L

itzl

Labor and

Material

Requirements for

Public Housing

Construction

1968

Bulletin 1821

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of Labor Statistics

1974

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Labor and

Material

Requirements for

Public Housing

Construction

1968

Bulletin 1821

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Peter J. Brennan, Secretary

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Julius Shiskin, Commissioner

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Make checks payable to Superintendent of Documents.

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Preface

This study of labor and material requirements for the construction of public housing is 

one in a series of studies conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of various types of 

construction activity. Data are based on public housing projects scheduled to be completed 

between January 1967 and March 1968 under the auspices of the Housing Assistance Administration (HAA) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Other 

published studies in this series include highways, hospitals, schools, private one-family 

houses, Federal office buildings, civil works, college housing, and sewer works. A study of 

private multi-family housing is nearing completion and will be published in 1974.

This study is the second one conducted on public housing; the first (presented in BLS 

Bulletin 1402) was conducted for projects completed in 1959-60. The data presented in 

this study are useful both in themselves and also for analyzing changes in labor and material 

usage between the time periods of the two studies. This study includes, therefore, not only 

the 1968 data with analysis, but also a number of comparisons between the data of 1960 

and those of 1968.

The Bureau wishes to acknowledge the generous cooperation of the Housing Assistance 

Administration of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and of the local housing authorities of the several States that made available payroll data for tabulation to 

determine onsite labor requirements. The Bureau wishes also to thank the various contractors who provided additional direct labor and materials data.

This study was prepared in the Bureau’s Office of Productivity and Technology by Joseph 

T. Finn assisted by Henry Renten and Frank L. Wood, under the general supervision of 

John J. Macut, Chief, Division of Technological Studies.

Ill

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Contents

Page

Introduction____________________________________________________________________________ 1

Nature of survey ____________________________________________________________________ 1

General survey findings______________________________________________________________ 2

Distribution of onsite man-hours_______________ 4

Man-hours by type of contractor_____________ 6

Construction tim e______________________________ 6

Contractors’ s h a re ________________________________________ 7

Onsite w ages_______________________________________________________________________ 7

Materials, equipment, and supplies------------------ 7

Regional differences____________________________________ 10

Details of regional onsite m an-hours___________________________________________________ 11

Occupations________________________________________________________________________ 12

Comparison with other surveys_______________________________________________________ 13

Tables:

1. Man-hour requirements in construction and other industries, 1960 and 1968 __________ 2

2. Onsite man-hour requirements for public housing construction by selected characteristics

and region for 1960 and 1968 ____ ______ ___ _____________________________ _ 2

3. National averages for selected building characteristics of public housing construction, 1960

and 1968 ____________________________________________________________________ 2

4. Percent distribution of onsite man-hours for public housing construction by occupation,

1960 and 1968 ______________________________________________________________ 4

5. Onsite man-hour requirements for public housing by occupation and region, 1960 and

1968 _______________________________________________________________________ 5

6. Apprentice man-hours as a percent of total onsite employment for public housing construction, by occupation and region, for 1960 and 1968 ------------ ------------------------ 7

7. Percent distribution of onsite man-hours for public housing construction by type of operation, 1968 _________________________________________________________________ 7

8. Percent distribution of onsite man-hours by decile of construction time, 1960 and 1968 __ 7

9. Percent distribution of onsite man-hour requirements for public housing construction

by type of contractor and region, 1960 and 1968 __________________________ 8

10. Total cost of materials, equipment, and supplies for each $1,000 of new public housing

construction, 1960 and 1968______________ ______ ____________________________ 9

11. Total cost of materials, equipment, and supplies for each 100 square feet of new public

housing construction, 1960 and 1968 ____ 10

12. Onsite man-hour requirements for public housing construction, by selected characteristics and region, 1968 ___________________________________________ 11

13. Distribution of total man-hours per 1,000 current dollars of contract cost by industry

and type of construction, 1958-70 -------------------------------- ---- ------------------------------ 13

14. Distribution of onsite man-hours per 1,000 current dollars of contract cost by occupation

and type of construction, 1958-70 _____________________________________________ 14

15. Percent distribution of contract costs, by type of construction, 1958-70 ---------------------- 14

16. Percent distribution of materials, equipment and supplies per 1,000 current dollars of

construction contract cost by type of materials and construction studied, 1958-70 ------ 15

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Contents— continued

Charts: Page

1. Man-hour requirements per $1,000 of public housing construction, by sector, 1960 and

1968 ________________________________________________________________________ 3

2. Man-hour requirements per 100 square feet of public housing construction, by sector,

1960 and 1968 _______________________________________________________________ 3

3. Distribution per dollar of construction costs for public housing, 1960 and 1968 ----------------- 8

Appendixes:

A. Scope and method of survey______________________________________________________ 16

Characteristics of the universe and selection of sam ple_____________________________ 16

Man-hour estimates_____________________________________________________________ 16

B. Bibliography____________________________________________________________________ 18

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Introduction

This study, the second on public housing, was 

designed to measure labor and material requirements for public housing construction in 1968. In 

addition, by comparing the findings for the 1968 

projects with those of the similar study undertaken 

in 1960, some insights into trends in these requirements, occupations, contractor operations, and costs 

can be obtained.

Some changes have occurred in the public housing program between and after the periods of the 

two studies. For example, while the federally subsidized low-rent public housing program grew from 

478,153 1 dwelling units under management in 1960 

to 1,055,046 1 2 units in 1972, the portion of these 

units reserved for the elderly increased from 1,133 3 

units to 231,900.4 Actually, however, most of the 

elderly families in public housing occupy conventional units, rather than ones specifically designed 

for the elderly. For example, in 1968, although 35 

percent of the units under management were occupied by senior citizens, only 13 percent of the 

units occupied had been specifically designed for 

the elderly.5 The increase in the proportion of the 

total units designed for the elderly was undoubtedly 

a major reason for the decline in average square 

feet per dwelling unit, as developed from the two 

BLS studies, from 992 square feet in 1960 to 811 

square feet during 1968. This reflects a shift to 

efficiency and one bedroom apartments as opposed 

to units having more than one bedroom.

Nature of survey

This study is based on a survey of 48 public 

housing projects out of a total of 354 projects,

1 Fourteenth Annual Report, Housing and Home Finance

Agency, 1960, pp. 210 and 211.

2 HUD-FHA unpublished, preliminary table as of May

9, 1973.

3 Table 157 in 1971 HUD Statistical Book.

4 HUD-FHA unpublished, preliminary table.

8 Annual Report of the U.S. Department of Housing and

Urban Development, 1968, p. 12.

scheduled to be completed between January 1967 

and March 1968. All the projects were sponsored 

by the Housing Assistance Administration (HAA) 

of HUD, and were located in the continental 

United States.

This survey did not attempt to cover two aspects 

of the HUD programs which provided Federal subsidies to local low rent housing authorities, i.e., 

turnkey projects and projects located on Indian reservations. Since the turnkey program was just getting underway during the survey planning period, 

it was impossible to include enough of this type of 

project in the survey sampling frame.

Projects on Indian reservations were excluded 

because of a major departure from conventional 

methods, since a large percentage were constructed 

under the “Mutual Help Program.” That is, the 

prospective tenants donated part of the onsite construction labor, making an accurate determination 

of cost of construction and number of onsite manhours extremely difficult.6

The survey was designed primarily to measure 

the number of man-hours per $1,000 of construction contract cost for public housing. Man-hours, as 

defined by the survey, include both onsite construction man-hours and offsite labor required to produce 

and deliver materials used in construction.7

In addition to providing information on manhours, the study also includes data on the types and 

value of materials used, wages paid, occupations 

employed, and operations involved.

6 See appendix A for further details regarding the sampling

frame.

7 Definitions—Onsite construction hours: Direct man-hours

actually worked at the public housing construction site

by construction and other workers. Offsite construction

hours: Indirect hours expended by workers in offices and

warehouses of public housing contractors including secretaries, clerks, warehouse workers, engineers, and administrators. This includes the offsite work of the contractors as

well. Other industries offsite hours: Indirect hours expended

in manufacturing, mining, transportation, and service industries which are required to produce and distribute the

materials, equipment and supplies used in public housing

construction.

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General survey findings

Public housing construction during 1968 created 

32,990 full-time jobs onsite and 5,129 jobs for 

contractors’ offsite personnel. The latter include administrators, appraisers, engineers, architects, secretaries, and clerks. Furthermore, production and distribution of the materials provided 23,009 more 

jobs.8

For 1968, each $1,000 of construction contract 

cost required 160 man-hours on a current dollar 

basis. Ninety-four of these hours were expended in 

the construction sector, 80 of them onsite. The comparable data developed from the earlier BLS survey were: total man-hours 241, construction 132, 

onsite 114. (See tables 1 and 2.) To a large 

extent, the decline in onsite man-hours, since 1960, 

in this study, reflects the impact of rising construction costs during the period. When a comparison is 

made between the two surveys using square footage 

as a measure of output instead of $1,000 of cost, 

onsite man-hours per 100 square feet remained unchanged. (See charts 1 and 2.) In evaluating these 

figures, note should be taken of the lack of homogeneity in a measure of livable space (square feet) 

between 1960 and 1968. Although the average 

apartment size declined during the period, it appears that the reduction in space had no affect

s These estimates are developed by relating the survey

results to the amount of value put in place for public

housing, published in Construction Report C30 by the

Bureau of the Census. However, Census classifies turnkey

projects as private rather than public construction. Thus,

the above estimates of the jobs created by public housing

construction do not take into account the impact of the

turnkey program.

Table 1. Man-hour requirements in construction and other

industries, 1960 and 1968

Industry

1960 1 1968

Per

1,000

current

dollars

Per

100

square

feet

Percent

Per

1,000

current

dollars

Per

100

square

feet

Percent

All industries 241 257 100.0 160 243 100.0

Construction _________ 132 141 54.8 94 143 59.0

Onsite ___________ 114 122 47.3 80 122 50.0

Offsite __________ 18 19 7.5 14 21 9.0

Other industries -------- 109 116 45.2 66 100 41.0

Manufacturing ------ 62 66 25.7 42 64 26.0

Wholesale trade,

transportation

and service ____ 29 31 12.0 16 24 10.0

Mining and all

other __________ 18 19 7.5 8 12 5.0

1 Revised from data as published in Labor and Material Requirements

for Public Housing Construction (BLS Bulletin 1402, 1964).

