Working for a general contractor in the past, Bob estimated and purchased material for new and remodeled churches and additions. This experience was put to good use in 2012 when Bestimate LLC did the office project management, 500 hours of budgeting, purchasing, checking invoices, submitting bills to the building committee for approval, and then to the bank for payment, as Jeff Redetzke built the beautiful new $1.8million Faith Fellowship Church. Bestimate LLC is very proud to have been allowed to draw the plans for several nice rural churches and church additions, including submittal of the plans with structural and energy calculations for state approval
August 13, 2019, Bethel Christian Brotherhood called Bestimate LLC because the person they hired to state approve their new church in time to pour concrete this fall had done almost nothing for them, and state approvals were 3 months out. I had a permit to start for them on October 3 so the concrete walls and footings could be poured, and state approval for construction on October 31. Bethel had a 20-30-man church building crew coming the week of November 11, who were led by Bestimate LLC friend Jeff Redetzke, who I have partnered with before on churches. See the pictures taken November 15, of the church shell closed in five days. All great teamwork that Bestimate LLC is proud to be a part of. Thank you, God, for the opportunity.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Bestimate LLC was hired by the Spencer Amish Church building committee to develop the floor plan for their new 10,150 sf wood frame church with large fellowship hall, and grade school, designed in so that neither occupancy nor size mandated fire sprinklers, that are problematic in rural construction due to the volume of water required. After six floor plans and many small tweaks, a floor plan emerged that suited their needs for typical church services, and occasional larger wedding and funeral groups. Bestimate LLC completed the plans for state approval, with energy and structural calculations, and Steve Kaiser completed the structural engineering, checked and stamped the plans which got Wisconsin state approval in July 2016 for spring construction.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The beautiful new Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in the community of March Rapids in Marathon County was dedicated Sunday, June 25, 2017. Bestimate LLC used the Emmanuel Ev. Lutheran Church building committee’s sketch to develop the floor plan for their new 4,152 sf wood frame church and fellowship hall, adding the foundation plan, elevations, cross sections and schedules to complete the plans with energy and structural calculations, for state approval, working with licensed engineer Steve Kaiser. The church was built and nicely finished by Jeff Redetzke Construction. Jeff had grown on a farm nearby and attended the church. A special feature is the altar and pews in the sanctuary moved from the original century-old church. The original church bell was also refurbished and can be seen in the specially designed entrance canopy. In the back of the sanctuary are the steel pans used by Emmanuel Sacred Steel, the only band of its kind in Central Wisconsin.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
JR Cabinetry & Construction LLC, Medford, Wisconsin and Bestimate LLC first met at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church east of Medford on Hwy 64 in the town of Goodrich to measure and take pictures of the existing church in spring of 2012. In January 2014 Bestimate LLC completed the state approved plan with structural and energy calculations working with Halverson Engineering LLC. See the pictures of the addition in progress, framed and closed in, sealed to the weather, ready for drywall, finish and painting. The addition includes a gathering space at grade, pastor’s office, and interior handicapped accessible ramp to the existing church, including restroom remodeling in the existing church.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, north of Rozellville, Wisconsin was built in 1893. They had been working for several years on a project to replace the deteriorated foundation and add a gathering space and restrooms in a new addition in front. Working as an O’Donnell Engineering Associate, Bestimate LLC drew the state approved plan and did the structural and energy calculations. Bestimate LLC then helped St Paul’s Lutheran Church act as their own general contractor to be able to afford to build it. Project management involved helping find subcontractor, put the plans and bidding documents out for bids, making a bidtab listing the subcontractors and bids and totals of the best choices into a complete total for the project. See the original church pictures, pictures of the original church jacked up as new concrete is poured, the plan for the completed project, and the finished project, a beautifully remodeled church.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Old friend Bill Ploeckelman is a member of Stratford Community Bible Church, Stratford, Wisconsin who recommended hiring O’Donnell Engineering Associates (who had state approved the church originally) and Bestimate LLC (the associate) to draw and submit the state-approved plan for a carport addition to shelter the entry on rainy snowy days. See the before picture and during construction, almost finished pictures, as they finished wiring soffit lighting and re-roofed the existing church and carport addition.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Immanuel Lutheran Church – Hewitt, Wisconsin Addition as of January 16, 2013 is finished on the exterior. The interior has been used for Sunday school for more than a month as the youth room group teachers are working on storing their materials in the new cabinets and closet storage. The music files are in their room, and the room is being used.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Faith Fellowship – Bestimate LLC was the Office Project Manager for the new $1.75M Faith Fellowship Church in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Beginning Feb 2012 budgeted the project, helped arrange financing, when the plan and specification was finished, Bestimate LLC sent it out for bids, assembled the bids into a bidtab to expedite the building committees choices, as choices were made, wrote purchase orders and subcontractor agreements, submits pay requests to building committee for approval and then to the bank for payment. Ongoing project management help as needed until completion late summer.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |