As we consider our future plans, when should we contact IMF?
As soon as possible!  Many serious and costly mistakes are made very early in the process.  It is a lot easier to make changes when things are still in the “idea stage” before property is purchased or plans have been drawn.  We prefer to begin our relationship early, even if that first meeting is just to meet, share, and do a little “brainstorming!”

What are the costs for your services?
Since each project and scope of work is different, the costs for each one of our services also vary.  After our first meeting, where we can learn the specifics of your project, we will draw up a formal proposal for the phase of work to be accomplished.

Is it cheaper to remodel an existing building or build an all new facility?
That depends.  A minor remodel can be a cost effective way of creating more usable space.  However in a major remodel your local building department can require that the entire facility be brought up to current code.  If that is the case, new construction may actually cost less money.  (We can often give some direction on this matter on our first visit.)

When do we need to begin our fundraising campaign?
In our experience, people are more willing to give to something they can see or envision.  In other words, the clearer the picture you paint of the project, the more people are likely to get on board.  Few people get excited about giving to a “phantom” building program (that is "someday we are going to build something").  We recommend at least having completed a preliminary design with floor plans of the interior and colored artists drawings of the exterior to show exactly “what” you are building, and an accompanying cost estimate to answer the question of “how much.”

How much land do we need to build a new facility?
Naturally there a lots of variables, but our “rule of thumb” is that for every 100-125 people you wish to seat in your sanctuary, you will need one usable acre of land.  Therefore if your facility needs to seat 500 people, you will need at least 4-5 acres to allow for the building, parking, and the required landscaping.

We’ve heard a lot about metal buildings, are they more economical?
There is a lot of hype about metal buildings.  Some companies are advertising like crazy in the media.  They often quote a very low “per square foot” cost for a building, but in the “fine print” you will notice that the price is for just a shell.  We had a church ask about the difference, so we did a cost comparison using the same set of plans, with three different construction methods.  We compared a metal building, concrete block, and “stick built” wood framing.  When all was said and done, the difference was less than 5%!  We don’t have a vested interest in any of the above methods, we consider all viable options.

What Geographical regions do you work in?
Our offices are located in the Portland, Oregon area, so historically most of our work has been in the northwest (Washington, Oregon and Idaho), but we have been involved in a number of projects; north to Alaska, south to California, and east to Colorado.  We are getting an increasing number of requests from churches all over the map for our consultation and planning services.