Characteristic

United States Northeast

1960 1968 1960 1968

Per $1,000 of contract cost1 113.7 79.6 95.9 66.9

Per 1,000 square feet 1,214 1,212 1,046 1,107

Per dwelling unit 1,205 983 1,073 920

North Central South

1960 1968 1960 1968

Per $1,000 of contract cost1 106.0 86.3 142.1 90.5

Per 1,000 square feet 1,299 1.452 1,331 1,216

Per dwelling unit 1,205 1,036 1,336 1,033

West

1960 1968

Per $1,000 of contract cost1 98.4 62.8

Per 1,000 square feet 1,270 949

Per dwelling unit 1,176 741

1 Current dollars.

on the requirements for kitchen fixtures, appliances, 

and bathroom facilities. In other words, the cost per 

dwelling unit rose less than the cost per square foot. 

(See table 3.)

The average apartment in a public housing project completed in 1968 contained 811 square feet 

of livable space and cost $12,346 to construct, or 

$15.22 per square foot. In 1960, the average apartment was considerably larger (992 square feet) and 

cost substantially less to build, $10,598 or $10.68 

per square foot. The cost per dwelling unit has increased significantly less than the cost per square 

foot, reflecting a decline in living space in the average public housing apartment.

A major cause of this decline in apartment size 

was the shift in emphasis toward providing more 

housing for the elderly, as opposed to housing for 

large families, with increased space requirements. 

Fifty-eight percent of the apartments in the projects surveyed in 1968 were reserved for the elderly, 

compared with 9 percent in I960.9

The average size and cost in current dollars of

9 Consolidated Development Directory (U.S. Department

of Housing and Urban Development Report S-11A, June

1967).

Table 3. National averages for selected building characteristics of public housing construction, 1960 and 1968

Characteristic 1968 1960

Number of dwelling units _____________

Floor area (square feet) _______________

C o n s t r u c t io n c o n t r a c t c o s t 1

90

73,263

$1,114,891

$12,346

$15.22

125

124,000

$1,324,000

$10,598

$10.68

Construction

Construction

cost per dwelling unit1 ___

cost per square foot1 .....

1 Current dollars.

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Chart 1.

Sector

Construction

Manufacturing

Wholesale trade, 

transportation, 

and services

Mining and [— J (8> 

all other

0

(18)

25

(62)

50 75

Man-hours

(94)

Onsite Offsite

100 125 150

Chart 2.

Man-hour Requirements per 100 Square Feet of Public Housing Construction,

by Sector, 1960 and 1968

Sector 

Construction l

Manufacturing

Wholesale trade, 

transportation, 

and services

Mining and 

all other

75

Man-hours

<■■22, '//m

(122) y//m \///

(143)

(141)

Onsite Offsite

100 125 150

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the projects surveyed in 1960 and 1968 are shown 

in the following tabulation:

Number of projects

1960 1968

Percent

change,

1960 to

1968

sample

Number of dwell31 48 —

ing units

Livable space

(1,000 square

124 90 - 2 8

feet) ____________

Square feet per

125 73.3 - 4 1

dwelling u n it____

Cost per dwelling

992 811 - 1 8

unit ______________ $10,598 $12,346 16

Cost per square f o o t __ $ 10.68 $ 15.22 42

To test the sensitivity of the change in unit labor 

requirements, an alternate measure of output was 

used, based on a deflated measure of value.10 When 

calculated in this fashion, onsite man-hours declined 

over 2 percent a year, as the following tabulation 

shows:

1960 1968

A verage annual

percent

change

Man-hours per 1,000

constant dollars 114 96 2.2

Man-hours per 100

spare feet ________ ... 122 122 —

This discrepancy between the estimates of unit 

man-hour requirements points up the problems of 

measuring productivity in construction when significant changes occur in product mix. A more appropriate measure of output would account for all 

of the characteristics associated with real value, not 

just space alone. Although the price index used to 

derive man-hours per 1,000 constant dollars only 

approximates a true price index for public housing, 

it is nevertheless considered superior to a measure 

based on space alone.

Even with this method, these changes in manhour requirements reflect shifts in the mix of materials, methods of construction, and characteristics 

of buildings, as well as productivity changes. It is

10 The Bureau of the Census single-family housing price

index, adjusted to exclude land and linked to the Boeckh

Residential cost index, was used as a deflator. This survey

studied multi-family housing. However, the single-family

index was used for deflation because, the Bureau of the

Census considers this index to be the best one available

for application to all residential structures, regardless of

size.

difficult to isolate the changes in productivity from 

these other factors.

Nevertheless, the change in onsite man-hour requirements, while it reflects, to some extent, production mix changes as well as productivity 

movements does provide some insight into the 

direction of improved efficiency in the utilization 

of manpower.

Distribution of onsite man-hours

Sixty-four percent of the onsite hours were worked 

by skilled treadesmen (table 4). Carpenters were 

credited with the largest single portion, or 32 percent of these skilled hours. The fact that 29 percent of the buildings studied had wood frames was 

a major fact contributing to the dominance of the 

carpenters. They were followed in descending order 

by plumbers, bricklayers, electricians, and painters. 

The five trades accounted for 48 percent of the 

onsite hours.

Table 4. Percent distribution of onsite man-hours for

public housing construction by occupation, 1960 and 1968

Occupation

Percent distribution

1968 1960

All occupations _____________________ 100.0 100.0

Construction workers ____________ __________ 94.5 92.0

Skilled trades ________________ ________ 64.3 61.1

Asbestos workers ______ ________ .4 .4

Bricklayers_____ - _________________ 7.8 7.6

Carpenters _______________________ 20.3 19.1

Cement finishers _________ ________ 2.6 3.1

Electricians ______________ ______ 5.8 4.1

Elevator mechanics _____ ________ .5 .3

Glaziers__________________________ .2 .4

Lathers __________________________ 1.4 3.2

Operating engineers ______________ 3.1 2.7

Ornamental ironworkers ___________ .6 .9

Painters _________________________ 4.9 4.4

Plasterers _______________________ 1.6 3.6

Plumbers ___ ________________ 9.3 7.8

Reinforcing ironworkers ___________ 2.3 1.0

Roofers _______ _________________ .7 .8

Sheet-metal workers 1.0 1.0

Soft-floor layers___________________ .6 .3

Structural ironworkers ____________ .6 .2

Tile and terrazzo workers _________ .6 .2

Semiskilled and unskilled workers _____ 30.2 30.9

Laborers ______________ ____ . 23.4 26.2

Helpers and tenders _______________ 6.8 4.7

Nonconstruction workers ___________________ 5.1 6.1

Supervisory, professional and

technical workers ______________ 3.6 4.0

Custodial workers ________________ .9 1.2

Truckdrivers _ _ _______ - _ .6 .9

Miscellaneous onsite workers ______________ .4 1.9

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Thirty percent of the onsite man-hours were skilled and semiskilled workers. (See table 5.) This 

performed by laborers, helpers, and tenders. The disproportion was reflected in the fact that the South

South led the other regions in the use of these un- had the lowest average hourly earnings.

Table 5. Onsite man-hour requirements for public housing by occupation and region, 1960 and 1968

United States Northeast

1960 1968 1960 1968

Occupation Per $1,000 

of construction 

cost1

Per 100 

square 

feet

Percent

distribution

Per $1,000 

of construction 

cost1

Per 100 

square 

feet

Percent

distribution

Per $1,000 

of construction 

cost1

Per 100 

square 

feet

Percent

distribution

Per $1,000 

of construction 

cost1

Per 100 

square 

feet

Percent

distribution

All occupations __________ 114 122 100.0 80 122 100.0 96 103 100.0 67 102 100.0

Supervisory, professional, technical

and clerical___________ _______ 5 5 4.0 3 4 3.6 4 4 3.8 2 3 3.4

Skilled trades _________________ 70 73 61.1 52 81 64.3 65 70 68.3 46 70 69.1

Asbestos workers _________ 1 1 .4 P) 1 .4 1 1 .7 1 1 .7

Bricklayers ________________ 9 9 7.6 6 10 7.8 7 8 7.4 7 10 9.9

Carpenters ________________ 22 23 19.1 16 25 20.3 16 17 16.6 11 17 16.2

Cement finishers ___________ 4 4 3.1 2 3 2.6 3 4 3.6 1 2 2.1

Electricians________________ 5 5 4.1 5 7 5.8 5 5 5.1 5 7 7.1

Elevator mechanics _________ P) P) .3 P) 1 .5 1 1 .7 1 1 .9

Glaziers ___________________ P) 1 .4 P) P) .2 P) P) .4 P) P) .4

Lathers ___________________ 4 4 3.2 1 2 1.4 6 7 6.7 2 3 3.0

Operating engineers ________ 3 3 2.7 3 4 3.1 2 2 2.2 2 3 2.7

Ornamental ironworkers 1 1 .9 P) 1 .6 2 2 2.0 1 1 1.3

Painters __________________ 5 5 4.4 4 6 4.9 4 4 4.2 2 3 2.9

Plasterers ________________ 4 4 3.6 1 2 1.6 5 5 4.8 2 3 3.2

Plumbers __________________ 9 10 7.8 7 11 9.3 10 11 10.8 8 12 12.0

Reinforcing ironworkers 1 1 1.0 2 3 2.3 1 1 1.4 2 4 3.6

Roofers ___________________ 1 1 .8 1 1 .7 1 1 .7 P) P) .4

Sheet-metal workers ___ 1 1 1.0 1 1 1.0 1 1 .7 1 1 1.0

Soft floor layers ___________ P) P) .3 1 1 .6 P) P) .2 P) 1 .6

Structural ironworkers ______ P) P) .2 1 1 .6 P) P) P) P) 1 .7

Tile setters _______________ P) P) .2 1 1 .6 P) P) .1 P) P) .4

Other onsite workers:

Truckdrivers _______________ 1 1 .9 1 1 .6 1 1 .7 P) P) .4

Helpers and tenders ________ 5 6 4.7 5 8 6.8 5 6 5.4 6 9 8.7

Laborers __________________ 30 32 26.2 19 29 23.4 17 18 17.9 11 17 16.7

Custodial workers __________ 1 1 1.2 1 1 .9 3 3 2.8 1 1 1.2

Other _____________________ 2 2 1.9 P) 1 .4 1 1 1.1 P) P) .4

North Central South

All occupations ___________ 106 113 100.0 86 131 100.0 142 152 100.0 91 139 100.0

