The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Estimating Frame And Brick Houses

Plumbing.

Kitchen sinks are worth about $1.50 to inclose, without including cost of material, shelving and hook strips cost about the same as for closets and pantry.

With regard to bathroom, if a plain bath and water closet are used, the carpenter making all wood work, to inclose same and finish, ready for painter, including tank and other fittings, it will take about three and a half days' work. This, of course, is independent of the plumber. If an inclosed wash basin is added to bathroom this will require another day to make and set up. If the house contains, say, ten rooms, and it is furnished with hot air, steam or hot water service and water, about 20 per cent, should be added to plumbers' estimate for cutting1 and fitting and extra material and profit. This 20 per cent, shall be added independent of the cost of air ducts, washstands, water closet, bathtub, finishing or any of the visible work. Experience has proved that this percentage is not a bit too much.

The estimator will do well to obtain plumbers' prices before giving in his tender, and he should bind down the plumber to follow the specifications to the letter. This precaution may prevent trouble in the future.

Stair Work

Usually a flight of stairs may be obtained at a factory very much cheaper than if made in the building; but as there are many cases where the stairs must be built in the house under construction, it will be necessary for the estimator to have a knowledge of the cost. Stair builders generally furnish their prices at so much per step or tread, including rails, balusters, newels and other requirements, all complete and fixed in accordance with plans and specifications furnished to them by the architect. The cost per step depends very much on the style and finish of the work.

An ordinary plain staircase, built of pine, 3 feet wide, with returned nosings and scroll brackets, hard wood rail—birch, cherry or oak—turned newel and balusters, fixed and complete, including all material, is worth per step $4.37. Suppose a flight of stairs consists of 17 steps, the total cost would amount to $64.60, which may be divided about as follows:

Mnterial for body and carriage of stain $18.40
Labor of making and fixing same 14.95
Hard wood rail, balusters and newels 29.90
Setting and fixing rail 11.04
Total $74.29

This, of course, includes rail and balusters around well hole and cylinder, and is estimated for a first-class piece of work. A stair with a square cut string, 11/4 treads, no brackets, square return, plain 3-inch rail and 114 -inch balusters, may be built for $2.76 per step, which would be divided about as follows:

Material for body of stairs, etc $10.15
Carpenter work on same 6.97
Rail, newel and balusters 23.00
Setting up and fixing rail, etc 6.80
Total cost $46.92