Collaborative teamwork helps your church project stay on schedule

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Church construction projects should be a great experience for both the contractor and the project owner. It’s an opportunity to create a space where people will get a chance to worship and congregate weekly. But that experience can be negatively impacted if the project doesn’t stay on schedule. Increased expenses, communication issues and missed deadlines can easily turn a great project into an expensive one that runs over budget.

With that said, choosing an experienced design-build team can help guarantee your project remains on track and on time. There are multiple benefits to choosing a design-build firm for your church construction project. From fewer changes to reduced project delivery time, the design-build method is quickly becoming the preferred delivery method for projects. But the biggest advantage of utilizing a design-build firm for your church construction project is collaborative teamwork.

Collaborative Teamwork

To say completing a construction project is complex would be an understatement. There are many moving parts that ultimately determine whether or not the project stays on budget and on schedule. It takes amazing teamwork to make a project successful. Collaborative teamwork is a direct result of the design-build method. With all teams falling under a single contract, it is vital for all participants to be aligned. With a single point of responsibility, everyone on the design-build team is accountable for the success of the project. This encourages teamwork across the board.

In addition, the decreased amount of changes associated with the design-build method is a direct result of collaborative teamwork. Since the designers are part of the design-build team, the team and the project owner can discuss the project and potential issues before the ground is broken. With decreased changes and team-wide accountability, collaborative teamwork and the design-build model helps church construction projects stay on schedule.

If you are ready to get started on your church construction project, give our Maryville commercial construction experts a call at (865) 982-1734 or contact us online.

Is your church in need of a renovation? LWC specializes in church construction and renovation projects

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After years of successful operation, every building needs a fresh coat of paint. Year after year, your place of worship has been full of individuals who have enjoyed a positive experience. But age takes a toll on all buildings after a while.

While some leaders may suggest constructing a new building, renovations can be what your church needs. A more cost-effective option, updating your existing building can provide your church with a fresh look while keeping its history in place for future generations. From creating a new façade to expanding the space, Leon Williams is here to help you complete your vision.

Protecting Your Investment

Deciding to invest in a renovation project should not be taken lightly. While it’s more cost-effective than constructing a new building, it still takes time and money to bring your vision to life. An important aspect of any project is the pre-planning stages.

A critical component of the pre-planning stage is how to handle the flow of traffic during the construction process – both inside and outside the building.  Does this need to be phased to ensure current operations can continue?  Will a temporary facility need to be installed?  Will that facility require connection to the building utilities?  Are there certain ministries that will need to be held in other locations or be accommodated during construction?  It is important to consider these questions as part of the entire project budget so that there are no surprises once construction commences. 

At Leon Williams Contractors, we pride ourselves in asking these and many more questions during the planning phase so that construction can progress smoothly. Before our experts draw up the first plan, we can evaluate the multiple options available for the renovation and assess and identify on-site construction issues that could place the budget or schedule at risk.

Our experts are dedicated to protecting your investment while maximizing its value. We recognize that churches are non-profit entities with a set budget. We want to provide as much bang for your buck as possible. Through value engineering, we will advise and provide you with information to help you make informed decisions about your church project.

For example, maybe you believe it’s not worth investing in new facility equipment. Our team will provide you with pinpoint details to help you decide if you want to continue on that path or install new equipment that will decrease operating costs over time. As part of our mission, we provide honest evaluations regarding the value, quality and life expectancy of every building alternative or solution we recommend ensuring our goals align with expectations.

We Are Here To Help

No matter what your goal is for your church renovation, the professionals at Leon Williams Contractors are here to help. As the Maryville commercial construction expert, we have 30-plus years of experience in using value engineering to help clients across East Tennessee. If you are ready to get your church renovation project started, give our experts a call at (865) 982-1734.

Etowah City Hall

Trusted Specialty Contractors Can Make Your Vision Come to Life

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Church construction and renovation projects requires a unique level of both experience and vision. A place of worship should be inviting for the congregation, provide gatherings, and at the same time be cost-efficient to fit tight budgets.

 

Balancing cost and value for our faith-based clients, Leon Williams Contractors, a Maryville construction company, has decades of experience that help us provide peace of mind on our church building projects, whether they are minor improvements or major renovations.

 

Understanding the Spatial Needs

Good church design can provide size-appropriate space and comfort for the congregation. From the entry space to the classrooms, the nursery, and the main sanctuary, having an attractive design that allows the building to flow room to room will provide a warm and inviting house of worship for the existing congregation as well as visitors.

 

Major and Minor Renovation Options

The base structure of a church will determine whether a major building expansion project will be needed or if minor renovations are the way to go. Our preconstruction planning experts can determine which renovations are best for the needs of your church and congregation.