Supervisory, professional, technical

and clerical _________________ 6 6 5.5 3 5 3.7 5 5 3.4 3 5 3.7

Skilled trades _________________ 70 75 66.5 58 89 67.6 75 81 51.7 53 81 58.1

Asbestos workers __________ 1 1 .8 P) 1 .5 P) P) .1 P) P) .1

Bricklayers ________________ 7 7 6.4 5 8 6.0 13 14 9.3 7 10 7.5

Carpenters ________________ 22 23 20.4 19 29 21.9 26 28 18.1 20 31 22.1

Cement finishers ___________ 3 3 2.9 3 5 3.7 4 4 2.5 2 3 2.1

Electricians________________ 5 6 4.9 6 9 7.2 4 5 3.0 4 6 4.0

Elevator mechanics _________ (2) 1 .4 1 1 .6 P) P) P) P) P) .2

Glaziers ---------------- ----------- 1 1 .8 P) P) .2 P) P) .1 P) P) .1

Lathers ___________________ 2 3 2.3 1 2 1.3 2 2 1.2 P) P) .2

Operating engineers ________ 4 4 3.5 3 4 2.9 4 4 2.7 3 5 3.6

Ornamental ironworkers ... 1 1 1.1 P) P) .2 P) P) .1 P) P) .2

Painters ___________________ 4 4 3.9 4 6 4.6 7 7 4.6 6 9 6.4

Plasterers _________________ 4 4 3.5 1 2 1.5 4 4 2.7 P) 1 .4

Plumbers __________________ 12 12 10.8 9 14 10.6 6 7 4.4 6 9 6.5

Reinforcing ironworkers ____ 1 1 1.2 3 4 3.1 1 1 .5 1 1 1.0

Roofers ___________________ P) P) .3 P) P) .3 2 2 1.1 1 2 1.1

Sheet-metal workers_________ 2 3 2.3 1 2 1.2 1 1 .5 1 1 .9

Soft floor layers____ _____ (3) P) P) 1 1 .6 1 1 .4 1 1 .5

Structural ironworkers ____ 1 1 .9 1 1 1.0 P) P) .1 P) 1 .4

Tile setters _______________ P) P) .1 P) P) .2 P) 1 .3 1 1 .8

Other onsite workers:

Truckdrivers _______________ 1 1 .9 P) 1 .5 1 1 .8 1 1 .9

Helpers and tenders 5 5 4.6 5 7 5.4 7 7 4.6 6 9 6.2

Laborers __________________ 22 23 20.7 18 28 21.3 52 55 36.2 27 42 30.2

Custodial workers __________ 1 1 .9 1 2 1.2 P) 1 .3 1 1 .5

Other _____________________ 1 1 .9 P) P) .3 4 5 3.0 P) 1 .4

See footnotes on next page.

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West

1960 1968

Occupation Per $1,000 

of construction 

cost1

Per 100 

square 

feet

Percent

distribution

Per $1,000 

of construction 

cost1

Per 100 

square 

feet

Percent

distribution

All occupations ________________________________ 98 105 100.0 63 96 100.0

Supervisory, professional, technical and clerical _________ 4 4 4.1 3 4 4.2

Skilled trades ____________________________________________ 69 73 70.5 47 74 74.5

Asbestos workers ________________________ -- --- ----- P) P) .3 1 1 .7

Bricklayers __________________________________________ 2 2 1.6 3 4 4.4

Carpenters _. _ _ . ________________________________ 32 34 32.5 16 25 26.0

Cement finishers _____________________________________ 4 4 4.2 3 4 4.3

Electricians __________________________________________ 5 5 4.8 5 7 7.1

Elevator mechanics ____________________ ------------ P) P) .1 P) 1 .5

Glaziers _____________________________________________ 1 1 .7 P) 1 .6

Lathers _____________________________________________ 1 1 1.2 1 1 1.0

Operating engineers _________________________________ 4 4 3.7 2 3 2.9

Ornamental ironworkers ______________________________ P) P) .2 P) 1 .5

Painters _____ _________________ ___________________ 5 6 5.4 4 6 6.2

Plasters __________________________ _______________ 3 3 3.3 1 2 2.1

Plumbers _________________________ ________________ 7 8 7.4 7 10 10.6

Reinforcing ironworkers _____ _________________________ 2 2 1.8 1 2 1.8

Roofers _____________________________________________ 1 1 .8 1 2 1.6

Sheet-metal workers ... ___________________________ 1 1 1.3 1 2 2.2

Soft floor layers ________ __________________________ 1 1 .6 1 1 1.2

Structural ironworkers _________________________ P) P) .4 P) P) .2

Tile setters ... ___________ __________________________

Other onsite workers:

P) P) .2 P) 1 .6

Truckdrivers ______ ___ ______________________________ 1 1 1.3 1 1 1.0

Helpers and tenders _________________________________ 3 3 2.8 4 6 5.9

Laborers __ _______ _________________ _ _________ 9 14 14.5 9 14 14.5

Custodial workers ____________________________________ 1 1 .8

Other _______________________________________________ 1 1 1.3 P) P) P)

1 Current dollars. 8 Less than 0.05 percent.

2 Less than 0.5 percent.

The percent of total onsite man-hours performed 

by skilled tradesmen increased from 61.1 percent in 

1960 to 64.3 in 1968. This increase was caused 

largely by relatively small changes among the various occupations. However, electricians, a major onsite trade, showed a significant increase from 4.1 

percent in 1960 to 5.8 percent in 1968. This rise 

was paralleled by an increase in the use of electrical equipment, fixtures, and wire per $1,000 from 

4.8 percent of the total materials in 1960 to 7.9 

percent in 1968.

The percentage of onsite man-hours provided by 

laborers declined from 26.2 in 1960 to 23.4 in 

1968. This is the expected reverse of the trend 

shown by the skilled trades mentioned above. Also, 

semiskilled workers, i.e. helpers and tenders, increased in their percentage of total onsite manhours, from 4.7 to 6.8.

Employment of skilled trade apprentices accounted 

for 6 percent of the onsite hours for all occupations. However, data for electricians and plumbers 

showed a significantly greater-than-average use of 

apprentices— 15 and 11 percent respectively. (See 

table 6.) This is a reflection of the active appreticship programs in these two crafts.

Man-hours by type of contractor

The distribution of onsite man-hours by type of 

contractors (table 7) shows a pattern that differs 

from the occupational distribution. (See table 4.) 

For example, carpenters accounted for 20.3 percent 

of the man-hours, whereas, carpentry contractors 

supplied only 2.6 percent of the onsite man-hours. 

The explanation lies in the fact that the majority 

of the carpenters are employed by other special 

trades contractors and by the general contractor. For 

instance, concrete contractors will employ carpenters 

to build the wooden forms. Flooring and roofing contractors also employ carpenters.

Construction time

The average project required 64 weeks for completion, compared with 58 weeks for projects in 

the 1960 survey. In order to develop a typical employment pattern, the construction time for each 

project was divided into 10 equal parts or deciles and 

the onsite hours were allocated to these deciles. This 

distribution or phasing pattern of onsite work as 

shown in table 8, discloses that the distribution of 

onsite hours during the construction period has not 

changed significantly from 1960 to 1968.

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Table 6. Apprentice man-hours as a percent of total onsite employment for public housing construction, by occupation

and region, for 1960 and 1968

Occupation

United States Northeast North Central South West

1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968

All workers ___ __ ___ _____ 3.7 4.0 4.0 4.8 3.9 3.3 2.9 3.7 6.0 5.1

Skilled trades only __ _ ___ _ _ 6.0 6.2 5.9 6.9 5.9 4.9 5.6 6.3 8.5 6.9

Bricklayers _ 4.8 4.0 5.9 4.2 4.6 4.9 4.1 3.4 7.8 5.0

Carpenters __ ______ ______ ______ 4.9 5.6 7.1 5.3 5.0 3.6 3.1 6.8 5.9 4.5

Cement finishers ______ _____ ___ ___ ... 8.1 3.6 12.3 9.4 8.7 2.5 2.1 .7 11.0 .6

Electricians .. ... 12.2 15.2 .5 17.4 10.2 7.0 28.7 19.7 12.8 18.0

Glaziers _______________ _____ _ ______ 12.9 3.4 29.8 1.5 2.2 8.0 1.8 5.8 14.4

Lathers .. _ . _ _______ _ _. 8.7 3.0 6.7 1.5 13.6 8.7 12.6 .4 15.0 1.5

Ornamental ironworkers ___ _ ______ 3.0 .5 3.5 C1)

8.9

1.7 2.5 1.6 3.9

Painters . _ __ _ _____ . ____ 3.9 4.2 4.9 7.4 2.8 1.3 3.3 7.0 2.7

Plasterers __ . _ 4.8 1.9 4.3 1.8 5.2 2.4 3.4 .7 13.4 4.1

Plumbers_____ __ ___ ________ _ _____ 9.0 11.2 7.9 13.1 7.5 8.7 8.5 10.5 21.4 14.6

Reinforcing ironworkers ______ _____ ____ 3.0 3.3 .5 7.8 12.2 2.5 3.0 9.0

Roofers _ ___ ___ ___ . _ ______ 8.7 5.1 3.9 2.4 8.9 .9 12.4 7.0 .4 .6

Sheet metal-workers .. _____ _ _ _ . _ _ 9.6 6.7 2.1 5.0 3.8 6.4 30.6 7.6 .5.6 10.4

Soft floor layers _____ __ _ _______ ___ 5.7 4.2 4.5 21.9 8.9 3.9 17.4 8.6

Structural ironworkers __ _____ __ _ _ 7.0 1.4 1.5 8.8 2.1 4.5 7.0

Tile setters _ . _ . _ __ _____ 4.4 8.8 2.2 6.5 3.8 5.8 11.0

1 Less than l/10th of 1 percent.

Contractor’s share

The general contractor’s share of total onsite 

man-hours— as opposed to those of the special 

trades contractor—declined from 49.2 percent in 

1960 to 42.3 percent in 1968. (See table 9.) The 

largest increase was in concrete subcontracting. On 

the other hand, the share of the plastering and 

lathing subcontractors declined from 7.1 percent to 

4.2 percent. This decline reflects the increased use of 

wallboard- an example of prefabrication—in place 

of plaster. The average number of contractors per 

project remained virtually unchanged at 19.

