Construction On Sale

Edifice Inc. a contractor in Charlotte, NC, is running a direct mail campaign (and pressing the point in person) that right now, construction is on sale.  Some public projects are coming in at record low prices, largely because contractors and their subs are offering what seem to be ridiculous proposals just to keep their people working..

It seems that some commercial clients are figuring this out, and are no longer frozen by fear.  They’re crunching the numbers, looking for and finding financing (though with more demanding terms) and moving ahead with projects that went dormant at the end of 2008.

Churches seem to be moving a little slower, despite forecasts that the “religious sector” of the construction market may lead all other sectors in recovery.

Admittedly, architects tend to encounter the churches with the happiest stories to tell: they are growing and typically doing well.   But even in these churches, pastors are keenly aware that at some percentage of their congregations has been affected by the economic downturn. Some conclude that it would be or seem insensitive.  ”Not the right time to ask,” said one pastor, right before he left to lead a membership class for 26 new families.  Others wonder if it’s right to build on the desperation of a beleaguered construction industry.

I can’t find any fault with these sentiments.

The cost of waiting, though, is that most will feel confident enough to move forward about the same time everyone else does.  Prices will climb, provoked by competition for limited resources, and dollars saved won’t go nearly as far.

Grace always has a cost.