Advice & Guidance
Maintenance Checklist
Drawing up a checklist appropriate to the needs of your place of worship will help you to tackle the maintenance of your building in a methodical manner. A good checklist will help you to identify all the important elements and make sure that they are properly inspected and assessed. The size and complexity of your building will influence the length and content of your checklist.
The following pages will give you an idea of what to look for although not all items will be relevant to your building. You might find that there are other elements particular to your own building that you would like to include.
The checklist has been divided into things to look for and things to do (action points). Small jobs such as removing leaves from gutters can be tackled quite easily, if access is safe, but other items may need to be referred to your architect or surveyor for further advice and guidance.
For some works of maintenance and repair, you may need to apply for permission from the body responsible for regulating works to your place of worship. For example, if you belong to an Anglican parish church you may need to apply for a faculty. In most cases, it is sensible to check what rules apply to you before you start work. It is also worth bearing in mind the importance of the fabric of the building in archaeological terms. Sometimes quite minor and seemingly harmless work can destroy archaeological evidence. This applies to all parts of the building above and below ground.