Onsite wages

Average hourly wage rates for onsite labor increased from $3.14 to $4.06, an advance of over 

29 percent. Wages as a percent of contract cost

Table 7. Percent distribution of onsite man-hours for

public housing construction by type of operation, 1968

Contractor Percent distribution

All contractors ___________________________ 100.0

General ____ _____ ___ _________ __ __ 42.3

Special trades _ _________ _____ __ _________ 57.7

Carpentry, millwork ________________________ 2.6

Concrete ___________ _ _ .. _ ______ - _ 6.8

Electrical _____ _______ ___ _ ______ 5.9

Masonry .. _______ ... . _ ______________ 6.9

Painting __ _____ ___ _______________ 4.6

Plastering and lathing ______________________ 4.2

Plumbing,' heating and air-conditioning ______ 13.0

Roofing and sheet metal ------------------------------ .9

Site preparation and excavation ______________ 2.6

Structural and ornamental iron ______________ 1.5

All other types ----------------------------------------- 8.7

declined from 35.5 percent to 32.4 percent. (See 

chart 3.) Obviously, the increase in wage rates was 

largely offset by the 30-percent decline in onsite 

man-hours from 114 to 80 per 1,000 dollars. However, 1968 onsite man-hours on a constant dollar 

basis are 96 per 1,000 dollars, as previously stated. 

Thus, the true decline in man-hours, after adjustment for cost inflation, is 16 percent.

Materials, equipment, and supplies

A little over 43 percent of each contract dollar 

was spent for materials, supplies, and equipment. 

(See tables 10 and 11.) Nearly half of this was 

for two major groups of materials: stone, clay and 

glass products, $110.78 (out of every $1,000 of 

contract), and metal products, $97.94. Major items 

in these two groups were ready-mix concrete, $37.45; 

brick and structural clay tile, $13.75; and reinforcing bars and joists, $14.50.

Lumber and lumber products amounted to $62.41 

or about 14 percent of total materials. The two maTable 8. Percent distribution of onsite man-hours by

decile of construction time, 1960 and 1968

Construction time

Percent of onsite hours

1968 1960

Total ________________ __ 100 100

1st decile . _ _ _ . . _ 3.6 3.6

2nd decile _____ ___ __________ 7.6 8.7

3rd decile - ________ _____ 10.9 12.0

4th decile __ _ _ 13.1 13.2

5th decile 14.8 13.8

6th decile __________________________ 14.6 14.0

7th decile .. ______________________ 12.4 12.4

8th decile _ ____ __ _______ 10.4 10.5

9th decile 8.2 7.5

10th decile _______________ ______ 4.4 4.3

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Chart 3.

Distribution per Dollar of Construction Costs for Public Housing, 1960 and 1968

Onsite wages

(32.4%)

Materials

(41.9%)

Overhead and profit

(24.2%)

Equipment

(2.5%)

Equipment

(1.5%)

1960 1968

jor items in this group were: rough and dressed 

lumber $27.09 and millwork $26.69.

Heating, ventilating and airconditioning equipment totaled $19.11 or about 4 percent of all materials used. Electrical equipment, fixtures and wire 

was $34.28 or 8 percent of the total.

Plumbing products accounted for 10 percent of 

all materials or $43.55 per $1,000 of construction.

The total material expenditure per $1,000 declined 8.6 percent from the level shown for the 

earlier study. The physical volume of material used, 

however, dropped less sharply. This anomaly

Table 9. Percent distribution of onsite man-hour requirements for public housing construction by type of contractor and

region, 1960 and 1968

Type of contractor United States Northeast North Central South West

1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968 1960 1968

All types . ______ 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

General________________ 49.2 42.3 42.6 29.0 38.9 45.0 56.9 51.3 57.0 34.8

Special trades _________ 50.8 57.7 57.4 71.0 61.1 55.0 43.1 48.7 43.0 65.2

Concrete ____ 2.4 6.8 1.1 13.2 3.9 5.7 3.1 2.8 .7 5.4

Electrical ______ 4.3 5.9 5.1 7.2 5.1 7.2 3.3 4.1 5.0 7.2

Masonry ............... 8.3 6.9 10.3 9.5 8.8 4.2 7.6 6.3 2.7 6.9

Painting ___________ 4.1 4.6 4.0 2.8 4.4 4.1 3.8 6.1 5.5 5.2

Plastering and 

lathing __________ 7.1 4.2 10.9 7.8 6.9 4.4 4.8 1.5 4.1 3.8

Plumbing, heating, airconditioning ______ 12.3 13.0 13.8 14.7 16.0 14.0 10.0 11.1 10.8 15.4

Roofing and sheet 

metal ___________ 1.3 .9 .9 .6 .7 .4 1.7 1.3 1.7 1.8

Site preparation and 

excavation _______ 2.3 2.6 2.3 2.6 4.7 2.0 1.4 3.0 1.7 2.5

Structural and ornamental iron _____ 1.4 1.5 2.5 2.1 1.7 2.3 .2 .6 2.3 2.0

All other types........ 7.4 11.3 6.6 10.3 8.9 10.8 7.2 11.9 8.3 15.1

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reflects the 3 percent increase in the wholesale 

price index for construction materials from 1959 

to 1967, the period during which the materials used 

to construct the projects in the two surveys were 

purchased. On the other hand, the portion of each 

$1,000 of construction contract allocated to profit 

and overhead increased from 17.0 to 24.2 percent 

(chart 3), while the share used for onsite wages 

declined, from 35.5 to 32.4 percent. Thus, the decline 

in the share of each $1,000 expended on materials

was caused largely by the increase in the portion 

allocated to profit and overhead. That is, construction 

costs, exclusive of land, for public housing increased 

20.0 percent from 1960 to 1968,11 while the cost of 

the materials consumed in these years rose only 3 

percent. Undoubtedly, an important factor influencing the rise in overhead costs was the sharp increase 

in interest rates during this period.

11 The Bureau of the Census single-family housing price

index—op. cit.

Table 10. Total cost of materials, equipment, and supplies for each $1,000 of new public housing construction, 1960

and 1968

Selected products and 

product groups

Per $1,0003

1960 1968

Percentage

1960 1968

Selected products and 

product groups

Per $1,000 1 Percentage

1960 1968 1960 1968

Total cost— all products 475.00 433.98 100.0 100.0

Stone, clay and glass products _____ 132.50 110.78 27.9 25.5

Cement, concrete and gypsum 

products -- __________ 84.90 70.97 17.9 16.4

Ready-mix ___ ________ 47.50 37.45 10.0 8.6

Gypsum products _________ 14.90 9.77 3.1 2.3

Concrete block and bricks __ 11.40 9.39 2.4 2.2

Cement---------- ------------- 5.10 6.94 1.1 1.6

Concrete pipe ____ ___ 2.40 1.22 .5 .3

Precast concrete ________ 1.90 5.70 .4 1.3

Lime _ _ ________ 1.70 .50 .4 .1

Structural clay products ---------- 28.30 21.44 6.0 4.9

Brick and structural clay 

tile _________ ________ 22.70 13.75 4.8 3.2

Clay sewer pipe ______ 2.20 1.83 .5 .4

Ceramic tile _________ 1.70 4.45 .4 1.0

Not elsewhere classified ___ 1.70 1.41 .4 .3

Other stone, clay, and glass 

products - _____ - ------ 19.30 18.37 4.1 4.2

Asphalt tile (including vinyl 

asbestos) --------------------- 5.20 4.99 1.1 1.1

Sand and gravel --------------- 3.70 3.26 .8 .8

Fibre glass insulation (including acoustical tile) 3.10 2.87 .7 .7

Window glass ------------------ 2.80 .98 .6 ,2

Crushed rock, slag, 

miscellaneous aggregate 2.60 1.49 .5 .3

Not elsewhere classified----- 1.90 4.78 .4 1.1

Metal products ---------------------------- 108.40 97.94 22.8 22.6

Fabricated structural metal 

products _______________ 80.20 64.95 16.9 15.0

Reinforced bars, rods, Joists . 

