CHURCH CONSTRUCTION
Planning and executing a new construction project can be an intimidating process, but it does not have to be. Whether you are building a new facility, planning an addition, or renovating your current place of worship, we can help make your vision become reality.
Why choose Imhoff Construction Services for your next church construction project?
Here is what we can do for you.
- Our PriorityBuild® design-build process outperforms other forms of project delivery. What this means to you is that we can deliver a higher quality product for less money in a shorter amount of time, while still giving you the option to use the architect of your choice and not limiting you to an "on staff" designer.
- Imhoff Construction Services is one of only two companies in Ohio that were selected for membership in the National Association of Church Design Builders - the foremost church design-build resource in the country. Our ability to network with the country's leading experts in the church construction industry gives us the ability to solve any problem - fast.
- We have one of only 75 Certified Church Consultants in the entire country on staff at Imhoff Construction Services, and the only one in the State of Ohio. Our Certified Church Consultant has been trained extensively to consult you on issues such as financing, stewardship, master planning and programming, demographics, communicating your vision, multi-site churches as well as other various topics of concern.
- Peace of mind knowing that you will receive a high quality finished product that will satisfy your current and future facility needs. We perform a large percentage of the work that will be done on your project "in house". This gives us the ability to control the finished product better then contractors who choose to use subcontractors to complete the majority of their work.
TRADITIONAL SERVICES
Imhoff Construction Services; our name says it all. We understand that there is more to construction than just building, buildings. Because of this we have developed a complete construction services package designed to meet any need our clients may have. From pre-construction planning, to construction and beyond, we have a service that will fulfill your construction needs.
While we have several highly specialized services, like Infrared Building Diagnostics, Green Construction, and our PriorityBuild¨ Design-Build system, we also have a solid core of traditional services that we offer to our clients.
Planning and Development - Every successful construction project begins by developing a plan of action to help keep the project on time and within budget. With over two decades of dedicated commercial construction experience, we have the knowledge and skills necessary to help you develop a comprehensive construction plan that will make your project a success.
Commercial/Industrial General Contracting - Our company was founded as a commercial general contracting company. Whether your project is a thousand dollars or ten million dollars, we have been there, and done that. There is no substitute for experience in commercial construction where time is money and you need a contractor that will get the job done right the first time.
Industrial/Building Maintenance - We have been providing industrial and building maintenance services to northern and central Ohio businesses since we first opened our doors in 1985. Our combination of experience and technology allows us to provide our clients with quick and cost effective solutions to their building maintenance needs. We are the only construction company in Wayne County to provide infrared camera building diagnostic services. This technology allows us to provide you with a quick and noninvasive diagnosis of potential problem areas, saving you valuable time and money.
Pre-Engineered Metal Building Systems - Are you looking for a cost effective solution to conventional construction. Pre-engineered metal building systems are an excellent way of maximizing the value of your investment. The applications for pre-engineered metal buildings are nearly endless. We have used metal building construction for commercial, industrial and institutional construction.
Masonry Specialists - It is hard to find a general contractor that performs their own work anymore. At Imhoff, we take pride in our work, and our masonry is no exception. We prefer to self perform our work because we can control the quality of the finished product to tighter tolerances than someone else who uses subcontractors. Our company follows a strict TQM program that covers every process during the construction of your facility to ensure that our work is the best in the industry.
Crane Service - Our 20 ton P&H crane is suitable for a number of different tasks. We offer crane services such as setting trusses, erecting metal buildings, loading and unloading trucks, and installing industrial machinery.
PriorityBuild¨ Design-Build
With so many different contracting methods available the decision may sometimes feel impossible. The three main contracting methods that are commonly used are design-bid-build (DBB), construction manager (CM), and design-build. We have participated in each of these different methods of contracting and over the years we have found the design-build method to be the most beneficial for the client.
According to a study performed by the Construction Industry Institute, in conjunction with Pennsylvania State University, the design-build contracting method outperformed other methods of contracting in both cost effectiveness and time.
The study found that:
- Design-build proved to be 6% more cost effective than DBB while it was 4.5% more cost effective than the CM contracting method.
- Design-build construction speed was 7% faster than that of CM, and 12% faster than DBB.
- Project delivery speed was found to be far quicker with design-build, being 23% quicker than a CM project and 33% quicker than DBB.
There are several features of design-build that allow it to be quicker and more cost effective than DBB or CM:
- Design-build allows early contractor input such as value-engineering that aids in producing a cost effective and functional architectural design the gives the client the best value for their investment.
- We can establish a guaranteed maximum price for your project after the scope of the project has been defined.
- Construction of your project may begin before the construction drawings are complete. As soon as the first drawings that are needed to begin construction are complete, we can begin construction of your project while the other drawings are being finalized. Other methods of contracting do not allow this.
- High cost change orders can be avoided since we will be working directly with the design professional.
- The design-build method of contracting promotes a "team" atmosphere that promotes sharing ideas that lead to cost effective solutions and virtually eliminates misunderstandings that may lead to legal issues
Since we feel that the design-build contracting method is the best solution for our clients we developed our PriorityBuild® project delivery system. Our PriorityBuild® system takes design-build further by improving upon the design-build contracting method.
You may be asking yourself, "What is PriorityBuild®?". PriorityBuild® is a project delivery system that gives you more flexibility then traditional design-build and allows you to be involved in every major phase of the design process. At Imhoff Construction Services we don't say what you want to hear, we hear what you have to say. This mindset shows itself in our PriorityBuild® system. Who knows better about what you want and need then you. Through conversation with you, we can uncover what your "priority" for your project is. Priority, by definition is something that deserves precedence, especially established by order of importance or urgency.
So...what is your PRIORITY?
