The privy building was figured at twenty dollars, and the vault at a dollar a foot. The cistern and connections at fifty cents a barrel. Thus a hundred-barrel cistern costs fifty dollars. The well pump, which was located in the kitchen, was a cheap form of horizontal force-pump fastened to the floor, with the handle coming up near the kitchen table. It supplied water to the kitchen sink. It, as well as the cistern pump, was included in the plumbing contract. The walks were ordinary brick walks laid in sand. Tight-board fence was figured, as shown, at twenty-five cents a lineal foot. The illuminating-gas pipe was figured at a little less than the price given on schedule “B,” but was ample. The same may be said of the plumbing work. The gas fixtures were neat brass goods that looked plain in the store surrounded with very elaborate ones, but were entirely satisfactory when in the house. The mantels and grates, as may be judged by their cost, were not very elaborate. However, they were of wood, the same style and finish as the room. There were bevelled-glass mirrors above the shelves. The hearth and facing were of unglazed tile, the grate-frame of brass, the grate itself club pattern, and altogether it was simple but pleasing. The furnace was of wrought-iron, riveted joints, with galvanized iron jacket. It would have cost about fifteen or twenty dollars more to set it in brick. This price included registers, pipes in the wall, and all connections. If the building had cost a thousand dollars more, or even two thousand, the appurtenances need not have cost more than a hundred to a hundred and fifty dollars additional. There would probably have been a little more gas pipe, a few more fixtures, and the furnace would have been somewhat more expensive; or, if the house had cost five hundred dollars less, the appurtenances would not have represented in all more than seventy-five dollars difference, providing the general requirements had been the same.
The following schedule was prepared for Mr. Brown. His was an eight-room house; smaller, less elaborate, but just as well built, as the one for Mr. Smith. He did not have quite as much plumbing, and reduced the other appurtenances somewhat. Altogether they represent $801. If his had been a fifteen-hundred-dollar house, and the same general conditions had been met, the appurtenances would not have cost any less. Likewise, if it had been a two-thousand-dollar house, they would have cost no more. Additions to size of rooms or a more elaborate finish would not have appreciably affected the cost of the appurtenances. It is well to bear this in mind when building.
William Brown,—As I understand your wants, would estimate the cost of improvements contemplated on No. Alabama Street as follows:—
| Building—1st floor finish hard wood, 2d floor finish poplar, | $1,700 | |
| Privy and Vault | $40 | |
| Cistern and Connections | 40 | |
| No Well, Connections, and Pump Walks, 30 yards at 70 cents | 21 | |
| Fences—Tight board, 100 at 25 cents, Picket none | 25 | |
| Illuminating-Gas Pipe | 25 | |
| Plumbing—Cellar sink none, Kitchen sink 1, Bath-tub 1, W. C. 1, W. S. 1, St. Washer 1, City Water | 200 | |
| Natural-Gas Pipe, without burners or burner fittings | 30 | |
| Gas Fixtures | 35 | |
| Mantels and Grates 3, Average cost $40 | 120 | |
| Furnace | 240 | |
| Plate Glass | 20 | |
| Cathedral Glass none | ||
| Electric Work—Door bell 1, Kitchen bell none | 5 | |
| 801 | ||
| Without Architect’s fee | $2,501 | |
The two examples given show the method of filling out a cost schedule, which, by the way, is seldom presented in this form to the owner of a house by his architect. It now remains to indicate, in general terms, the basis of values as before given. It is not intended to form this book on the “every-man-his-own-architect” principle, but it is constructed on the idea that every one should know as much about the business in hand as is possible, before calling for other assistance. For this purpose certain prices are given which are a little in advance of those charged in the section of country to which they apply. This is done so that the errors, if any, may be on the side of safety. Generally speaking, there will not be any great difference in the cost of the appurtenances mentioned. It is the cost of the building proper which varies. The cost of the buildings illustrated is given, unless otherwise mentioned, on a basis of hard-wood finish for the first floor excepting kitchen, and soft wood above, all finished in oil.
Below is the schedule “B,” so frequently referred to in the description of house plans.
SCHEDULE “B.”
Building.—First floor finish hard wood; second floor, soft wood.
Where estimates are given in the book on the basis of schedule “B,” they include only the building, as mentioned above, and do not include the following items:—
Privy building, $20; vault, $1 per foot for each foot in depth.
Cistern and connections, $0.50 per barrel; pump, $5 to $35; well, $0.75 per lineal foot; pump and connections, $5 to $35. (Force pump included in plumbing contract.)
Walks of brick, $0.70 per square yard; cement, $1.80 per square yard.
Fences: tight-board, $0.25 per lineal foot; picket, $0.50 per lineal foot, painted three coats.
Illuminating-gas pipe, $1.50 to $2 per connection.
Cellar sink, plain iron set $10 Hot-water boiler and back “ 25 Kitchen sink, city and hot and cold cistern water “ 30 Force pump and tank “ 50 Bath-tub, 14 oz. copper “ 30 Wash-stand “ 25 Water-closet “washout” “ 40 Street-washer “ 12 City service, $0.35 a foot, lineal, laid. Drain connection, $0.30 a foot, lineal, laid. [For other piping and connections add twenty per cent of above aggregate.]
Natural-gas piping, without burners, $4 a fire.
Gas fixtures, about $1.50 per burner.
Mantels and grates, average cost, $40.
Furnace, for all pipes and connections, nine registers, $240; add $16 for each additional second-story connection; $8 for first-story connection.
Plate glass, $0.50 to $0.75 a square foot, according to size.
Cathedral glass, plain, $0.30 a foot; leaded, from $1 upward.
Electric work—door bells, each $6; kitchen bell, $6.
| Cellar sink, plain iron | set | $10 |
| Hot-water boiler and back | “ | 25 |
| Kitchen sink, city and hot and cold cistern water | “ | 30 |
| Force pump and tank | “ | 50 |
| Bath-tub, 14 oz. copper | “ | 30 |
| Wash-stand | “ | 25 |
| Water-closet “washout” | “ | 40 |
| Street-washer | “ | 12 |
| City service, $0.35 a foot, lineal, | laid. | |
| Drain connection, $0.30 a foot, lineal, | laid. |