Metal windowframes and 

accessories __________

28.70 14.50 6.0 3.3

15.10 12.60 3.2 2.9

Ornamental metal ___ _____ 8.60 8.53 1.8 2.0

Metal doors, frames, 

accessories _______ 7.90 5.29 1.7 1.2

Fabricated sheet metal, 

formed metal roof, decks, 

metal form s------------------ 7.20 10.53 1.5 2.4

Metal lath and wire mesh .. - 7.90 3.60 1.6 .8

Structural steel ___________ 2.70 9.15 .6 2.1

Not elsewhere classified ----- 2.10 .75 .4 .2

Other metal products__________ 17.50 25.78 3.7 5.9

Copper (sheet metal and 

pipe) ---------- --------- 10.50 14.67 2.2 3.4

Nails ____________________ 2.40 .99 .5 .2

Galvanized sheet m etal------ 1.90 6.46 .4 1.5

Metal case work _________ 1.60 1.63 .3 .4

Not elsewhere classified ___ 1.10 2.03 .2 .5

Other fabricated metal products - 10.70 7.21 2.3 1.7

Builders hardware _________ 10.60 7.18 2.2 1.7

Not elsewhere classified___ .10 .03 --- ---

Lumber and lumber products _______ 67.20 62.41 14.1 14.4

Rough and dressed lumber 26.60 27.09 5.7 6.2

Millwork „. _ _ ____________ 26.10 26.69 5.5 6.2

Fabricated structural laminates __ 8.60 0.02 1.8

Plywood _ _____ _________ 5.00 4.88 1.0 1.1

Not elsewhere classified _______ .90 3.73 .2 .9

Plumbing products ________________ 47.70 43.55 10.0 10.0

Fixtures _____________________ 17.40 15.33 3.7 3.5

Steel and galvanized pipe _____ 11.70 7.11 2.5 1.6

Cast iron pipe ____________ 9.90 9.70 2.1 2.2

Valves and specialities ________ 8.00 8.08 1.7 1.9

Not elsewhere classified _______ .70 3.33 .1 .8

Fixed house equipment ___________ 28.80 24.98 6.1 5.8

Refrigerators _________________ 10.20 7.86 2.1 1.8

Elevators and moving stairs ___ 9.90 8.75 2.1 2.0

Ranges ____________________ 5.80 5.75 1.2 1.3

Venetian blinds _______________ 1.50 1.36 .3 .3

Not elsewhere classified _______ 1.40 1.26 .3 .3

Electrical equipment, fixtures and wire 22.80 34.28 4.8 7.9

Conduit______________________ 5.90 3.85 1.2 ,9

Light fixtures ___ __________ 4.00 6.04 .8 1.4

Switchboard and panel _______ 3.60 5.34 .8 1.2

Wire and cable_______________ 3.40 10.14 .7 2.3

Other non-current carrying wire 

devices ____________________ 2.10 1.93 .4 .4

Current carrying devices _______ 1.60 3.32 .3 .8

Electrical generating units 1.30 .62 .3 .1

Not elsewhere classified _______ .90 3.04 .2 .7

Heating, ventilating and air

conditioning _____ ____________ 17.30 19.11 3.6 4.4

Radiators, connectors, boilers and 

hot water tanks __________ 7.60 8.06 1.6 1.9

Unit heater and ventilators 2.90 .92 ,6 .2

Storage tanks __________ 1.80 .62 .4 .1

Warm air furnaces _______ ___ 1.70 1.42 .4 .3

Pumps _______________________ 1.10 1.31 .2 .3

Not elsewhere classified _______ 2.20 6.78 .5 1.6

Paints and chemical compounds ___ 8.60 8.50 1.8 2.0

Paints _______________________ 6.00 6.05 1.3 1.4

Putty, caulk and glazing _______ .90 .80 .2 .2

Not elsewhere classified _______ 1.70 1.65 .4 .4

Petroleum products _________ ______ 8.00 9.60 1.7 2.2

Asphalt shingles ______________ 2.60 2.62 .5 .6

Asphalt paving _______________ 2.40 2.39 .5 .6

Asphalt and tar pitches _______ 1.20 .80 .3 .2

Asphalt felts _________________ 1.10 1.39 .2 .3

Not elsewhere classified ____ .70 2.40 .1 .6

All other ________________________ 8.50 7.53 1.8 1.8

Nursery products ____________ 5.10 2.93 1.1 .7

Not elsewhere classified _______ 3.40 4.60 .7 1.1

Construction equipment ---------------- 25.20 15.30 5.3 3.5

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Table 11. Total cost of materials, equipment, and supplies for each 100 square feet of new public housing construction,

1960 and 1968

Selected products and 

product groups

Per 100 sq. ft.

1960 1968

Percentage

1960 1968

Total cost— all products

Stone, clay and glass products _____

Cement, concrete and gypsum

products ___________________

Ready mix _______________

Gypsum products__________

Concrete block and bricks-_

Cement__________________

Concrete pipe ____________

Precast concrete __________

Lime ____________________

Structural clay products _______

Brick and structural

clay tile _______________

Clay sewer pipe ________

Ceramic tile _____________

Not elsewhere classified___

Other stone, clay, and glass

products ___________________

Asphalt tile (including vinyl

asbestos) _ _ _ ___________

Sand and gravel __________

Fibre glass insulation (including acoustical tile) ...

Window glass ____________

Crush rock, slag, miscellaneous aggregate 

Not elsewhere classified ___

Metal products __________________

Fabricated structural metal

products_______________

Reinforcing bars, rods,

Joists _________________

Metal windowframes and

accessories ____________

Ornamental metal _________

Metal doors, frames and

accessories _________ __-

Fabricated sheet 

metal, formed metal 

roof, decks, metal forms 

Metal lath and wire mesh ..

Structural steel ___________

Not elsewhere classified

Other metal products ________

Copper (sheet metal and

pipe) ---------------------------

N a ils____________________

Galvanized sheet metal ____

Metal casework___________

Not elsewhere classified___

Other fabricated metal products -

Builders hardware ________

Not elsewhere classified___

507.32 660.55 100.0 100.0

141.51 168.61 27.9 25.5

90.68 108.02 17.9 16.4

50.73 57.00 10.0 8.6

15.91 14.87 3.1 2.3

12.18 14.29 2.4 2.2

5.45 10.56 1.1 1.6

2.56 1.86 .5 .3

2.03 8.68 .4 1.3

1.82 .76 .4 .1

30.23 32.63 6.0 4.9

24.24 20.93 4.8 3.2

2.35 2.79 .5 .4

1.82 6.77 .4 1.0

1.82 2.15 .4 .3

20.61 27.96 4.1 4.2

5.55 7.60 1.1 1.2

3.95 4.96 .8 .8

3.31 4.37 .7 .7

2.99 1.49 .6 .2

2.78 2.27 .5 .3

2.03 7.28 .4 1.1

115.77 149.07 22.8 22.6

85.66 98.86 16.9 15.0

30.65 22.07 6.0 3.3

16.13 19.18 3.2 2.9

9.19 12.98 1.8 2.0

8.44 8.05 1.7 1.2

7.69 16.03 1.5 2.4

8.44 5.48 1.7 .8

2.88 13.93 .6 2.1

2.24 1.14 .4 .2

18.69 39.24 3.7 5.9

11.21 22.33 2.2 3.4

2.56 1.51 .5 .2

2.03 9.83 .4 1.5

1.71 2.48 .3 .4

1.17 3.09 .2 .5

11.43 10.97 2.3 1.7

11.32 10.93 2.2 1.7

.11 .05 _ _

• Selected products and 

product groups

Per 100 sq. ft. |1 Percentage

1960 1968 1960 1968

Lumber and lumber products _______ 71.77 94.99 14.1 14.4

Rough and dressed lumber _____ 28.41 41.23 5.6 6.2

Millwork ___ __ ______ 27.88 40.62 5.5 6.1

Fabricated structural laminates __ 9.19 .03 1.8

Plywood ____________________ 5.34 7.43 1.1 1.1

Not elsewhere classified _______ .96 5.68 .2 .9

Plumbing products _______________ 50.95 66.29 10.0 10.0

Fixtures _____ ______________ 18.58 23.33 3.7 3.5

Steel and galvanized pipe _____ 12.50 10.82 2.5 1.6

Cast iron pipe ___ ___________ 10.57 14.76 2.1 2.2

Valves and specialties_________ 8.54 12.30 1.7 1.9

Not elsewhere classified . _ .75 5.07 .1 .8

Fixed house equipment ____________ 30.76 38.02 6.1 5.8

Refrigerators _________________ 10.89 11.96 2.1 1.8

Elevators and moving sta irs____ 10.57 13.32 2.1 2.0

Ranges ______________________ 6.19 8.75 1.2 1.3

Venetian blinds___ ____________ 1.60 2.07 .3 .3

Not elsewhere classified_______ 1.50 1.92 .3 .3

Electrical equipment, fixtures and

wire _ _ . ___ ________________ 24.35 52.18 4.8 7.9

Conduit______________________ 6.30 5.86 1.2 .9

Light fixtures_________________ 4.27 9.19 .8 1.4

Switchboard and panel _________ 3.84 8.13 .8 1.2

Wire and cable ___ ___ _____ 3.63 15.43 .7 2.3

Other non-current carrying wire 

devices ___ __ ____ _ 2.24 2.94 .4 .4

Current carrying devices _____ 1.71 5.05 .3 .8

Electricity generating units 1.39 .94 .3 .1

Not elsewhere classified .96 4.63 .2 .7

Heating, ventilating and air

conditioning ___________________ 18.48 29.09 3.6 4.4

Radiators, convectors, boilers 

and hot water tanks _______ 8.12 12.27 1.6 1.9

Unit heater and ventilators ___ 3.10 1.40 .6 .2

Storage tanks _______________ 1.92 .94 .4 .1

Warm air furnaces ___________ 1.82 2.16 .4 .3

Pumps _ _________________ __ 1.17 1.99 .2 .3

Not elsewhere classified _____ 2.35 10.32 .5 1.6

Paints and chemical compounds ___ 9.19 12.94 1.8 2.0

Paints ______________________ 6.41 9.21 1.3 1.4

Putty, caulk and glazing .96 1.22 .2 .2

Not elsewhere classified .. 1.82 2.51 .4 .4

Petroleum products _____________ 8.54 14.61 1.7 2.2

Asphalt shingles _____________ 2.78 3.99 .5 .6

Asphalt paving ___ ____________ 2.56 3.64 .5 .6

Asphalt and tar pitches ______ 1.28 1.22 .3 .2

Asphalt felts _________________ 1.17 2.12 .2 .3

Not elsewhere classified ____ .75 3.65 .1 .6

All other _______________________ 9.08 11.46 1.8 1.7

Nursery products _____________ 5.45 4.46 1.1 .7

Not elsewhere classified .. 3.63 7.00 .7 1.1

Construction equipment ............ 26.91 23.29 5.3 3.5

NOTE: Details may not add to totals due to rounding.

Regional differences

The preceding sections refer to data on a national 

basis. In this section, regional data will be presented, but the analysis is limited largely to the 

data developed from the 1968 study, as the earlier 

survey did not always provide comparable statistics for the four geographic regions.

Table 12 depicts the man-hour requirements by 

construction cost group and by type of structural 

frame for the United States and the four geographic

regions.12 For each $1,000 of construction contract

“ Table provides data for each characteristic on three

bases: per $1,000 of cost, 1,000 square feet, and dwelling

unit. Usually, one characteristic when compared with

another will rank on the same level regardless of which

of the bases is used for the comparison. However, where

there is a divergence, the preferred base is per $1,000 of

cost. The other two bases, i.e., per 1,000 square feet and per

dwelling unit, are attempting to measure physical factors

that cannot be held constant. That is, the content of a 1,000

square feet unit and a dwelling unit may vary among the

projects surveyed. However, all three measures are presented, so that the reader may use them to analyze the data

in accordance with his special requirements.

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cost the onsite man-hours required in the North 

Central and Southern regions exceeded the national 

requirements of 80 man-hours; in the North East 

and Western regions they were fewer.

Details on regional onsite man-hours

When the projects in the Northeast region were 

grouped according to the value of the construction 

contract, and compared on all three bases, the highest value group, i.e., $2,000,000 and over, showed 

the lowest expenditure of onsite man-hours. However, the next lowest onsite level of man-hours 

went with the lowest value group. The middle value 

group showed the greatest use of onsite man-hours. 

This mixed picture cannot be clarified by crossreference to the section of the table which classifies the projects by type of frame.

Table 12 shows that all the projects except one 

had a frame of either reinforced concrete or masonry.13 The projects with reinforced concrete frames 

used less onsite labor than the ones constructed of 

masonry. However, the difference is riot significant, as 

shown in the following tabulation:

Man-hours per

Frame

1,000

current 1,000 square Dwelling

dollars feet unit

Reinforced

concrete 66.2 1,081 916

Masonry 68.9 1,191 930

Data for the United States and three of the four 

regions also show the expected economies of scale 

associated with the larger projects. The projects

13 Masonry framework is constructed of stone, brick, or

concrete block.

in the other region, i.e., the West, were concentrated 

to such an extent in one value class as to make a 

valid comparison between classes impossible.

