New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-07-26
W8AT HOUSE WILL COST.

There is an old saying that fools build houses
and wise men live In them. Whenever man
of moderate means decides to have home OF
his own, planned to meet individual require
ments and fashioned according to his own taste.
be ia reminded both by cautious and by envious
nelghbors of this disagreeable prOverb. III ne
turns the pages of any standard Great truths
by Great Authors" he will find recorded such
warnings as this "Never build house after
"you are fve-and- forty; have five years income
Gin hand before you lay brick; and always cal
"culate the expense at double the estimate"
His acqusintances. giving him the benefit OF
their own experience in building, will assure
him that the actual cost invariably
overlaps the original estimates. Ii a candid
architect be consulted he will confess that no
body can tell what house will cost until 1t is
buiIt. since there are unknown quantities IN the
nroblem that cannot be ascertained except Dy
actual experiment. Shrewd contractors will
even 20 80 far as to say that the same house
cannot be built a second time for the same
money. Indeed, so numerous are the warnings
and 80 dense is the uncertainty respecting the
final cost, that the prudent householder IS not
to be blamed If, after a careful survey OF the
field, he decides against taking the risk OF play
ing the fool for the benefit of the wise man who
may ultimately succeed to his castle in the air.
One of the chief difficulties to be overcome
by a man who is determined not to have
house cost more than he can afford to
nav tor it is the wide divergence between
the architects estimates and the contractors
offers. At the outset the householder naturally
ho n IA
invest. and good deal more, and the architect
plans for him house which on paper delights
the eye and satisfies every domestic longing.
There can be no guarantee that the work will DO
done for the sum named by the owner. The
most that the architect can say Is that the plans
will be made in such a way that his own esti-
mate, based upon such knowledge and expert
ence az he has, shall not exceed the limit. The
question as to the actual cost does not admit
of direct and positive answer by the designer.
The contractor has living profit to make out
Of the work and this, together with more accu-
rate estimates of the cost of labor and
materials, invariably swells the architects
estimates. There are, however, several
safeguards of which the cautious house.
holder may avail himself. First, let him
name 10 the arcnltect as his llnlt nRure6 con
siderably within the sum he can miortably
afford to expend; and he will then have a good
margin for the contractors advance upon the
first estimate. Secondly, let the architects
preliminary studies, consisting of the ground
plan and perspective sketch. be submitted to q
practical builder for an approximate estimate,
before the plans are completed In detail.
Thirdly. let the owner prepare his Own plans
with the assistance of builder, and when the
cost Is virtually determined let the work be
revised and perfected in detail by the archi-
tect.
When the contractors estimate il accepted
it ought TO be based on specifications 90 deh-
mite and precise as to exclude further expansion
of the cost. The owner can agree to pay a
lump sum for the work stipulated in the COD
tract, and this will represent in the main the
actual expense Of the house. Since the
practice of building by days labor has gone on
of vogue. one great element OF uncertainty as
to final cost has disappeared The house il
furnished by the contractor for q hxei sum /;
and the cost OF whatever Ia not included in the
contract, whether mantels, tiled hearths, gas
fixtures or heating apparatus, can be estimated
with precision IL the owner will only take pains
to make careful inquiries in advance Of build
ing. As for the extra expenses caused by de-
paEtures from the specifications In the course