- Budget
- Function
- Building Material
- Completion Date
Simply put, your PRIORITY is the most important consideration for your project. If you are on a tight budget, then budget is your PRIORITY and that will be the top consideration when designing your new facility. If getting the project completed as soon as possible is the top concern, then the design and planning stages of the construction process will be accelerated to accommodate a quicker construction start date.
Once your PRIORITY has been established we will assist you in choosing an architect that is best suited for your particular construction project. There is no need to be limited to only the designers on the contractor's staff like other design/build companies. With PriorityBuild® you can choose from any number of design professionals, including an architect you have used in the past for previous projects. You do not need to worry whether or not your design ideas will make it into the final project design; we work directly with you and the architect, and ensure your needs are met. Since we use external design professionals there is no conflict of interest in the designing of your project like there might be with a contractor who uses an in-house design staff. Your needs and ideas for your future building will not be sacrificed for reasons that may benefit the contractor.
Simply put, PriorityBuild® gives you options and lets your voice be heard.
BUILDING DIAGNOSTICS
Have you ever had a roof leak where you just could not find the source. Do you wonder why your heating bill is so expensive. Our building diagnostics service is designed to help you answer these questions.
Using state of the art thermal imaging equipment from industry leader, FLIR Systems, we offer a noninvasive alternative to finding costly building maintenance issues. Infrared camera technology allows us to locate problem areas without costly and time consuming deconstruction.
The uses for thermal imaging are nearly endless. Infrared camera technology is well suited for performing commercial and residential building inspections, energy audits, and even documenting pre-existing building conditions for your renovation project.
Commercial & Residential Inspection - Infrared camera technology opens up a world of possibilities when it comes to inspecting buildings for possible defects and problem areas. What you get is a technology that allows us to quickly diagnose your buildings conditions in a noninvasive, non-destructive way. We literally have the ability to see through walls.
Infrared camera technology makes it possible to locate:
- Electrical Issues
- Plumbing and HVAC problem areas
- Roof and Wall Inspections
- Water Infiltration
- Termite Nests
Energy Auditing - Do you know how energy efficient your home or commercial facility is? With today's high energy costs, making your facility as energy efficient as possible is a great way to lower your energy costs. Infrared cameras are perfect for performing quick and accurate energy audits. We can quickly and easily determine areas of energy loss and inefficiency, and can offer suggestions on how to improve those areas.
An energy audit will determine:
- The energy efficiency of your facility
- Areas of cost savings
- If building systems are operating properly
Restoration - If you are planning a restoration project it is difficult to determine what your actual costs may be because of potential problem areas that are undetectable to the naked eye. By using infrared camera technology you can locate these problem areas during the planning stages of your project and help eliminate unforeseen costs. We can also find hidden electrical wires, pipes and ductwork that would not be found until demolition had begun.
We can assist you with your restoration project by:
- Detecting building moisture issues
- Documenting restoration conditions
- Pinpointing problem areas ahead of time to help eliminate unforeseen costs
Not only can we use this technology to inspect your current structure we can use it to document the construction process of your new construction facility. Infrared camera technology gives us the ability to make sure that your new facility is being built to the highest standard of quality. During construction we can make sure that masonry walls are reinforced to specification, walls are insulated properly, that there are no areas of water or air infiltration, and many other systematic checks that ensure your new facility is built to the highest standard of quality.
Notice the dark blue color of the window frame. This image shows that the window frame is an area of cold air infiltration.
The dark areas moving from the floor to the ceiling show cells in the masonry wall that have been grouted. Notice the dark area around the door that shows that cold air is making its way into the building.
This image shows a classic example of a wall that is poorly insulated. Also, notice the cold air that is entering the building through the air conditioner during the winter. If you look closely at the walls you can even see the wooden studs.
GREEN CONSTRUCTION
Green construction is defined as, "An organized effort to design and build buildings using a process and materials which promote environmental sustainability.. Using specialized architectural design, building techniques, and environmentally friendly construction products we can construct for you a new facility that is energy efficient and environmentally friendly."
According to the United States Green Building Council, buildings in the United States alone account for:
- 65% of electricity consumption,
- 36% of energy use
- 30% of greenhouse gas emissions,
- 30% of raw materials use,
- 30% of waste output (136 million tons annually), and
- 12% of potable water consumption.

The purpose of using Green Building techniques are to lower these numbers. Buildings can be designed to utilize the maximum potential of natural sunlight, use efficient and low energy mechanical systems and appliances, use high efficiency light fixtures that operate on timers and dimmers to conserve energy, use recycled building materials or environmentally friendly products, and much, much more.
While the initial cost of building a Green Building may be higher then conventional construction, the long term benefits greatly outweight the initial cost. The benefits of Green Building can be broken down into three categories: Environmental, economical, and health and community benefits.
Environmental:
- Enhance and protect ecosystem and biodiversity
- Improve air and water quality
- Reduce solid waste
- Conserve natural resources
Economical:
- Reduce operating costs
- Enhance asset value and profits
- Improve employee productivity and satisfaction
- Optimize life-cycle economic performance
Health & Community:
- Improve, air, thermal, and acoustic environments
- Enhance occupant comfort and health
- Minimize strain and local infrastructure
- Contribute to overall quality of life
Green Building techniques are not just for new building construction; the principals of Green construction can be used for your existing structures as well. Improvements such as high efficiency lighting fixtures, timers and dimming systems for lights, high efficiency mechanical systems, improved building insulation, and the use of environmentally friendly chemicals are all ways you can improve your existing structure.
If reducing your impact on the environment while reducing operating costs for your business is an important part of your next construction project, contact us to discuss Green Building techniques that can be used on your project.
For more information about the USGBC visit them on the web at www.usgbc.org