Repairs and QI’s

Maintaining church buildings is a significant challenge for every PCC, whether they are responsible for a Grade I listed medieval building or an unlisted modern structure.  Aside from the money, it is very common for PCC members to feel that they don’t have the right knowledge or skills to look after their buildings, and maintenance can feel like a burden.  But there is a great deal of help and advice available, both in terms of finances (Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, for example) and skills/training.  A few resources are made available here for you to use; for any further advice or queries, please contact us.

All consecrated churches are required to be inspected once every 5 years (a quinquennial inspection or QI) by an approved architect and surveyor.  This inspection produces a report which the PCC can then use to schedule maintenance and repairs over a period of time.  For advice on how the QI system works, what to expect from your report and inspection, as well as selecting and making use of approved architects and surveyors, a series of guidance sheets and downloads are available here.

If you have any other queries regarding repairs and quinquennial inspections, please contact us.

Useful Links

• Maintenance Booker –  A new service brought to you by the National Churches Trust which makes it easy for churches, chapels and historic buildings to access the highest standard of building maintenance services

• Historic England – Historic England’s specific advice on maintaining places of worship

• The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings – SPAB  manages a scheme called Faith in Maintenance which aims to help parishes better understand and deal with the regular maintenance of their buildings

• Building Conservation Directory – The building conservation directory is a useful resource, bringing together lists of potential contractors and products as well as articles and advice on a range of conservation/repair issues

• Metal Theft – Historic England have published advice on metal theft from places of worship

• Church Buildings Council – The Church Buildings Council provides advice on a variety of aspects of church maintenance and repair