Furthermore, nationally, reinforced concrete was 

the most labor efficient type of structural frame 14 

when measured by the man-hours expended per 

$1,000 and per dwelling. This was true on all three 

bases of comparison in the North Eastern and 

North Central regions. In the other two regions, 

i.e., the South and the West, wood made the least 

labor intensive type of structural frame, measured 

on all three bases.

Also, three-fourths of the projects in the value 

group under $1 million had masonry frames, but 

the two higher value groups were dominated by projects with reinforced concrete frames. Thus, since 

75 percent of the projects in the lowest value group 

had the more labor intensive masonry framework, 

this value group would be expected to be the most 

labor intensive. Actually, it is more labor efficient 

than the next larger value group, but less labor saving than the largest value group. Thus, neither the 

economies of scale nor the type of frame completely 

explain the distribution of man-hour requirements 

in the Northeast region. Obviously, there are exogenous factors involved that were not measured by 

the survey.

In the Southern region, projects with the larger 

construction contract values used fewer man-hours 

per $1,000, per square foot, and per dwelling unit. 

For example, the average man-hours per $1,000 were 

98.3 for projects where the construction contract was 

valued at under $1 million. This average declined to

14 The structural frame is the skelton of the building. This

provides the building shape and is the support for the

outer walls, the floors, and ceiling.

Table 12. Onsite man-hour requirements for public housing construction, by selected characteristics and region, 1968

Un'*ed States | Northeast | North Central | South | West

Man-hours per—

$1,000

of

cost1

1,000

square

feet

Dwelling

unit

$1,000

of

cost1

1,000

square

feet

Dwelling

unit

$1,000

of

cost1

1,000

square

feet

Dwelling

unit

$1,000

of

cost1

1,000

square

feet

Dwelling

unit

$1,000

of

cost1

1,000

square

feet

Dwelling

unit

All projects _________ 79.6 1,212 983 66.9 1,107 920 86.3 1,452 1,036 90.5 1,216 1,033 62.8 949 741

Construction cost group:

Under $1,000,000 ______ 91.3 1,346 1,067 68.0 1,245 1,015 94.4 1,771 1,264 98.3 1,284 1,043 53.0 804 675

$1,000,000— $1,999,999 81.5 1,296 1,008 73.7 1,365 1,021 (2) (2) (2) 88.0 1,180 1,041 (2) (2) (2)

$2,000,000 and over____ 60.5 912 771 63.2 982 859 76.3 1,237 880 83.2 1,157 1,014 (2) (2) (2)

Type of structural frame:

Reinforced concrete ____ 73.7 1,224 953 66.2 1,081 916 85.5 1,449 1,005 (2) (2) (2) 68.1 1,126 742

Masonary _____________ 86.0 1,203 1,026 68.9 1,191 930 __ __ 94.5 1,218 1,067 (2) (2) (2)

Steel _________________ (2) (2) (2) __ (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) __

Wood _________ ________ 84.7 1,247 1,015 (2) (2) (2D 97.6 1,917 1,339 84.5 1,147 964 53.0 804 675

1 In current dollars. 2 Insufficient data.

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83.2 man-hours for the projects in the $2 million and 

over value group.

The predominant types of structural frames in the 

Southern region were masonry and wood in that 

order. With respect to projects having these two 

types of framework, those with wood frames used 

significantly less onsite labor as the following tabulation shows:

Man-hours per

Frame

1,000

current 1,000 square Dwelling

dollars feet unit

Wood 84.5 1,147 964

Masonry 94.5 1,218 1,067

The North Central region shows the same pattern as the South as regards the relationship between the value of the construction contract and the 

amount of onsite labor. That is, the larger projects 

used less labor per $1,000, per 1,000 square feet, 

and per dwelling unit.

The major types of framework used in this region 

were reinforced concrete and wood in that order. 

The reinforced concrete projects required considerably less onsite labor, as shown in the following

tabulation:

Man-hours per

Frame

1,000

current 1,000 square Dwelling

dollars feet unit

Reinforced

concrete 85.5 1,449 1,005

W o o d ........... 97.6 1,917 1,339

Most of the projects having reinforced concrete 

frames were valued at $1 million or more, but all 

of the wooden projects cost less than $1 million. 

Therefore, it is not possible to ascribe the use of less 

onsite labor in the construction of the projects with 

concrete frames to the use of this material. That 

is, some if not all of the labor saving may have been 

due to economies of scale.

The projects surveyed in the West were concentrated to such an extent in the lower value cost 

group that the other value groups did not contain 

a sufficient number of projects to allow a meaningful 

comparison.

The major types of structural framework in the 

West were wood, followed by reinforced concrete. 

All the wooden framed projects were in the under $1 

million value group. Also, no other projects were in 

this value group. There is a sharp difference in

the man-hours per $1,000, 1,000 square feet, or 

dwelling unit. For wood, the figure is 53.0 manhours per $1,000, compared with 68.1 for reinforced concrete.

Occupations

Carpenters constituted the leading skilled occupation in the survey. Of course, they were more 

predominant in those regions where wood was a 

major type of structural framework. However, re ­

gardless of the type of framework, carpenters performed a major portion of the onsite hours, be ­

cause carpenters were required in several operations. 

These ranged from building the forms for concrete 

construction to laying floors, and installing doors.

The percentage of total onsite hours performed 

by skilled tradesmen had increased in all regions 

between 1960 and 1968. The South during both 

time periods used the smallest percentage of skilled 

tradesmen. Furthermore, the South exceeded all the 

other regions in the percent of onsite man-hours 

provided by laborers. On the other hand, the West 

exhibits the reverse of the picture shown by the 

South, i.e., it led the regions in the use of skilled 

trades during both time periods.

Since the skilled workers receive a higher wage 

rate than laborers, those regions using a higher 

percentage of skilled man-hours might be expected 

to exhibit higher average hourly earnings. Analysis of the tables following shows that this is not 

necessarily true.

Skilled man-hours as a percent of total onsite 

man-hours, by region, were:

Region Percentage

1960 1968

West 70.5 74.5

Northeast 68.3 69.1

North Central __________ 66.5 67.6

South _______________________ 51.7 58.1

On the other hand, average hourly earnings by 

region, 1960 and 1968, were:

Region I960 1968

Northeast 3.84 5.14

West ___________________________ 3.63 4.80

North Central _ 3.51 4.18

South 2.36 3.16

A comparison of the regional rankings above 

shows that the North Central and Southern regions 

ranked third and fourth in both tables for the two 

time periods. However, the West ranked first in the

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use of skilled labor but second as regards average 

hourly earnings. The Northeast, however, placed 

second in skilled labor and first in average hourly 

earnings. Since wage rates in metropolitan areas 

tended to be higher than those in nonmetropolitan 

areas, a major reason for the Northeast rate during 

1968 was that 13 of the 14 sample projects in that 

region were located in metropolitan areas.

The tabulation below demonstrates that during 

1968, when ranked by metropolitan concentration, 

the Northeast was first, followed by the West in 

second place:

Number of projects

Region Metropolitan Nonmetropolitan

Northeast 13 1

North Central____ 6 4

South _ ____ 7 9

West ____ . 6 2

In addition, average hourly earnings are correlated with extent of unionization. The West and 

Northeast tend to be more highly unionized than 

the South and North Central regions.

Comparison with other surveys

Man-hour requirements for public housing per 

$1,000 of contract costs tend to fall near the upper 

limit when compared with other types of building 

construction studied in the BLS Construction Labor Requirements Studies between 1965 and 1970

closer to the level for hospitals and schools than for 

single-family housing. (See table 13.)15 Onsite manhour requirements are higher for public housing 

than for any other type of construction studied indicating the more labor intensive nature of public 

housing construction.

In terms of occupational requirements, public 

housing construction differs little from hospitals and 

schools studied in the BLS series. Table 14 shows 

that hospital construction requires more plumbers 

because of the greater amount of specialized plumbing work required. Public housing and schools have 

virtually the same plumbing requirements and are 

second only to hospitals, in this respect. In addition, public housing employs more operating engineers indicating that more heavy equipment is 

used in this work. This is borne out by capital 

equipment expenditures shown in table 15. The cost 

figures shown in this table further indicate that the 

proportion of onsite wages for public housing was 

the highest for any type of building construction, 

another reflection of the labor intensive nature of the 

work.

15 In comparing the public housing construction survey

with other surveys of construction labor requirements, it

must be kept in mind that the studies cover different time

periods. Furthermore, comparisons cannot be reasonably

made with heavy construction (i.e. highways, sewers and

civil works) which is entirely different from building construction in man-hour and material requirements and in the

nature of construction activity.