 

Budget Friendly

Renovating a church requires effectively balancing budge and value without sacrificing reliability and safety. Our design and engineering teams compare different structure types and building materials to provide quality in a close collaboration with material suppliers, and along with the church leaders, proceed to develop a safe and sturdy house of worship within budget constraints.

 

Choosing a specialty contractor with a wealth of experience in house of worship construction, expansion, and renovation will help ensure a good experience for your operations team and a welcoming environment for your congregation. Contact Leon Williams Contractors today at (865) 982-1734 to discuss your church construction needs.

Foothills Church

Giving Your Old Sanctuary a New Lease on Life

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In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, East Tennessee’s churches have continued to share the light with their communities, even if it’s been online or by video conferencing. But as social distancing requirements fade away, churches will become places of fellowship once again.Foothills Church

All that said, the economic effects of the pandemic might hang around for some time, so when church facilities start showing their age, new construction might not be financially feasible for cash-strapped congregations. That’s where Leon Williams Contractors, a Maryville construction company, can help.

We have decades of experience renovating church facilities. Through preconstruction planning, our experts can help congregations understand their facility needs and what sort of renovations are within their budgets.

Helping Out

Our goal is assisting our faith-based clients in finding the sweet spot between expense and value. We offer pre-construction consultations, site assessments, value engineering and other services to help congregations mitigate costs. Working closely with a design team, our hands-on experts will find and implement the most cost-effective solutions to meet the needs of growing congregations through internal renovations or expanding existing facilities. The Leon Williams team will work closely with the project designer and all stakeholders to ensure smooth communication and no surprises.

The purpose of value engineering is to approach every project with a fresh eye to evaluate the use of materials, reduce waste and avoid excessive expenditures. This could involve swapping out fixtures or features that might result in added costs with little to no benefit.

Communities of faith matter to us here at Leon Williams Contractors. We take pride in helping give congregations the facilities they need to thrive and grow. To learn how we can assist in your next church renovation or construction project, visit www.lwcontractorstn.com or call (865) 982-1734.

 

Value engineering can help your church build a new home.

How Value Engineering Can Help Your Church Build More with Less

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While the economy is strong, it is not uncommon for construction pricing to come in higher than desired.  One solution is a concept referred to as Value Engineering.  The Maryville construction experts at Leon Williams have three decades of experience working for our faith-based clients, and we’re proud to put that to work for you.

Value engineering can help your church build a new home.

Value Engineering Helps Communicate Value and Avoid Conflict

When it’s time for a church to start a new building project, the road to actually realizing that vision can be long and difficult to maneuver. If it’s time to expand, it can be difficult to align your congregation behind a single solution. Should you build a new building? Buy a larger one? Renovate what you’ve got?

Even just getting internal groups, like church councils, to sign off on a new project can be difficult, and often takes a strong value proposition and well-communicated goals.

One of the best ways church leaders can provide responsible returns on their congregation’s investment in the Kingdom and create buildings that can meet the needs of their church well into the future is value engineering.

What Is Value Engineering?

Value engineering is a way of thinking about construction that makes larger projects easier and more affordable, without compromising on quality. Value engineering takes a holistic view of client needs and construction realities, giving church leaders a bird’s eye view of their project and direct lines of communication with the design and engineering teams. Designers, engineers, contractors, material suppliers, and church leaders tackle problems as a group, shrinking budget overruns and reducing construction time.

By balancing the work a structure needs to perform with the price of that structure over its lifespan, value engineering gives us the opportunity to deliver on a client’s goals on-budget while meeting functional needs.

Here are a few ways we engineer for value:

  1. Comparing different structure types or materials to make them more affordable to purchase and easier to construct.
  2. Altering the project finishes and fixtures to provide economical quality based on client requirements.
  3. Locating pain points and adding features that can address or eliminate them.
  4. Removing planned features that would impede usability or result in added costs and lead times with little benefit.

How Can Value Engineering Help My Church?

Choosing to build a new worship hall or classroom wing can be a big decision, and not everyone will be on the same page with the final product. When embarking on that project, you need to be sure you’re getting what’s best for your congregation. Value engineering helps church leaders gain the approval they need by exercising due diligence on behalf of their congregation.

Why Should We Choose Leon Williams for Our Church Project?

At Leon Williams Contractors, we specialize in balancing cost and value for our faith-based clients. Through pre-construction consultations, site assessments and more, we strive to provide as much value as we can.

We love creating spaces where congregations can gather and worship together, and we treat every church project as if it were our own place of worship. Are you looking to invest in an upgrade or new building? Contact Leon Williams Contractors today to learn more about how we can use our value engineering expertise to make your next project a fruitful endeavor.