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.