Table 13. Distribution of total man-hours per 1,000 current dollars of contract cost by industry and type of construction,

1958-70

Type of construction

Year of 

construction

Total

manhours

Onsite

construction

Offsite

construction

Manufacturing

Wholesale trade, 

transportation, 

and services

Mining and 

all other

Initial studies:

Federally aided highways _____ 1958 237 97 10 66 39 24

Federal office buildings ______ 1959 227 97 12 72 31 16

Elementary and secondary

schools __________________ 1959 222 86 10 74 32 19

Civil Works: 1959-60

Land projects 201 85 6 53 35 22

Dredging _______________ 237 134 11 57 23 12

Public housing____ ________ 1959-60 236 114 14 62 29 18

General hospitals ___________ 1959-60 210 89 11 79 19 13

College housing _____________ 1960-61 226 94 11 73 30 17

Single-family housing ________ 1962 202 72 12 61 31 26

Sewer Works: 1962-63

Lines __ ___ 211 86 7 74 29 16

Plants 210 83 7 72 32 16

Recycled studies:

Elementary and secondary

schools __________________ 1964-65 188 72 9 65 26 15

General hospitals ____________ 1965-66 178 76 10 64 18 10

Public housing _ ____________ 1968 160 80 14 42 16 8

Single-family housing ________ 1969 137 52 10 41 20 14

Federally-aided highways _____ 1970 136 56 7 40 23 9

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Table 14. Distribution of onsite man-hours per 1,000 current dollars of contract cost by occupation and type of construction, 1958-70

Type of 

construction

Year

of

construction

All

occupations

Administrative

and

supervisory

Bricklayers

Carpenters

Electricians

Iron

workers

Operating

engineersPainters

Plasterers

and

lathers

Plumbers

Other

skilled

construction

trades

Laborers,

helpers

and

tenders

Other

occupations

(including

truck

drivers)

Initial studies:

Federally aided

highways1 ____ 1958 100.0 10.4 2 38.2 _ 3 51.4

Federal office

buildings_______ 1959 100.0 6.0 5.2 12.6 9.1 4.2 2.4 2.1 3.8 8.7 11.8 32.5 1.5

Elementary and

secondary

schools - 1959 100.0 3.9 9.3 18.7 7.1 28 1.9 3.3 2.7 9.4 7.9 29.1 4.0

Civil works; 1959-60

Land projects 100.0 10.1 6.4 3.1 24.1 6.9 23.0 26.4

Dredging ____ ____ 100.0 4.7 _ 1.1 _ 1.7 1.7 4 90.8

Public housing ___ 1959-60 100.0 4.0 7.6 19.1 4.1 2.1 2.7 4.4 6.8 7.8 6.5 30.9 4.0

General hospitals 1959-60 100.0 3.9 5.4 13.2 8.8 3.5 1,6 2,8 6.2 14.2 12,0 26.7 1.7

College housing 1960-61 100.0 3.4 10.0 16.9 6.6 3.9 1.7 3.6 3.4 9.7 7.8 31.8 1.1

Singie-family

housing ___ 1962 100.0 3.0 5.5 34.6 2.8 1.4 9.5 2.0 5.2 12.2 23.3 .5

Sewer works: 1962-63

Lin e s________ 100.0 10.1 1.3 2.4 .1 .4 19.6 .4 2.7 44.5 18.5

Plants 100.0 9.0 2.0 14.3 3.3 3.9 14.6 1.5 5.1 6.6 31.7 8.0

Recycled studies:

Elementary and

secondary

schools ________ 1964-65 100.0 3.6 9.2 16.5 7.3 3.1 2.7 3.5 2.0 9.6 10.1 30.9 1.5

General hospitals 1965-66 100.0 3.2 5.0 13.0 9.9 3.1 1.8 2.6 6.1 15.6 13.1 25.7 .7

Public housing ___ 1968 100.0 3.6 7.8 20.3 5.8 3.5 3.1 4.9 3.0 9,3 6.6 30.2 1.9

Single-family

housing . ______ 1969 100.0 2.8 5.7 34.9 3.0 1.8 7.3 1.7 4.3 20.0 27.9 .5

Federally aided

highways1 ____ 1970 100,0 6.2 --- -- -- ---

2 47.0 ---

3 46.8

1 Detail by occupation not available. 4 Includes mostly ships masters, captains, mates, crewmen, and support

2 Excludes apprentices and on-the-job trainees. personnel.

3 Includes apprentices and on-the-job trainees and laborers, helpers and 

tenders.

Table 15. Percent distribution of contract costs, by type of construction, 1958-70

Type of construction Year of 

construction

Total Onsite

wages

Materials Equipment

Overhead

and

profit1

Initial studies:

Federally aided highways __________ 1958 100.0 23.9 50.6 (3) 25.5

Federal office buildings ___ ______ 1959 100.0 29.0 51.4 1.9 17.7

Elementary and secondary schools 1959 100.0 26.7 54.1 1.4 17.8

Civil works:

Land projects ____________ ______

1959-60

100.0 26.0 35.0 19.3 19.7

Dredging ______________________ 100.0 32.3 17.3 24.9 25.5

Public housing__________ ___________ 1959-60 100.0 35.5 45.0 2.5 17.0

General hospitals ___________________ 1959-60 100.0 28.2 53.2 1.2 17.4

College housing ____________________ 1960-61 100.0 29.3 52.6 1.6 16.5

Single-family housing2 ______________ 1962 100.0 22.1 47.2 1.0 29.7

Sewer works:

Lines _________________________

1962-63

100.0 24.3 44.5 11.2 20.0

Plants ________________________ 100.0 26.6 49.2 8.2 16.0

Recycled studies:

Elementary and secondary schools 1964-65 100.0 25.8 54.2 1.0 19.0

General hospitals __ ___________ ... 1965-66 100.0 29.6 50.4 1,3 18.7

Public housing ___________________ 1968 100.0 32.4 41.9 1.5 24.2

Single-family housing2 ______________ 1969 100.0 20.4 43.4 .9 35.3

Federally aided highways ___________ 1970 100.0 25.6 45.0 (3) 29.4

1 Includes offsite wages, fringes, construction financing costs, inventory 2 Includes selling expenses,

and other overhead and administrative expenses as well as profit. 3 Equipment included with overhead and profit.

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Materials, on the other hand, comprise a smaller 

percentage of costs in public housing than for other 

studies. For public housing construction, the largest 

materials expenditures were made for stone, clay 

and glass products; metal products; lumber and 

wood products; and plumbing products. These four 

groups accounted for over 70 percent of materials 

used in public housing for both surveys. The capital 

equipment expenditures (construction equipment)

Table 16. Percent distribution of materials, equipment and

cost by type of material, and construction studied, 1958-70

were higher for public housing than for all other 

types of building construction studied with the exception of federal office buildings. (See table 16.) 

Thus, public housing construction is capital intensive 

as well as labor intensive. This unexpected combination of characteristics could result from the fact 

that turnkey projects, which are said to be more efficiently constructed, were excluded from the current survey.

supplies per 1,000 current dollars of construction contract

Type of construction

Year

of

construction

Total

materials

and

euipment

Lumber

and

wood

products

Paint

and

chemicals

Petroleum

products

Stone,

clay

and

glass

products

Metal 

products 

(except 

as indicated 

elsewhere)

Plumbing

products

Heating, 

ventilating, & airconditioning equipment (exc. 

electric)

Electrical

products

Other

fixed

equipment

Construction 

equipment 

(rental 

cost & 

depreciation or 

equivalent 

value)

All

other 

materials, 

equipment & 

supplies

Initial studies:

Federally aided highways . 1958 100.0 1.8 t1) 17.1 28.1 19.5 0) (*) w 2 19.2 14.4

Federal office buildings - 1959 100.0 3.3 .9 .9 22.2 25.1 5.1 12.3 18.2 8.0 3.5 .5

Elementary and secondary

schools __________________ 1959 100.0 8.6 1.4 2.0 24.4 28.9 5.8 9.6 10.9 2.9 2.5 3.0

Civil works: 1959-60

Land projects ___________ ____ 100.0 4.0 3.8 12.6 25.5 15.6 .3 .1 .2 .2 35.5 2.2

Dredging . _ _ _____ 100.0 N.R. 3.9 28.1 .2 7.5 N.R. N.R. .4 .2 59.0 .7

Public housing ___ _ _ ___ 1959-60 100.0 14.1 1.8 1.7 27.9 22.8 10.0 3.6 4.8 6.1 5.3 1.7

General hospitals ____________ 1959-60 100.0 4.2 .8 .9 19.4 26.4 8.7 9.8 11.0 16.3 2.1 .5

College housing _____________ 1960-61 100.0 10.7 1.1 1.1 26.6 28.2 7.7 5.9 8.3 6.9 2.9 .7

Single-family housing ________ 1962 100.0 40.0 2.1 2.3 24.2 11.4 5.6 3.8 3.6 2.8 2.0 2.0

Sewer works: 1962-63

Lines 100.0 0.8 .4 3.0 60.5 11.1 0) 0) .6 3.1 20.2 0)

Plants ___ ___ 100.0 1.6 1.0 1.8 19.0 27.6 .4 2.0 8.3 23.3 14.2 .6

Recycled studies:

Elementary and secondary

schools _ ________________ 1964-65 100.0 9.4 1.0 2.3 24.0 24.8 7.2 9.6 9.8 6.8 2.8 2.4

General hospitals ___________ 1965-66 100.0 4.7 .8 .8 18.1 22.9 10.3 9.8 12.2 16.1 2.5 1.8

Public housing ____________ 1968 100.0 14.4 2.0 2.2 25.5 22.6 10.0 4.4 7.9 5.8 3.5 1.8

Single-family housing ____ 1969 100.0 40.6 1.8 1.8 21.5 9.4 6.9 4.2 3.9 2.5 1.9 5.5

Federally aided highways 1970 3 100.0 1 17 32 18 i 1) (*) i 1) W 2 19 13

1 None reported.

2 Estimated.

Percentage calculated from rounded data.

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Appendix A. Scope and Method of Survey

This study was designed primarily to develop estimates of man-hour requirements associated with 

construction of federally aided, public housing projects. The survey collected data concerning man-hour 

and material expenditures associated with the construction of these projects.

Characteristics of the universe and

selection of the sample

A complete listing of all public housing projects 

sponsored by the Housing Assistance Administration of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as of June 30, 1967, was obtained. This 

publication, Consolidated Development Directory

(Report S-11A), lists for all projects as of that date, 

location, number of dwelling units, date when available for occupancy and other pertinent data. The 

universe from which the sample was drawn consisted of 354 projects scheduled to be completed during the period January 1967 through March 1968. 

These projects were stratified by the four broad geographical regions1 and several construction cost 

classes. A sample of 48 projects, approximately one 

for each seven projects in the universe, was selected.

Man-hour estimates

Estimates of total man-hour requirements for 

public housing construction were derived by combining estimates of onsite and offsite man-hours.

Onsite man-hours were obtained from payrolls 

submitted by the contractors under the provisions 

of the Davis-Bacon Act. These were checked for

1 The States included in each of the regions were as

follows: Northeast—Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New

Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; North Central—Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,

Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North

Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin; South—Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida,

Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North

Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,

Virginia and West Virginia;—and West—Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,

Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

completeness by interviews with the contractors and 

their subcontractors. Estimates were made for unobtainable missing data. The contractors were also requested to furnish onsite employment data for occupations not covered by the Davis-Bacon Act, such 

as supervisory, technical, and clerical personnel and 

self-employed subcontractors (working proprietors).

Offsite man-hour requirements represent the hours 

required to produce and distribute the material, 

supplies and equipment used in construction. Estimation of these hours started with a listing of the 

value of all such items. These data were obtained 

by the BLS field representatives from each prime 

contractor and his subcontractors. For a relatively 

small number of subcontractors, who were out of 

business or otherwise inaccessible, or uncooperative, 

or whose contracts were exceedingly small, estimates of materials used were prepared on the basis of reports for similar jobs.

