RIAS Conservation Accredited Quinquennial Inspections
for Churches across Scotland.
Support for the long-term care of historic church buildings.
At 125Architects, we understand that looking after a church is about more than maintaining a building. It’s about safeguarding a place of worship, community and shared history. A quinquennial inspection is one of the most effective tools a congregation has for planning ahead with clarity and confidence. Our role is to make this process straightforward, supportive and genuinely useful for church leaders, volunteers and grant funding bodies alike.
Conservation expertise, built over decades.
Our principal architect is RIAS Conservation Accredited and has maintained that accreditation for more than 12 years. Before establishing practice, he spent around 8 years working almost exclusively on listed churches while based within the conservation team at Page\Park Architects, where he also served as Depute Head of Conservation. During that time he gained extensive experience across Category A, B and C listed churches of various denominations, supporting fabric repairs, major conservation works, accessibility improvements and adaptive reuse projects on some of Scotland’s most significant listed buildings.
Since formation, our practice has continued to work with historic buildings of all scales. We have delivered award-winning projects to homes and properties within conservation areas, with construction values ranging from £200k to £1.5m. We also served for around four years as conservation consultants to Drummond Arms Regeneration & Crieff Community Trust, guiding the future of a significant listed landmark.
This combination of church conservation experience and hands-on work with complex historic structures means our team brings a balanced, informed and sensitive approach to quinquennial inspections.
A clear, practical approach to quinquennial inspections.
National guidance from the Church of Scotland, the National Churches Trust and other denominations emphasises that a quinquennial inspection should do more than record defects. It should provide a structured, prioritised plan for caring for the building over the next five years.
Our inspections are thorough but carefully explained, giving congregations a clear understanding of:
Overall condition of the church fabric — inside, outside and at high level.
Photographic documentation of visible issues and areas requiring monitoring.
Prioritised repair recommendations (urgent, essential, desirable, longer-term).
Maintenance actions that help prevent problems from escalating.
Guidance on when specialist input is appropriate.
Indicative repair timelines to assist with budgeting and grant planning.
Estimated costs to support financial planning.
We aim to produce reports that church committees find easy to use: clearly structured, written in accessible language, and tailored to the needs of each building and congregation.
Heritage sensitivity, practical solutions.
At 125Architects we believe that good conservation work balances heritage care with the day-to-day realities of managing a church. Budgets, volunteer time and building use all matter. Our experience allows us to identify issues early, propose proportionate interventions and help congregations prioritise what truly needs attention.
For churches planning significant works following a Quinquennial Inspection, we can also support the next stages including:
Repair and conservation design proposals, detailed drawing and specifications.
Support to develop energy efficiency and sustainability strategies.
Listed Building Consent applications, Planning Permission and Building Warrant applications (where required).
support with grant funding applications and administration of grants procedures.
Tendering and contract administration during construction.
Serving churches across Dundee and the surrounding regions.
Based in Dundee, we are focussed on delivering high-quality quinquennial inspections for churches throughout:
Angus
Perthshire
Fife
Stirling & the wider central belt
This region contains a diverse range of historic church buildings, and many are approaching the point where experienced, conservation-led inspections are essential.
Whether your church is due its next quinquennial inspection or you would simply like an informal conversation about the process, 125Architects is here to help.
We bring deep conservation knowledge, over a decade of experience, and a client-centred approach that supports congregations in caring for their buildings with confidence.
Related Information | Dundee Architects
Please get in touch for a no-obligation discussion and some informal guidance.