The materials listings thus obtained were classified into categories, consistent with the 4-digit 

Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) as found in 

the Census of Manufactures product groups. For 

each of these groups, the average amounts required 

for $1,000 of construction were calculated. This bill 

of materials was deflated to the 1958 price level so 

that the 1958 interindustry study of the Bureau of 

Economic Analysis of the Department of Commerce 

could be used.

Each of these deflated averages was reduced by 

a ratio representing the difference between the price 

at which the manufacturer sold the materials and 

the price the contractor paid for them—the difference being apportioned between the trade and transportation sectors. The resulting values were matched 

with the interindustry study to determine the total 

man-years of employment, required in each industry 

sector during 1968 to produce the materials used.

The man-years for each industry were multiplied 

by the average annual hours for all employees in 

that industry during 1968 listed in the Labor Department publication, Employment and Earnings Statistics.

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These man-hours per $1,000 of construction contract cost, were converted to per 100 square feet of 

construction by determining the cost per square foot 

of construction. An estimate was also developed for 

the hours worked by the offsite employees of the 

construction industry. The estimate for these hours

is based on the difference between the proportion of 

all nonconstruction workers in the general building 

contract construction industry as reported in the 

BLS employment trend series, and the proportion 

of on-site nonconstruction man-hours as developed 

in this study.

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Appendix B. Bibliography

The following are publications of the construction 

labor requirements studies, Office of Productivity 

and Technology, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Sales publications may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C. 20402, or from Regional Offices of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Free 

copies may be obtained, so long as supply lasts, from the Bureau’s Office of Productivity 

and Technology, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. 20212.

Bulletins, Reports, and Articles

Civil works construction

Labor and Material Requirements for Civil Works

Construction by the Corps of Engineers (BLS 

Bulletin 1390), 1964, 28 pp.

A statistical study of onsite and offsite manhour and wage requirements for dredging and

land-type projects in the U.S. Corps of Engineers’ civil works program from 1959 to

1960.

College housing construction

Labor and Material Requirements for College

Housing Construction (BLS Bulletin 1441), 

May 1965, 34 pp.

A report based on findings in a survey of 43

college housing projects which were administered by the Community Facilities Administration. The survey is designed primarily to determine the man-hours required for $1,000

of college housing construction.

Miller, Stanley F., “Labor and Material

Required for College Housing,” M onthly Labor

Review, September 1965, pp. 1100-04. A summary of BLS Bulletin 1441.

Federally aided highways

Ball, Robert, “Labor and Materials Required for 

Highway Construction,” Monthly Labor Review, June 1973, pp. 40-45.

Discussion of labor and material trends

in highway construction between 1958 and

1970.

Labor and Material Requirements for Construction

of Federally-Aided Highways, 1958, 1961,

and 1964 (BLS Report No. 299), 17 pp.

Study providing measures for 1958, 1961,

and 1964 of the labor and material requirements for federally-aided highways, with separate measures of the requirements for onsite

and offsite construction. For onsite construction, the study also provides a comparison

of annual man-hour requirements for 1947-64.

Kutscher, Ronald E. and Waite, Charles A., “Labor 

Requirements for Highway Construction,” 

Monthly Labor Review, August 1961, 4 pp„

Summary of findings of the 1958 highway

survey.

Wakefield, Joseph C., “Labor and Material Requirements: Highway Construction, 1958 and 

1961”, Monthly Labor Review, April 1963, pp. 

394-98.

A summary comparison of the 1958 and

1961 highway surveys.

Federal office building construction

Labor Requirements for Federal Office Building Construction (BLS Bulletin 1331), 1962, 43 pp.

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A statistical study of onsite and offsite

labor requirements for constructing 22 Federal

office building projects in various localities of

the United States over a 3-year period from the

fall of 1957 to 1960.

Murray, Roland V., “Labor Requirements for Federal Office Building Construction,” Monthly

Labor Review, August 1962, pp. 889-93.

A summary of BLS Bulletin 1331.

Hospital construction

Labor Requirements for Hospital Construction

(BLS Bulletin 1340), 1962, 46 pp.

A statistical study of onsite and offsite labor

requirements for construction of selected public and private, profit and non-profit, general

hospitals in various localities of the United

States between mid-1958 and mid-1959.

Rothberg, Herman J., “Labor Requirements for 

Hospital Construction, 1959-60,” Monthly Labor Review, October 1962, pp. 1120-24:

A summary of BLS Bulletin 1340.

Labor and Material Requirements for Hospital and

Nursing Home Construction. (BLS Bulletin 

1691), 1971, 50 pp.

A study similar to the one done in 1962

but with data shown per square foot as well

as per $1,000 of construction contract. Covers

hospitals and nursing homes constructed in

1965-66.

Riche, Martha Farnsworth, “Man-hour Requirements Decline in Hospital Construction, 

Monthly Labor Review, November 1970, 

page 48.

Summary of BLS Bulletin 1691.

Private housing construction

Labor and Material Requirements for Private OneFamily House Construction (BLS Bulletin 

1404), 1964, 37 pp.

A statistical study of onsite and offsite labor

requirements for constructing a sample of onefamily houses build in 1962 in various localities of the United States.

Rothberg, Herman J., “Labor and Material Requirements for One-Family Housing,” Monthly Labor Review, July 1964, pp. 797-800.

A summary of BLS Bulletin 1404.

Labor and Material Requirements for Construction

of Private Single-Family Houses (BLS Bulletin 1755), 1972, 30 pp.

Updates Bulletin 1404.

Ball, Robert and Ludwig, Larry, “Labor Requirements for Construction of Single-Family 

Houses,” Monthly Labor Review, September 

1971, pp. 12-14.

Summary of a study of labor and material

requirements for single-family housing construction in 1969.

Public housing construction

Labor and Material Requirements for Public Housing Construction, (BLS Bulletin 1402), May 

1964, 42 pp.

A report based on findings of a survey of

31 public housing projects which were administered by the Public Housing Administration. Projects were selected in various

States to represent four broad geographic

regions of the conterminous United States.

Finn, Joseph T., “Labor Requirements for Public 

Housing Construction,” Monthly Labor Review, April 1972, pp. 40-42.

Summary of a study of labor requirements

for public housing construction in 1968.

School construction

Labor Requirements for School Construction, (BLS 

Bulletin 1299), 1961, 50 pages.

A study of primary and secondary manhours required per $1,000 of new school construction based on contracts awarded throughout the United States for 85 elementary and

43 junior and senior high schools.

Epstein, Joseph, and Walker, James F., “Labor Requirements for School Construction,” Monthly

Labor Review, July 1961, pp. 724-30.

A summary of BLS Bulletin 1299.

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Labor and Material Requirements for School Construction, June 1968, (BLS Bulletin 1586), 23

pp.

A survey of selected elementary and secondary public schools constructed primarily during the period of 1964-65. In addition to

providing information on man-hours, the study

also includes data on the types and value of

materials used, wages paid, occupations and

use of apprentices.

Finn, Joseph T., “Labor Requirements for School 

Construction,” Monthly Labor Review, August 

1968, pp. 40-43.

A summary of BLS Bulletin 1586.

Sewer works construction

Labor and Material Requirements for Sewer Works

Construction (BLS Bulletin 1490), 1966, 31

pp.

Study designed to measure the total manhours of labor required for each $1,000 of new

sewer facilities construction contract. The basis

for this study was 138 contracts for new sewer

work in the years 1962-63.

Summaries, comparisons, and other papers

Mark, Jerome A., and Ziegler, Martin, “Measuring Labor Requirements for Different Types 

of Construction,” Paper before the Conference 

on the Measurement of Productivity in the Construction Industry, Sponsored by the National 

Commission on Productivity and the Construction Industry Collective Bargaining Commission, September 14, 1972, Washington, D.C.

Discussion of the BLS program of labor

and material requirements and analysis of the

potential of using data from the program to

measure productivity by type of construction.

Ball, Claiborne M., “Employment Effects of Construction Expenditures,” Monthly Labor Review, February 1965, pp. 154-58.

A summary of the man-hour requirements

broken down by offsite and onsite hours, by

occupation and regions for eight types of construction.

“Construction Labor Requirements,” reprint of 

Chapter 28 of The Handbook of Methods for

Surveys and Studies, BLS Bulletin 1711, 1971.

Description of techniques of CLR studies.

Ziegler, Martin, “BLS Construction Labor Requirements Program,” paper before the North American Conference on Labor Statistics, San Juan, 

Puerto Rico, June 1971.

CLR program and objectives are discussed.

Weinberg, Edgar, Mechanization and Automation

of Building Site Work, National Response P a ­

per for the Economic Commission for Europe, 

Committee on Housing, Building and Planning, 

Third Seminar on the Building Industry, Moscow, October 1970.

Discussion of current technology and labor

requirements at the construction site.

Weinberg, Edgar, “Reducing Skill Shortages in Construction,” Monthly Labor Review, February 

1969, pp. 3-9.

Discussion ©f methods for reducing occupational shortages.

☆ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1974 0-551-236

Digitized for FRASER 

http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ 

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

REGIONAL OFFICES

Region I

1603 JFK Federal Building

Government Center

Boston, Mass. 02203

Phone: 223-6762 (Area Code 617)

Region li

Suite 3400

1515 Broadway

New York, N.Y. 10036

Phone: 971-5405 (Area Code 212)

Region III

P.O. Box 13309

Philadelphia, Pa. 19101

Phone: 597-1154 (Area Code 215)

Region IV

Suite 540

1371 Peachtree St., NE.

Atlanta, Ga. 30309

Phone: 526-5418 (Area Code 404)

Region V

8th Floor, 300 South Wacker Drive

Chicago, III. 60606

Phone: 353-1880 (Area Code 312)

Region VI

1100 Commerce St., Rm. 6B7

Dallas, Tex. 75202

Phone: 749-3516 (Area Code 214)

Regions VII and VIII *

Federal Office Building

911 Walnut St., 15th Floor

Kansas City, Mo. 64106

Phone: 374-2481 (Area Code 816)

Regions IX and X **

450 Golden Gate Ave.

Box 36017

San Francisco, Calif. 94102

Phone: 556-4678 (Area Code 415)

Regions VII and VIII are serviced by Kansas City

Regions IX and X are serviced by San Francisco

Digitized for FRASER 

http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ 

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis